What Types of Documents Can You Create with Typst?
Typst is a markup-based typesetting system for writing, creating, and automating "anything that you can fit on a page." According to the official site, it handles a wide range of document types — from specifications and reports to theses, presentations, books, and even invoices generated from machine-readable data. You write content as structured markup, pick or build a template, and formatting happens automatically. The same source can be exported as a PDF, an image, or a website (in preview).
Document types Typst lists
The site groups its use cases into these categories:
| Type | What the site highlights |
|---|---|
| Specifications | "Set the standard with automations and beautiful typesetting" |
| Reports | Templates "perfectly tailored to your reports" |
| Theses | References and "stunning graphics" |
| Presentations | Slides with "instant previews and intuitive customization" |
| Papers | Start from templates and collaborate with co-authors |
| Lecture notes | "Typeset complex equations with ease" |
| Transactional documents | Integrate Typst with your systems to automate document creation |
| Books | "Semantically organize large works and use automatic formatting" |
| Curriculum Vitae | Pick a template and turn your experience into a polished resume |
| Letters | Match your corporate identity and get correspondence done |
| Invoices | Generate invoices and more from machine-readable data |
| Proposals | Well-structured, accessible proposals |
| Websites (in preview) | "Create print documents and web pages from the same source" |
How the writing model supports these types
Typst's approach is markup focused on structure rather than manual formatting. The site's example shows a heading written as = Introduction, a bullet list, and a figure with an image and caption — all formatting is applied automatically. This matters for document types where structure drives output:
- Long or complex documents (books, theses, papers) benefit from semantic organization and automatic formatting, so you don't hand-manage layout as content grows.
- Equation-heavy documents (lecture notes) are called out specifically for typesetting complex equations with ease.
- Data-driven documents (invoices, transactional documents) can be generated from machine-readable data and integrated into existing systems.
Templates and automation
You don't have to start from scratch. The site describes three starting paths: pick a template, create your own, or just start writing. Named template examples shown include an internal report, a scientific journal article, and a colorful newsletter. For recurring document types — reports, CVs, letters, invoices — a template plus automation is the intended workflow, letting you reuse structure across many documents.
Export and multi-format output
Once written, the same markup can be exported as a PDF, an image, or a website (in preview), "without touching your markup." The website option is explicitly marked as in preview, so treat print-and-web-from-one-source as an emerging capability rather than a settled one.
Who is already using it
The site states that members of over 3,500 universities and laboratories and over 1,000 businesses use Typst, and that the core compiler is open source and developed in the open with the community.
Choosing based on your document
- If your document is structured and repeatable (reports, invoices, letters, CVs), Typst's template-and-automation model fits directly.
- If it's long and reference-heavy (books, theses, papers), semantic organization and automatic formatting are the relevant strengths.
- If it's equation-heavy (lecture notes), the site specifically highlights equation typesetting.
- If you need both print and web from one source, that's supported but still in preview — verify it meets your needs before relying on it.
For pricing details and what the open-source compiler includes versus paid plans, see the separate pricing breakdown.