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Quick answers
When should I pick Mermaid text diagrams?
When the story is: process docs, onboarding, assignment logic, PR explanations.
When should I avoid Mermaid text diagrams?
Skip it in cases like: pixel-perfect brand illustrations that need freehand layout.
Who invented or popularised it?
Mermaid (2014) popularized Markdown-native diagrams on GitHub
What does it encode?
textual graph syntax rendered to SVG boxes and edges
Is it OK in ads?
Yes if one claim is visible at a glance in Meta, Google and retail print; otherwise link to a full figure.
Will a teacher accept it?
Yes for lab reports and poster boards if axes, units and a source line are present.
Mermaid text diagrams encodes values as textual graph syntax rendered to SVG boxes and edges. Mermaid (2014) popularized Markdown-native diagrams on GitHub.
In reports, ads and assignments it fits process docs, onboarding, assignment logic, PR explanations. Skip it when pixel-perfect brand illustrations that need freehand layout.
Software
- Mermaid — Flow, sequence, class, ER and more from text - MIT licensed. · MIT · github.com/mermaid-js/mermaid
- Mermaid CLI — Render diagrams to SVG/PNG in CI without a SaaS. · MIT · github.com/mermaid-js/mermaid-cli
- markdown-it — Often paired to embed diagram fences in docs. · MIT · github.com/markdown-it/markdown-it
- GitHub markup notes — Study how forges render Mermaid in README files. · MIT · github.com/github/markup
- Flow demo SVG — Static flowchart teaching marks on this atlas. · CC0 examples · github.com/Tool-Lifes/viz-atlas
Exports
- Exports 1 — SVG
- Exports 2 — PDF
- Exports 3 — EMF/SVG into slides (no screenshots)
- Exports 4 — SVG for web, PDF for print
Accessibility
- Accessibility 1 — Never hue alone. Stack pattern, label and position.
- Accessibility 2 — 4.5:1 for text, 3:1 for large marks.
- Accessibility 3 — Short alt text on the chart; numbers also as an HTML table.
- Accessibility 4 — Motion only as emphasis. Honour prefers-reduced-motion.
Mermaid text diagrams: honour textual graph syntax rendered to SVG boxes and edges, and switch when pixel-perfect brand illustrations that need freehand layout.