DITA-OT Customisation
DITA-OT Customisation & Publishing
Custom DITA Open Toolkit plugins, PDF and HTML5 output customisation, XSLT transforms, CSS styling, and publishing automation for organisations that need tailored documentation outputs.
Publishing outputs that match your brand and requirements
The DITA Open Toolkit is powerful but requires expertise to customise effectively. We build and maintain custom DITA-OT plugins that produce PDF, HTML5, and other outputs that match your organisation's brand, style, and structural requirements — without compromising the integrity of your DITA source.
Business problems we solve
Default DITA-OT outputs that do not match brand or style requirements
Complex XSLT customisations that are difficult to maintain or extend
PDF outputs with layout, typography, or pagination issues
HTML5 outputs that do not integrate with your web platform or design system
Publishing pipeline failures that block documentation releases
No automated publishing workflow — manual steps introducing errors and delays
Service offerings
PDF Plugin Development
Custom DITA-OT PDF plugins using XSL-FO and Apache FOP or Antenna House Formatter — covering page layout, typography, headers, footers, cover pages, and brand styling.
HTML5 Output Customisation
Custom HTML5 plugins with CSS styling, JavaScript integration, navigation structures, and responsive design — suitable for standalone documentation sites or integration with web platforms.
Custom Plugin Development
Bespoke DITA-OT plugins for specialised output formats, custom processing steps, content filtering, and integration with downstream systems.
XSLT Development & Maintenance
Writing, reviewing, and maintaining XSLT stylesheets for DITA-OT transforms — including upgrades to newer DITA-OT versions and refactoring of legacy customisations.
Publishing Automation
Automated publishing pipelines using CI/CD tools, Ant scripts, and DITA-OT command-line integration — reducing manual steps and enabling documentation builds on commit or schedule.
Troubleshooting & Support
Diagnosis and resolution of DITA-OT build failures, output quality issues, plugin conflicts, and performance problems in existing publishing pipelines.
Delivery methodology
01
Requirements Review
Review of output requirements, brand guidelines, existing customisations, and DITA-OT version and environment.
02
Design & Specification
Plugin architecture design, XSLT strategy, CSS approach, and detailed specification of all customisation requirements.
03
Development
Iterative plugin development with regular builds against your DITA content to validate output quality.
04
Review & Refinement
Stakeholder review of outputs, feedback incorporation, and refinement cycles until outputs meet requirements.
05
Testing & Validation
Systematic testing across content types, edge cases, and publishing environments to confirm output quality and stability.
06
Handover & Documentation
Plugin delivery, documentation of customisation approach, and knowledge transfer to your team.
Project deliverables
- Custom DITA-OT plugin(s) in version-controlled repository
- Plugin documentation covering architecture, configuration, and maintenance
- Sample outputs demonstrating all customised elements
- Publishing pipeline configuration and automation scripts
- Test report confirming output quality across content types
- Handover documentation and knowledge transfer session
Tools & technologies
Frequently asked questions
Need better publishing outputs from your DITA content?
Tell us about your current DITA-OT setup and output requirements. We will help you get the results you need.
Discuss your project