typst

$27

Method

Command

Best for

HTML export

typst compile doc.typ /dev/stdout -f html --features html 2>/dev/null

Text content, structure, headings, tables

PNG export

typst compile doc.typ page-{p}.png -f png

Visual layout, alignment, spacing, fonts

pdftotext

typst compile doc.typ && pdftotext doc.pdf -

Fallback for page-specific content

Minimal Document

#set page(paper: "a4", margin: 2cm)

#set text(size: 11pt)

= Title

Content goes here.

Writing Documents

Starting a new document? Copy the closest recipe from [Examples](#examples) below — it's faster than starting blank and each row names the docs to read next.

When you need to...

Read

Learn syntax, imports, functions, control flow

basics.md

Learn data types, operators, string/array methods

types.md

Style pages, headings, figures, layout

styling.md

Tables, grids, cell spans, borders, data tables

tables.md

Academic papers, bibliography, theorems, equations

academic.md

Convert from Markdown or LaTeX

conversion.md

Extract data from documents, multi-pass builds

query.md

Developing Packages and Templates

When you need to...

Read

State, counters, in-document query(), XML

advanced.md

CLI query, metadata export, multi-pass

query.md

Create a reusable template function

template.md

Create or publish a package

package.md

Verify output (HTML/PNG/pdftotext, repr)

debug.md

Profile performance (--timings, hotspots)

perf.md

basics.md and types.md are also the foundation for developers.

Finding Packages

Search the embedded index of Typst Universe packages (updated weekly):

python3 scripts/search-packages.py "what you need"

python3 scripts/search-packages.py "chart" --category visualization

python3 scripts/search-packages.py --category cv --top 5

python3 scripts/search-packages.py --list-categories

Common Errors

Error

Cause

Fix

"unknown variable"

Undefined identifier

Check spelling, ensure #let before use

"expected X, found Y"

Type mismatch

Check function signature in docs

"file not found"

Bad import path

Paths resolve relative to current file

"unknown font"

Font not installed

Use system fonts or web-safe alternatives

"maximum function call depth exceeded"

Deep recursion

Use iteration instead

"can only be used when context is known"

Missing context wrapper

Wrap in context { ... }

"unexpected argument"

= instead of : for args

Named args use : syntax: func(name: value)

"variables from outside are read-only"

Mutating captured variable

Use loop accumulation or state() — see advanced.md

"expected content, found string" (or vice versa)

Content/string type mismatch

Use [#str-var] to embed string in content

set/show rule has no effect

Rule placed after content

Place set/show rules before the content they target

Examples

Copy the closest starter, adjust, compile. For CVs, letters, or slides, search packages: python3 scripts/search-packages.py --category cv (or letter, presentation).

Example

Start here when you want...

Next read

basic-document.typ

A short note or memo

basics.md, styling.md

styled-document.typ

A multi-section report with page styling

styling.md, tables.md

template-report.typ

A reusable template for a series

template.md

tables-showcase.typ

A data-heavy doc (tables, CSV/JSON)

tables.md, types.md

academic-paper.typ

A paper with citations, theorems, math

academic.md

query-export.typ

Metadata export or multi-pass builds

query.md

package-example/

A publishable package

package.md

Dependencies

• typst CLI: Install from https://typst.app or via package manager

• macOS: brew install typst

• Linux: cargo install typst-cli

• Windows: winget install typst

• pdftotext (optional): For text-level output verification

• Python 3.10+ (optional): For package search and validation scripts

• jq (optional): For parsing JSON output from typst query in shell scripts

API Reference Search

Search the embedded index of Typst API functions, methods, and constructors:

python3 scripts/search-api.py "image width fit"

python3 scripts/search-api.py "color lighten" --kind method

python3 scripts/search-api.py --name str.position -v

python3 scripts/search-api.py "rightarrow" --kind symbol   # LaTeX names work

python3 scripts/search-api.py --list-categories

Ecosystem Tools

Ecosystem tools: tinymist (LSP/editor), typstyle (formatter), typst-package-check (package validator), tytanic (visual test runner). For package tooling details, see package.md.