CV CVMaster

Detailed CVMaster guide

CVMaster is a professional visual resume builder. It works for quick resumes based on ready templates and for precise manual layout where you control every block: position, size, font, color, background, border, layers and pages.

1. Quick start

The fastest way to begin is to choose a ready template in the left panel. The editor immediately creates a full resume with demonstration content. Every template remains fully editable: you can delete blocks, add new ones, move elements, resize columns visually, add pages and rebuild the composition.

If you do not want to start from a template, open the wizard. It helps enter the main data first: name, role, contacts, profile, experience, education and skills. After applying the wizard, the document is still a normal visual resume that can be edited manually.

  • Open the Templates tab and choose a style.
  • Double-click any text block to edit its content.
  • Select a block and adjust coordinates, size, color, background, border and padding in the inspector.
  • Use Preview to check the resume without saving.
  • Export to Word or PDF, print, save a GUID link or save a complete template file.

2. Editor interface

The editor is split into three working zones. Templates, the wizard and the block palette are on the left. The page canvas with rulers and alignment guides is in the center. The selected block inspector, GUID link and ad placeholders are on the right.

  • The top bar contains the resume title, help, print, template save/open, Word/PDF export and link saving.
  • The template list scrolls independently, so long template sets remain convenient.
  • The central area shows the real page size and lets you select, move and resize elements.
  • The inspector shows only settings that make sense for the selected block.

3. Working with blocks

Every resume element is a block. Select a block with one click. When selected, it shows a frame and handles for moving and resizing.

Layers are especially useful for decorative elements: stripes, backgrounds, masks, dividers and complex compositions. Put background shapes lower, and text or photos higher.

  • Move: drag the handle in the upper-left corner of the block.
  • Resize: drag the small handle in the lower-right corner.
  • Precise position: use X and Y in the inspector.
  • Precise size: use W and H in the inspector.
  • Layers: Z controls which block is above another block.

4. Editing text

Double-click a text block to enter editing mode. Then you can place the caret, select words and apply formatting. The formatting toolbar reflects the current selection: bold, italic, underline and list buttons become active when the selected text has that formatting.

Do not put the entire resume into one huge text block. Split it into logical blocks: name, role, contacts, profile, experience, education and skills. This keeps alignment and export predictable.

  • B makes the selection bold.
  • I applies italic.
  • U adds underline.
  • Bulleted lists are useful for achievements, duties and skills.
  • Numbered lists work well for steps, project stages and ranked items.
  • Alignment changes text direction inside the block: left, center, right or justified.

5. Skills block

The skills block is different from ordinary text: each skill is a separate chip. This gives better control over visual style and order.

If skills should look strict, use the same background for all chips. If you need categories, use one color for technical skills, another for management skills and a third one for languages.

  • + Skill adds a new separate skill.
  • The color square inside a chip changes that exact skill background.
  • The cross removes a single skill.
  • The drag handle next to the cross changes skill order inside the block.
  • The inspector color changes the text color of all skills.
  • The inspector background and border belong to the whole skills container, not to one chip.

6. Pages, rulers and alignment

CVMaster can create multi-page resumes. The + Page button adds a page. Empty pages are not shown in preview, Word, PDF or print.

Rulers at the top and left show coordinates. When you select or drag a block, subtle dashed guides appear on X and Y. They help align blocks to the page and to other resume elements.

  • For a strict grid, align section titles to the same X coordinate.
  • For clean vertical rhythm, keep equal gaps between sections.
  • In a two-column layout, keep the left column fixed and use the right column for main experience.
  • For decorative lines and panels, use lower Z values so text remains above them.

7. Preview, print, Word and PDF

Preview opens the resume without saving. Print prints only non-empty resume pages and excludes editor UI, rulers and panels.

Word saves the document as an HTML-based .doc file that opens in Microsoft Word. PDF is built from the same visual HTML/CSS structure so the result is as close as possible to what you see in the editor.

Before sending a resume, check Preview, Word and PDF separately. Different viewers may render fonts slightly differently, but structure, positions, colors and pages should match the editor.

8. Saving and opening templates

Save template downloads a .cvmaster.json file. It is not just colors or a template name; it is a complete copy of the current resume.

Open template loads this file back into the editor. Use it for local versions, moving a design between computers or building your own template library.

Recommended workflow: save a template file before large design experiments. If the result is not good, open the saved file and return to the previous state.

  • The file stores all pages and the declared page count.
  • It stores every block with coordinates, sizes, z-order, page number and type.
  • It stores styles, colors, borders, page background, background image, photos and skills chips.
  • It stores wizard data and the latest document title.

9. Useful layout tips

These techniques help build more complex resumes while keeping the document editable.

How to make two parallel lines like a thin double divider

One practical method is to use a normal rectangular block as a decorative line. Give it a border, and set the inside background to the same color as the resume page. Then the top and bottom borders look like two lines.

To hide that it is still a rectangle, put two empty borderless blocks over the left and right sides. Their background should match the page background and their Z value should be higher than the line block.

  1. Add a Line block or a thin shape/divider.
  2. Stretch it to the required width.
  3. Set Border to 3 px in the inspector.
  4. Make the border black or dark gray.
  5. Set the block background to the same color as the resume page.
  6. Place two empty blocks over the left and right sides to hide side borders.
  7. Give those empty blocks a higher Z value than the line.

How to create clean decorative stripes

Use a shape or divider as a background stripe. Choose its color and size, then lower its Z value so text blocks stay above it. If the stripe must align with a heading, use the same X coordinate and width as the heading area.

How to build a clean two-column structure

Decide the left column width first, for example 230-260 px. Place contacts, skills and languages there. Keep main experience on the right. Align all left-column blocks to one X coordinate and all right-column blocks to another X coordinate.

How to check the resume before sending

Open Preview and export PDF. Check name, contacts, line breaks, empty pages, section alignment and font readability. If the resume uses more than one page, make sure page breaks look intentional.