Compile Deck

Create beautiful Beamer presentations. This skill enforces the Rhetoric of Decks philosophy through concrete, measurable rules — not aspirational guidance.

Step 1: Triage

Before touching anything, answer three questions:

Q1: New deck or editing existing?

• If editing: Read the .tex file first. Understand its palette, structure, and style before changing anything.
• If new: Proceed to Q2.

Q2: Who is the audience?

1. Academic seminar — sparse, one idea per slide, titles carry the argument
2. Teaching lecture — clarity over compression, repetition OK, progressive revelation
3. Working deck (coauthors) — more detail OK, document choices, preserve uncertainty
4. External non-academic — storytelling, visual impact, minimal jargon

See domain_patterns.md in this skill directory for detailed guidance per audience type.

Q3: What's the tone?

1. Professional/Academic — use the Warm Professional palette (default) or Academic Muted
2. Colorful/Expressive — create something new each time. See palette_reference.md for inspiration.

---

Step 2: The Non-Negotiable Rules

These are not guidelines. They are constraints.

ONE idea per slide

If a slide has two ideas, split it. No exceptions.

Titles are assertions, not labels

• Bad: "Results"
• Good: "Treatment increased distance by 61 miles on average"
• Bad: "Literature Review"
• Good: "Prior work ignores the supply-side margin"

If someone reads only the slide titles in sequence, they should understand the entire argument.

Typography minimums

• Body text: 24pt minimum
• Absolute floor (footnotes, source notes): 18pt
• Sans-serif fonts only
• Never justify text — always ragged right

No bullet lists (usually)

Bullets are a confession that you haven't found the structure. Look for:

• A sequence (use a flow diagram)
• A contrast (use two columns)
• A hierarchy (use size/color differentiation)
• A causal chain (use arrows)

Exception: genuinely parallel items (e.g., a list of axioms in a teaching deck).

Charts: one message, direct labels

• Every chart communicates ONE finding
• Title states the finding ("Enrollment doubled after 2015"), not the chart type ("Enrollment Over Time")
• Label data directly on the chart — no legends requiring eye movement
• Remove all chartjunk: gridlines, borders, unnecessary axis marks

White space is confidence, not waste

Empty space on a slide signals that you chose carefully. A full slide signals anxiety.

Zero compile warnings

Not "try to fix." Zero. See the Compile Loop below.

---

Step 3: The Preamble

For new decks, use this template. It is extracted from real decks that work.

Default: Warm Professional Palette (10 colors)

\documentclass[aspectratio=169,11pt]{beamer}

% Packages
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{lmodern}
\usepackage{microtype}
\usepackage{amsmath,amssymb}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{colortbl}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\usepackage{adjustbox}

\usetikzlibrary{shapes.geometric, arrows.meta, positioning, calc,
                backgrounds, decorations.pathreplacing, shadows, fadings}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.18}

% --- Color Palette: Warm Professional ---
\definecolor{DeepNavy}{HTML}{2E4057}
\definecolor{Teal}{HTML}{048A81}
\definecolor{WarmOrange}{HTML}{E85D04}
\definecolor{SoftPurple}{HTML}{9D4EDD}
\definecolor{WarmGray}{HTML}{6C757D}
\definecolor{LightGray}{HTML}{E9ECEF}
\definecolor{Cream}{HTML}{FBF8F1}
\definecolor{DeepRed}{HTML}{D62828}
\definecolor{Gold}{HTML}{D4A03A}
\definecolor{SoftWhite}{HTML}{FAFAFA}

% Beamer colors
\setbeamercolor{normal text}{fg=DeepNavy, bg=SoftWhite}
\setbeamercolor{structure}{fg=DeepNavy}
\setbeamercolor{alerted text}{fg=DeepRed}
\setbeamercolor{example text}{fg=Teal}
\setbeamercolor{frametitle}{fg=DeepNavy, bg=SoftWhite}
\setbeamercolor{title}{fg=DeepNavy}
\setbeamercolor{subtitle}{fg=WarmGray}
\setbeamercolor{block title}{bg=DeepNavy, fg=SoftWhite}
\setbeamercolor{block body}{bg=LightGray, fg=DeepNavy}
\setbeamercolor{itemize item}{fg=WarmOrange}
\setbeamercolor{itemize subitem}{fg=Gold}

% Fonts
\usefonttheme{professionalfonts}
\setbeamerfont{title}{size=\huge, series=\bfseries}
\setbeamerfont{frametitle}{size=\Large, series=\bfseries}

% Strip chrome
\setbeamertemplate{navigation symbols}{}
\setbeamertemplate{headline}{}

% Minimal footline
\setbeamertemplate{footline}{%
    \hfill
    \begin{beamercolorbox}[wd=3cm,ht=2.5ex,dp=1ex,right,rightskip=0.6cm]{page number}
        \usebeamercolor[fg]{WarmGray}\scriptsize\insertframenumber
    \end{beamercolorbox}
    \vspace{0.3cm}
}

% Bullets
\setbeamertemplate{itemize item}{\footnotesize\raisebox{0.3ex}{\tikz\fill[WarmOrange] (0,0) circle (0.45ex);}}
\setbeamertemplate{itemize subitem}{\footnotesize\raisebox{0.3ex}{\tikz\fill[Gold] (0,0) circle (0.35ex);}}

% Custom commands
\newcommand{\transitionslide}[2]{%
    {\setbeamercolor{normal text}{fg=SoftWhite,bg=DeepNavy}
    \begin{frame}[plain]\vfill\begin{center}
        {\huge\bfseries\textcolor{Gold}{#1}}\\[0.6cm]
        {\large\textcolor{LightGray}{#2}}
    \end{center}\vfill\end{frame}}
}

\graphicspath{{figures/}}

For alternative palettes, see palette_reference.md in this skill directory.

---

Step 4: Slide Architecture Patterns

Opening slide (first content slide after title)

NOT "Motivation" with bullet points. Instead:

• A surprising fact or statistic (big number, centered)
• A puzzle or unanswered question
• A provocative claim that the deck will support

Transition slides

Use \transitionslide{Section Title}{Subtitle} for dark-background section dividers.

Closing slide

NOT "Questions?" or "Thank you." Instead:

• The ONE sentence the audience should remember tomorrow
• Full-bleed dark background with the takeaway centered

Devil's Advocate slide (academic decks)

Present the strongest objection to your argument, then respond to it. This builds credibility. Format: "A skeptic would say..." followed by your response.

TikZ diagram slides

Read tikz_rules.md in this skill directory BEFORE creating any TikZ figure. The rules are measurement-based — they prevent text from overlapping arrows, boxes, and other objects.

Critical rule preview: Before placing a label between two nodes, CALCULATE the edge-to-edge gap and compare it to the estimated text width. If the text is wider than the gap minus 0.6cm padding, the label WILL collide. Move it above/below or shorten the text.

---

Step 5: The Compile Loop

After EVERY edit to a .tex file:

5a: Compile

pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode [file].tex

5b: Check for fatal errors

grep "^!" [file].log

If any: fix, recompile, repeat.

5c: Check for ALL warnings

grep -cE "Overfull|Underfull" [file].log

This must return 0. For EACH warning:

Warning	Fix
Overfull \hbox	Rephrase shorter, use \adjustbox, add @{} to table columns
Underfull \hbox	Rephrase or adjust paragraph breaks
Overfull \vbox	Split the slide or reduce \vspace, tighten content
Underfull \vbox	Add \vfill or adjust spacing

Even 0.5pt overfull must be fixed. Do NOT proceed until the count is 0.

5d: Check fonts

grep -i "font" [file].log | grep -i "warning"

5e: TikZ verification (Bézier-first workflow)

TikZ errors don't trigger compile warnings. You must catch them yourself. Follow this order — curves first, everything else second:

Pass 1 — Find and fix all Bézier curves:

grep -n "bend" [file].tex

For EACH curved arrow found:

1. Calculate max depth: (chord / 2) × tan(bend_angle / 2)
2. Add 0.5cm safety margin
3. Check: is any label within the danger zone? Move it if so.
4. Check: does the curve cross any other arrow? Re-route if so.

Pass 2 — Everything else:

• Gap calculation: for every label between two nodes, is estimated text width < usable gap?
• Arrow labels: does every one have above, below, left, or right?
• No nodes clipped by slide edges
• All arrows pointing to intended targets

Pass 3 — Open the PDF and visually confirm.

Full rules and formulas are in tikz_rules.md. This verification runs on ALL TikZ figures in the deck, not just the one you just edited.

5f: Open the PDF

open [file].pdf

---

Step 6: The Narrative Arc

Every deck tells a story. The structure depends on context, but the principle is universal:

Act I — Setup: Establish the problem or question. Make the audience feel it. Act II — Development: Present evidence, analysis, investigation. Build the logical case. Act III — Resolution: Deliver the insight. State implications. Give the audience something to do or remember.

Within this arc, apply the Pyramid Principle: lead with the conclusion, then support it. Academic audiences expect this. Do not build suspense — state the finding, then prove it.

For domain-specific structures, see domain_patterns.md.

---

Step 7: Figure Generation

When a deck needs data visualizations:

1. Write a Python script (generate_figures.py) using matplotlib
2. Use the same color palette as the LaTeX deck
3. Save figures as PDF (vector, not raster) to a figures/ subdirectory
4. Every figure: one message, direct labels, title states the finding
5. Match the deck's background color in fig.set_facecolor()
6. Save the script alongside the figures — never generate a figure without preserving the code that created it
7. Boundary Rule applies to figures too: When placing ax.text() near patches (FancyBboxPatch, Circle, Rectangle), compute the patch boundary and verify text has ≥0.4cm clearance. See tikz_rules.md Pass 4.
8. Anchor-Based Centering Rule: When a container holds multiple text elements (title + math), do NOT use va='center' for both at symmetric offsets — multi-line text extends further from its anchor than single-line, creating visual asymmetry. Instead, anchor outward from center: upper element uses va='bottom' at center + gap, lower uses va='top' at center - gap. See tikz_rules.md Pass 4.
9. Bézier-first for matplotlib arrows: When labeling curved arrows (arc3), compute the actual Bézier curve position using the arc3 control point formula (cx = mid_x + rad*dy, cy = mid_y - rad*dx), then offset labels perpendicular to the computed curve position. Never guess where curves pass. Use a white-background bbox on labels for readability. See tikz_rules.md Pass 4 for the full formula and workflow.

---

Quick Reference

Principle	Rule
Ideas per slide	ONE
Title style	Assertion, not label
Minimum font	24pt (18pt floor)
Bullets	Avoid — find the structure
White space	Confidence, not waste
Charts	One message, direct labels
Compile target	Zero warnings
Opening slide	Puzzle, surprise, or provocation
Closing slide	One memorable takeaway
TikZ labels	Calculate the gap (see tikz_rules.md)
Color palette	10+ colors, warm by default
Narrative	Setup, Development, Resolution

---

Supporting Files

All in this skill directory (~/.claude/skills/compiledeck/):

• tikz_rules.md — Measurement-based TikZ collision prevention rules. READ THIS before creating any TikZ diagram.
• palette_reference.md — Four real palettes extracted from existing decks, with a selection guide.
• domain_patterns.md — Detailed structural patterns for academic seminars, teaching lectures, and working decks.

Full Philosophy Reference

For the complete essay behind these principles: ~/MixtapeTools/presentations/rhetoric_of_decks.md ~/MixtapeTools/presentations/rhetoric_of_decks_full_essay.md

This skill distills those essays into operational rules. You don't need to re-read them — just follow the rules above.