Typst: "as powerful as LaTeX while being much easier to learn and use"
::: spoiler References - Type: Webpage. Title: “typst/typst”. Publisher: “GitHub”. Published (Modified): 2026-03-16T09:39:55.000Z. Accessed: 2025-03-18T08:55Z. URI: https://github.com/typst/typst [https://github.com/typst/typst]. :::
I’d say it still have a long way to go, especially for advanced use cases
If you just want to have a quick pdf generator, it’s definitely the right tool.
One thing that’s way better is the scripting. In LaTeX it’s just an afterthought, simply exposing its convoluted core. In Typst, it feels way more like a first class feature.
It depends on what you need more often. If you need high quality pdf papers with fancy stuff, using typst directly isn’t too bad.
If you write everything else in markdown, use computer languagss in addition to that and want to connect typesetting and programming, then markdown with a solid typst template is the way to go for me.
I’d say it still have a long way to go, especially for advanced use cases […]
What do you think it’s still lacking?
I don’t know what Typst’s custom font support was like in the past, but, currently ^[1]^, Typst does allow the usage of custom fonts:
Kalcifer
pastermil–font-path argument or the TYPST_FONT_PATHS environment variable ^[1.3]^.1. Type: Text. Publisher: [Type: Webpage. Title: “text”. URI: typst.app/docs/reference/text/text/#parameters-fo…. Publisher: “Typst”. Location: “Reference”>“Text”>“Text”]. Accessed: 2026-03-19T04:32Z. Location: §“Parameters”>§“font”>¶4.
1. > In the web app, […] You can provide additional fonts by uploading .ttf or .otf files into your project. […]
2. > Locally, [in the CLI,] Typst uses your installed system fonts […]
3. > Locally, […] in the CLI, […] you can use the –font-path argument or TYPST_FONT_PATHS environment variable to add directories that should be scanned for fonts.
Maths feels like a first class citizen in latex. The syntax is ugly, but there is some logic through the legacy jank.
Typst makes fundamental design decisions that render it unsuitable beyond extremely simply equations. In LaTeX, curly braces are nearly always reserved for enclosing arguments, to avoid confusion with actual brackets.
Typst uses normal brackets for both its scripting and actual maths.
For example, \frac{n(n+1)}{2} in latex turns into (n(n + 1)) / 2 in typst.
The typst code is incredibly unclear - the first set of brackets with the slash together actually form the fraction operator, so neither end up visible.
You can see how this would start to struggle even with high school level maths, with bracketed terms and possibly fractional terms in exponents, integrals, etc.
For example, it is very difficult for me to work out the difference between the following three in typst. That is specifically not what you want from a typesetting language.
1/2(x + y) 1/x(x + y) 1/2^x(x + y)LaTeX ignores whitespace, so you can just use a formatter to space out your code and ensure the curly braces. This is not even an option in typst, which uses the space as an escape character.
[…] For example, \frac{n(n+1)}{2} in latex turns into (n(n + 1)) / 2 in typst. The typst code is incredibly unclear - the first set of brackets with the slash together actually form the fraction operator, so neither end up visible. […]
IMO, it’s only unclear if one isn’t familiar with the syntax — I think the documentation states the behaviour clearly:
[…] Multiple atoms can be grouped into a single expression using round grouping parentheses. Such parentheses are removed from the output, but you can nest multiple to force them. ^[1]^
This isn’t in defense of Typist’s syntax, but I challenge you to show the uninitiated your example LaTeX expression, \frac{n(n+1)}{2}, and see if they are able to accurately parse it.
1. Type: Text. Publisher: [Type: Webpage. Title: “frac”. Publisher: “Typst”. Location: “Documentation”>“Reference”>“Math”>“Fraction”. Location (URI): typst.app/docs/reference/math/frac/.]. Accessed: 2026-03-18T05:34Z. Location: §“Syntax”.
[…] \frac{n(n+1)}{2} in latex turns into (n(n + 1)) / 2 in typst […]
Note that one can also write that as frac(n(n+1), 2) ^[1]^.
1. Type: Webpage. Title: “frac”. Publisher: “Typst”. Location: “Documentation”>“Reference”>“Math”>“Fraction”. Location (URI): typst.app/docs/reference/math/frac/. Accessed: 2026-03-18T05:34Z.
[…] You can see how this would start to struggle even with high school level maths, with bracketed terms and possibly fractional terms in exponents, integrals, etc.
For example, it is very difficult for me to work out the difference between the following three in typst. That is specifically not what you want from a typesetting language.
1/2(x + y) 1/x(x + y) 1/2^x(x + y)[…]
I think these are valid complaints. For clarity, this is the output that I found for each:
I was surprised by the second. I expected it to produce . I didn’t know what to expect for the third.
I tried searching through the documentation ^[4]^, but I was unable to find any information that exactly defined expressions ^[5]^, and how they are grouped within the fraction when juxtaposed like in your examples.
References1. Type: Anecdote. Published: 2026-03-19T07:20Z.
- bash echo “#set page(width: auto, height: auto, margin: 0pt); $ 1/2(x + y) $” | typst compile - o.png
2. Type: Anecdote. Published: 2026-03-19T07:20Z.
- bash echo “#set page(width: auto, height: auto, margin: 0pt); $ 1/x(x + y) $” | typst compile - o.png
3. Type: Anecdote. Published: 2026-03-19T07:20Z.
- bash echo “#set page(width: auto, height: auto, margin: 0pt); $ 1/2^x(x + y) $” | typst compile - o.png
4. Type: Webpage. Title: “typst Documentation”. Publisher: “Typst”. Accessed: 2026-03-19T07:25Z. URI: typst.app/docs/.
5. Type: Text. Publisher: [Type: Webpage. Publisher: “Typst”. Title: “frac”. URI: typst.app/docs/reference/math/frac/.]. Accessed: 2026-03-19T07:26Z. Location: §“Syntax”.
- > […] Use a slash to turn neighbouring expressions into a fraction. […]
- The quote mentions that the components within the fraction are called expressions.
Oinks
