Relationship with LaTeX Ended - Welcoming Typst

It’s been a while since my last blog, but today I bring exciting news: I’ve discovered Typst, a modern typesetting system that feels like the long-awaited alternative to LaTeX.

For years, I relied on LaTeX for academic writing, but it always felt bloated and unnecessarily complicated. Typst changes that. It solves many of LaTeX’s pain points while keeping the power and flexibility we need. In many ways, it feels like Typst could finally challenge LaTeX’s dominance in academia.

I’ve always loved the simplicity of Markdown, but when it came to equations, LaTeX was the only real option. Typst merges the best of both worlds Markdown’s ease with LaTeX’s mathematical power.

I won’t cover installation here (Google or ChatGPT will do the trick), but let me share the highlights that made me fall in love with Typst:

1. Section Headings Without the Noise

In LaTeX, defining a section is clunky:

\section{Section name}

In Typst, it’s as clean as Markdown:

= Section name

Simple and elegant.

2. Painless Equations

Typst equations look and feel familiar, but with fewer backslashes and more readability. Fractions, in particular, are much cleaner to write.

Inline equation example:

Let $a^2 + b^2 = c^2$ be the Pythagorean theorem.

Display equation example: $ c = sqrt(a^2 + b^2) $

It just works.

3. Functions That Make Sense

Typst introduces functions with a syntax that is both powerful and intuitive. Unlike LaTeX, where custom commands often feel cryptic, Typst functions are straightforward, reusable, and easy to read.

#let centered-image(path, width: 60%) = {
  align(center)[
    image(path, width: width)
  ]
}

#centered-image("figures/example.png")

4. Bibliography

Citing in Typst is natural, just use @cite. References, tags, and bibliographies are built in.

Example:

This method was described in @einstein1905.

#let bib = bibliography("references.bib")
#bibliography-slide(bib)

No more BibTeX nightmares.

5. More Power for Power Users

For those who want more control, Typst provides variables, functions, and advanced layouts directly in its core. No endless packages required, everything is extendable in a clean, predictable way.

Example:

#let thesis-title = "My Awesome Thesis"
= #thesis-title

Bonus: Typstslides

If you’ve ever struggled with LaTeX Beamer, you’ll love this: Typstslides.

Final Thoughts

LaTeX has served us well, but the relationship was always complicated. With Typst, things feel refreshingly simple. For those starting their theses, writing papers, or preparing slides, I wholeheartedly recommend giving Typst a try.

Happy Typsting! 🎉