---
id: rendercv
version: "2.8"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# rendercv — Resume builder for academics and engineers

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 161.8K/mo

## What it is and what it does

RenderCV is a resume and CV builder that lets you write your document as YAML and automatically generates a polished PDF. Instead of wrestling with formatting in a word processor, you describe your education, experience, and skills in structured YAML, then run a single command to produce a PDF with professional typography, consistent spacing, and your choice of design theme.

The package handles all the layout work for you—margins, alignment, font sizing, and color schemes are managed by the theme and design configuration. It includes multiple themes (Classic, Engineeringresumes, Sb2nov, Moderncv, Engineeringclassic, Harvard, Ink, Opal, Ember) and supports customization of colors, typography, page margins, and other design details through YAML configuration. It also supports multiple languages through locale settings and includes strict validation to catch errors before PDF generation.

Use it for:

- Maintain your resume in version control as plain text YAML, making it easy to track changes and collaborate.
- Generate multiple PDF versions with different themes or designs from a single YAML source file.
- Ensure consistent professional typography and layout without manual formatting adjustments.
- Quickly update your CV content and regenerate the PDF without reformatting the entire document.
- Use with AI agents via the RenderCV skill to programmatically create or edit CVs.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

RenderCV converts a YAML resume file into a professionally typeset PDF with multiple design themes, handling layout, typography, and formatting automatically.

Yes. RenderCV is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, installs with low friction, and solves a real problem—separating resume content from presentation. It's well-suited for academics and engineers who want version-controllable, professionally formatted CVs without the overhead of word processors. The MIT license imposes no restrictions. Requires Python 3.12+.

## Install

pip install rendercv
uv add rendercv
poetry add rendercv

## Installing rendercv

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel. Actively maintained with recent releases; requires Python 3.12 or later.

License in practice: MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for both personal and commercial projects.

Quickstart:

pip install 'rendercv[full]'
rendercv new "John Doe"
# Edit John_Doe_CV.yaml with your content
rendercv render "John_Doe_CV.yaml"

Requires Python 3.12 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the 'full' extra installs additional optional dependencies beyond the six runtime deps listed.
- What PDF rendering engine or system dependencies may be required for PDF generation.
- Whether all nine design themes mentioned in the description are included in version 2.8.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 161.8K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

yaml resume to pdf, cv builder with templates, resume generator from yaml, professional cv formatter, academic resume builder, typeset resume automation, resume-builder, yaml-driven, pdf-generation

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