Typstify Quick Guide v1.7

Download & Installation

To download the app, head to typstify.com/download, and choose the version matching your OS and hardware. Typstify provides builds for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It has been tested on Windows 11, macOS Tahoe, and Arch Linux, and it may not work as expected on other operating systems.

Typstify is distributed as installers bundled with the latest compiler and LSP server, so you do not have to install Typst and Tinymist separately.

For Windows and macOS users, double-click the downloaded installer. The installer will guide you through the installation process.

Linux users will get a Flatpak bundle if they download it from the website. Make sure Flatpak is installed. If you do not have Flatpak on your system, follow the setup instructions here: flatpak.org/setup.

After that, run the command below to install the app. The process may take a few minutes depending on your network speed:

flatpak install /path/to/typstify.flatpak

Be sure to read Platforms Support before you start using the app.

First Glance

Besides the main editing area, the UI is split into several functional parts:

File Explorer: Located on the left side of the main window, it lets users manage project files from within the app.
Tab bar: At the top of the window, it is the navigator for open pages.
Status bar: At the bottom of the window, it is divided into three sub-sections:
- App menu: on the left of the status bar.
- Message area: shows instant messages from the app, including information, warnings, and errors.
- Editor status: on the right side of the status bar.
Previewer: shown when the Typst editor is previewing content. This is the right side of the window.

The screenshot below shows a typical workspace layout.

Workspace Layout

Start a project

Typstify aims to serve both academic and technical document writers as well as Typst package developers. It provides three project types to help you get started.

Document: Generate a project skeleton or start from a Typst template for papers and documents.
Package: Generate a project skeleton for your Typst package. For developers only.
Template: Generate a project skeleton for your Typst template. For developers only.

Existing projects can also be opened from disk by clicking the “Open folder” icon.

In previous versions, packages and templates were restricted to Typst’s local package directory. Starting with v1.7.0, packages and templates can be created wherever you want. To use the packages and templates you create, place them in your local package directory manually, or upload them to TPIX and pull them back via the integrated TPIX tools. To learn more about TPIX, please refer to the TPIX section.

Choose Packages & Templates

Before you start your new Typst document, you may want to see what Typst packages or templates can be used so you do not have to build everything from the ground up. Typstify provides a simple package browser for exploring packages and templates from TPIX. Make sure you are signed in to TPIX in Typstify before you search for packages.

Because TPIX primarily serves as a private package registry, you can also search packages and templates from private namespaces that you have access to. To learn more about TPIX, please refer to tpix.typstify.com.

Workspace

Whether you are writing papers, crafting templates, or building packages in Typstify, the in-app environment is called a workspace.

Typstify uses the workspace root directory as TYPST_ROOT for the LSP server, previewing, and exporting. Put related files and resources there so they can be found and used.

Workspace Settings

To configure per-workspace settings, Typstify introduced the .typstify folder in v1.7.0. It is highly recommended that you include this folder in your version control system, such as Git.

The following settings are available for now:

Previewer mode
Metadata for managed bibliography files

Users should not edit these settings directly in most cases; the app should read and write them.

Fonts

Fonts used by Typst compiler and LSP server can be configured in several ways.

If the fonts directory is outside the workspace, you can specify it in the Extra Font Path field of the Typst settings page.
Fonts placed in the workspace root folder or any sub-folders can be searched and used in your Typst files.
Fonts installed system-wide can be picked up if you have the Ignore System Fonts off.
Fonts built into the Typst compiler can be used if you turn off Ignore Compiler Embedded Fonts.

sys.inputs

To make data available through Typst’s sys.inputs dictionary, Typstify uses a sys-inputs.json file. The file format is expected to be JSON, and all keys and values are expected to be strings. In addition, it must be placed at the root directory of the workspace.

If you do not want your project to read that file, you can disable it in the Typst tab of the Settings page.

Editing

The editor supports syntax highlighting for a wide range of programming languages. Tab style and width can be configured from the settings page for newly created files. For existing files, Typstify detects and applies the current indentation automatically.

Shortcuts

Typstify tries to be efficient and provides some useful keyboard shortcuts for editing. For the full set of shortcuts supported, check the Keyboard shortcuts in Keyboard shortcuts.

Indentation

When creating new files from within Typstify, the indentation setting from the Settings page is applied. For existing files, the indentation is automatically detected from file content. You can also change the indentation for the files you are editing by clicking the Tab or Spaces area in the status bar.

To avoid mixing tabs and spaces, you can convert between them when changing the indentation style.

Auto-Completion

Since v1.5.0, Typstify has included a built-in Typst language server. One of the most important features that came with this version is basic auto-completion. Auto-completion is always on and works as you type.

Because it uses Tinymist as the LSP server, the trigger characters are the same as Tinymist. Currently, the trigger characters used by Tinymist are:

Any valid identifier character, like a or Z.
#, (, <, ., :, /, ", @, which is configured by LSP server.

Dot completion was added in v1.6.0 to provide contextual, semantic code suggestions for methods, fields, and properties immediately after you type a dot (.).

Starting in v1.7.2, the completion menu stays open while you correct your input. Pressing backspace or moving the cursor within the prefix no longer dismisses the suggestion list, so you can adjust what you have typed without losing your place.

Snippet mode

During auto-completion, when a candidate is selected, the editor may enter snippet mode if there are tab stops to be filled by the user. Surrounding boxes will be shown at the tab stops with content. To navigate through the tab stops, you can:

press Tab key to navigate forward.
press Shift+Tab keys to navigate backward.
If the cursor is at the last or first tab stop, one more Tab or Shift+Tab will move the cursor to the 0th tab stop, usually the end of the snippet, and exit snippet mode.

At any time during snippet mode, clicking in the editor or pressing ESC will return the editor to normal mode.

Hover tips

Hover tips show information about the symbol or object under the cursor. This is usually the type of the symbol and a description, or the signature of a function or method.

Diagnostic tips

When something is wrong with the syntax, a squiggly line appears under the text. To inspect the problem, hover the mouse cursor over the text to see the tip.

Preview

Typstify does not provide a “Build” or “Compile” button. Instead, it offers Preview. To build your Typst files, open one in the editor and click the “Preview” button in the top-right corner. The file will be watched and compiled every time it changes.

The previewer supports one-way navigation. Users can click text in the editor, and the previewer will scroll to the corresponding location for them.

By default, Typstify uses the built-in previewer, but you can switch to the browser-based previewer if you prefer. Go to the General settings tab to enable it. On Linux, the built-in previewer is not available for technical reasons.

Preview Mode

There are two modes you can choose from when previewing your documents: the normal Document mode and the Slide mode, suitable for playing slides made with packages such as Touying.

To switch between the two modes, find the presentation icon at the right side of the status bar, and click it. This is only visible when the previewer is active.

Export

Another way to compile and view the output is to export it. The Export button can also be found at the top right corner of the editor header.

Exported files will be placed in the “output” sub-folder in the same folder as your Typst files. Multiple files will be generated for your project if you export PNGs or SVGs. Since v1.5.0, there is an option to export HTML, but it is best to treat it as experimental for now.

To change the default output folder, set Export Dir on the Typst settings page.

Legacy Typst Support

As more features are added to Typst, the compiler becomes more complex. The export options roughly follow those of the Typst compiler. The export options for each version map to the latest Typst version, but users may have Typst files written in legacy Typst syntax or need limited export options.

To handle changing options, Typstify manages the complexity internally when exporting files targeting legacy versions of Typst. Users can still select options, but only compatible ones will be picked up by the legacy compilers.

To learn how to configure your legacy Typst compiler and corresponding LSP, please take a look at Legacy Typst Compiler Support.

Dependency Management

As a Typst user, you may know that Typst downloads packages and templates for you when you import them from Typst Universe. Unfortunately, this does not work with TPIX because Typst does not yet support a third-party package repository.

To allow Typst and the LSP to pick up your packages and templates hosted on TPIX, you first need to pull them. From within the app, you can use the Sync Dependencies feature in the file explorer context menu.

The sync operation happens at the project level. Typstify scans all .typ files in your project and pulls packages and templates into the Typst package cache directory. This works for both public namespaces such as the default @preview namespace and public or private namespaces on TPIX.

If you prefer to use packages and templates outside Typstify, you can try the TPIX CLI.

Publish Packages and Templates

Typst packages are structured with a specific folder hierarchy, including a mandatory manifest file typst.toml and the required Typst script files. You can publish your packages and templates directly from Typstify to TPIX, or submit them to Typst Universe via its public GitHub repository.

TPIX packages and templates are compatible with those published on Typst Universe, except for the usable license. For detailed differences, please read the TPIX docs and the submission guide of Typst Universe.

To learn how to write a template, refer to the tutorial here: Make a template.

After your package is ready, open the file explorer context menu, select Publish Package, and follow the dialog through the bundling and publishing process. You must log in to TPIX first and make sure you have permission to publish to at least one namespace.

Bibliography Management

Bibliography management is a critical feature for academic and technical writing editors like Typstify. With the integration of TPIX, it is finally available in Typstify.

Typstify does not manage reference records directly. Instead, it synchronizes them from the widely used app Zotero. The sync scope is restricted to one Zotero collection per file. If you need multiple collections, you can create multiple synchronized files. Those files can be created in any folder in your project.

In Typstify, a synchronized file is called a Managed Bibliography file. When the project is open, Typstify watches your Zotero collection and pulls new data every three minutes. To collaborate with other members of your team, you should also include the .typstify folder, which manages the workspace settings for the project. Please read Workspace Settings for more detail.

To stop synchronizing a Managed Bibliography file, right-click the file, open the info dialog, and click Unlink. The app will turn the file into a regular file, while keeping the content from the last synchronization.

Git Integration

If your project is already a Git repository, Typstify can give you a helping hand with the following bits:

Diff markers appear in the editor gutter, showing which lines have been added, removed, or changed since your last commit.
A branch label in the status bar shows the branch you are on. You can click it to switch to another branch.
A small status indicator in the status bar tells you whether the repo is clean, has modifications, or has untracked files.

When editing a Typst file, the left side drawer gains an extra tab alongside the file explorer. Switch to it and you will see a tree of your document’s headings and sections.

Click any item to move the editor caret to that spot in the document.
As you move around in the editor, the outline gently follows and highlights the section you are currently in.
Sections with children can be expanded or collapsed with a small chevron button.

Settings

This section lists some important global settings of Typstify.

Debug log

Debug logs from the LSP server and Typst compiler are redirected to the console. You can check them at any time by clicking the info icon in the status bar.

Debug logging can be noisy and consume resources if there is too much of it. You can turn it off in the General tab of the settings page.

Power saving mode

The LSP server may consume a lot of CPU and memory if you are working on large projects. In addition, the overhead of frequent compiling and code analysis can be too much for battery-powered laptops or other resource-constrained devices. Tinymist introduced the syntax-only mode in v0.14; when it is enabled, previewing and some other functionality will not work. In Typstify, you can enable it by turning on the Power Saving switch.

Compiler and LSP server

Typstify uses the Typst compiler to export files, and the Tinymist LSP server to provide advanced editor features such as auto-completion, hover tips, diagnostics, and more. The compiler and LSP server are bundled into the final installer packages. In some cases, users may want to use another version of Typst or Tinymist; this can be done by setting the External Typst Compiler Path and External LSP Server (Tinymist) Path.

This lets users upgrade their compiler and LSP server without waiting for a new release of Typstify.

Please note that the external tool versions must be compatible with the built-in ones. Otherwise, Typstify may not work as expected or may crash.

To check which versions are in use, go to the Typst settings page. It will show the exact versions of the Typst compiler and Tinymist currently in use.

Legacy Typst Compiler Support

In some cases, you may need to work on Typst documents written for older versions of Typst, or use templates or packages that target older versions. In those cases, the LSP may complain, auto-completion may stop working, or the previewer may show blank pages. You will need to downgrade the compiler and LSP server.

This is possible in Typstify. Compared with upgrading, it is harder, because Typst and Tinymist usually provide backward-compatibility paths. Luckily, Typstify handles this for you. You only need to find the desired versions and point to their paths in the settings page.

Please note that the minimum supported Typst version is v0.11.0. Older versions may not work well.

TPIX

TPIX (Typst Package Index & eXchange) is a package registry for distributing Typst packages and templates. It gives teams and organizations a place to publish, discover, and manage private Typst packages alongside access to the public Typst Universe.

Beyond that, TPIX also provides functions that can assist your daily work on Typst documents, such as bibliography synchronization from Zotero.

To get the best experience in Typstify, you are encouraged to sign in with your TPIX account. For some advanced features, you may need a subscription.

The following functions in Typstify are backed by TPIX service:

Package browser and searching
Project dependency management
Publishing packages and templates to share with your team
Syncing bibliography from Zotero

To learn how to prepare and publish your packages, please read the docs at TPIX Docs. To learn how to sync Zotero bibliography in Typstify, follow the guide here: Zotero Sync. To learn about the design motivations behind TPIX, you may want to read this post: Introduction to TPIX.

Platforms Support

Typstify is available on macOS, Windows, and Linux, but there are still some limitations on certain systems.

IME Support

Input Method Editor (IME) support on Linux is not available for now. Users requiring CJK input or other complex input methods may experience limitations at this time.

Built-in Previewer

Typstify uses WebView for instant previewing of your Typst files, so before using the built-in preview feature, you should do a few checks.

Many operating systems ship with some kind of WebView engine, but others may not.

Windows users should make sure the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime is installed. If you are not sure, follow the steps below to check:

Open the Settings app.
Go to Apps > Apps & features (or Installed apps).
Search for “WebView2” in the search bar.
If installed, you will see “Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime” listed.

If no WebView is found, you can download and install it manually from Microsoft’s website: Microsoft Edge WebView2.

WebView integration for Linux is not supported at this time, so Linux users need to use the browser to preview Typst files.

Appendix

Keyboard shortcuts

Global	Action
Ctrl+D, ⌘+D	Toggle the file explorer
Ctrl+K, ⌘+K	Toggle the console
Ctrl+P, ⌘+P	Toggle the previewer while editing Typst files

File management	Action
Ctrl+C, ⌘+C	Copy file or folder
Ctrl+V, ⌘+V	Paste file or folder
Ctrl+X, ⌘+X	Cut file or folder

Basic Editing	Action
Ctrl+C	Copy selected text to clipboard
Ctrl+X	Cut selected text to clipboard
Ctrl+C	Copy current line to clipboard (empty selection)
Ctrl+X	Cut current line to clipboard (empty selection)
Ctrl+V	Paste text at the current cursor position
Ctrl+A	Select all text
Ctrl+Z	Undo the last operation
Ctrl+Shift+Z	Redo the last undo operation
Ctrl+Home	Go to the start of the line
Ctrl+End	Go to the end of the line
Ctrl+Home	Go to the start of the file
Ctrl+End	Go to the end of the file
⌫	Delete by characters backward
⌦	Delete by characters forward
Alt+⌫	Delete by words backward
Alt+⌦	Delete by words forward
↑	Move one line upward
↓	Move one line downward
←	Move by characters backward
→	Move by characters forward
Alt+←	Move by words backward
Alt+→	Move by words forward
PgUp, PgDn	Scroll page up/down
Shift+Tab	Dedent the current line or selected lines
Tab	Indent selected lines besides the usual usage
Ctrl+F	Search & replace text
Ctrl+W	Switch between wrapping and unwrapping mode
Ctrl+L	Switch between locked and unlocked mode

Built-in fonts

Typstify bundles a few fonts that can be handy when setting fonts for the UI or editor:

Go from the Go fonts family
Go Medium from the Go fonts family
Go Mono from the Go fonts family
Go Smallcaps from the Go fonts family
Hack from source-foundry/Hack
Noto Sans Math from Noto Sans Math, to display math symbol in app
Noto Emoji from Noto Emoji, can be used to replace the huge system emoji font found in some systems
Roboto Mono from Roboto Mono

Document Copyright

Copyright Notice

The fonts used in this application are open-source software. All title, ownership rights, and intellectual property rights in and to the fonts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. These fonts are provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, express or implied, under their respective open-source licenses.

The Complete Typstify Handbook

User-Manual-v1.7