Guide Typst presentation authoring with Touying, emphasizing clean structure, repeatable configuration, and slide-safe patterns.
Quick start
- Import Touying and a theme, then apply the theme with
#show: <theme>.with(...). - Keep configuration centralized; include slide content from separate files.
- Use headings to create slides; use
#slidefor custom layouts or animations. - Start from
examples/simple.typfor a minimal deck, orexamples/default.typfor the bare theme.
Snippet from examples/simple.typ:
#import "@preview/touying:0.6.1": *
#import themes.simple: *
#show: simple-theme.with( aspect-ratio: "16-9", footer: [Simple slides], )
## Best practices and code structure
- Use a single entry file (e.g., `main.typ`) that applies `#show` and all `config-*` calls.
- For multi-file decks, follow the `globals.typ` + `main.typ` + `content.typ` pattern; use `#include` for content and `#import` for globals to avoid circular refs.
- Docs use both `config.typ` (see `docs/start.md`) and `globals.typ` (see `docs/multi-file.md`) for the shared config file; pick one name and use it consistently in your project.
- For large decks, move `content.typ` into `sections/` and include `sections/content.typ` (and optional `sections/another-section.typ`) from `main.typ`.
- Prefer `config-page`, `config-common`, `config-info`, `config-colors`, `config-methods`, and `config-store` over direct `set page` or ad-hoc global `show`.
- Use headings for most slides; use `config-common(slide-level: n)` to choose which heading levels create slides.
- Use `#slide` only for custom layout or animation; always wrap slide functions with `touying-slide-wrapper`.
- For callback-style animation (`#slide(repeat: n, self => [...])`), set `repeat` explicitly and use `utils.methods(self)` to access `uncover`, `only`, and `alternatives`.
### Single-file structure
. ├── globals.typ ├── main.typ └── content.typ
### Multi-file structure
. ├── globals.typ ├── main.typ └── sections/ ├── content.typ └── another-section.typ
## Core API map (exports)
- Slides: `touying-slides`, `slide`, `touying-slide`, `touying-slide-wrapper`, `empty-slide`
- Dynamics: `pause`, `meanwhile`, `uncover`, `only`, `effect`, `alternatives`, `alternatives-match`, `alternatives-fn`, `alternatives-cases`
- Config: `config-common`, `config-page`, `config-info`, `config-colors`, `config-methods`, `config-store`, `default-config`, `touying-set-config`, `appendix`
- Utilities: `utils.*` (fit-to-height, fit-to-width, cover helpers, progress, heading helpers)
- Components: `components.side-by-side`, `components.adaptive-columns`, `components.progressive-outline`, `components.custom-progressive-outline`
- Integrations: `touying-reducer`, `touying-equation`, `touying-mitex`, `speaker-note`, `pdfpc.*`
- Recall: `touying-recall`, `touying-fn-wrapper`
## Slide structure and headings
- Use heading labels to control numbering/outline/bookmarks: use `<touying:hidden>` (see `docs/code-styles.md`), and see `docs/changelog.md` for `<touying:unnumbered>`, `<touying:unoutlined>`, `<touying:unbookmarked>`, and `<touying:skip>`.
- Use `components.adaptive-columns(outline(...))` for a table of contents slide; use `components.progressive-outline` for progress-aware outlines.
- Use `== <touying:hidden>` to insert a blank title slide and clear the previous heading context.
- Use `#pagebreak()` or `---` to split slides without changing headings.
- Use `#empty-slide[...]` for slides without header/footer.
- Use `config-common(handout: true)` to keep only the last subslide per slide in handout output.
- Use `#show: appendix` to freeze last-slide counts after the main deck.
Snippet from `examples/default.typ`:
```typst
= Outline <touying:hidden>
#components.adaptive-columns(outline(title: none, indent: 1em))
Animations and dynamic content
- Use
#pauseand#meanwhilefor simple reveals; avoid using them insidecontextwhere marks are not supported. - Use
#uncoverto reserve layout space; use#onlyto remove layout space when hidden. - When marks cause warnings, use callback-style slides with
repeatandutils.methods(self). - For math animations, use
pause/meanwhileinside$ ... $; usetouying-equationwhen you need the helper for inline equation text (you can also use#pauseor#pause;). - See
examples/example.typfor simple/complex/callback animations and equation animations.
Snippet from examples/simple.typ:
== Dynamic slide
Did you know that...
#pause
...you can see the current section at the top of the slide?
Snippet from examples/example.typ:
#slide(
repeat: 3,
self => [
#let (uncover, only, alternatives) = utils.methods(self)
At subslide #self.subslide, we can
use #uncover("2-")[`#uncover` function] for reserving space,
use #only("2-")[`#only` function] for not reserving space,
#alternatives[call `#only` multiple times \u{2717}][use `#alternatives` function #sym.checkmark] for choosing one of the alternatives.
],
)
Layout and theming
- Preserve visual consistency: new layouts, figures, tables, and drawings must reuse the document's existing fonts, colors, and typographic hierarchy (unless instructed otherwise). Internal consistency should be maintained (same function → same size and color).
- Use
composerin#slidefor columns; pass(1fr, 2fr)or a customgridfunction. - Use
config-pagefor margin, header, footer, and background; do not useset pagedirectly. - Use
config-methods(cover: utils.semi-transparent-cover.with(alpha: 85%))only when layout changes are acceptable. - Use
config-storeto stash theme-specific values for headers/footers or navigation elements. - Use
config-common(new-section-slide-fn: none)to disable automatic section slides, or provide a custom function to replace them. - Apply global styles either around
#show: <theme>.with(...)or viaconfig-methods(init: ...)in a theme. - Use
config-info(...)for title/author/date andconfig-common(datetime-format: ...)to control date formatting.
Snippet from examples/default.typ:
#import "@preview/touying:0.6.1": *
#import themes.default: *
#import "@preview/numbly:0.1.0": numbly
#show: default-theme.with(
aspect-ratio: "16-9",
config-common(
slide-level: 3,
zero-margin-header: false,
),
config-colors(primary: blue),
config-methods(alert: utils.alert-with-primary-color),
config-page(
header: text(gray, utils.display-current-short-heading(level: 2)),
),
)
Speaker notes and presenter tools
- Add notes with
#speaker-note[...]. - Show notes on second screen with
config-common(show-notes-on-second-screen: right)orbottom. - Export pdfpc metadata with
enable-pdfpc: trueandtypst query --field value --one "<pdfpc-file>".
Use bundled docs and examples
- Read only the specific docs needed for the task; avoid loading the full docs tree.
- Read
docs/start.mdanddocs/intro.mdfor basics and import patterns. - Read
docs/multi-file.mdfor multi-file layout and include patterns. - Read
docs/layout.mdanddocs/sections.mdfor slide-level and heading behavior. - Read
docs/code-styles.mdfor simple vs block style and pagination tricks. - Read
docs/global-settings.mdfor global styles andconfig-infousage. - Read
docs/dynamic/*.mdforpause,meanwhile, cover behavior, and equation animation. - Read
docs/themes/*.mdfor theme-specific APIs and defaults. - Read
docs/external/*.mdfor pdfpc and Pympress usage. - Read
docs/integration/*.mdfor CeTZ/Fletcher/Theorion/MiTeX integrations. - Use
examples/*.typas working templates for each theme.
File tree (docs and examples)
docs/
├── build-your-own-theme.md
├── changelog.md
├── code-styles.md
├── dynamic
│ ├── complex.md
│ ├── cover.md
│ ├── equation.md
│ ├── handout.md
│ ├── other.md
│ └── simple.md
├── external
│ ├── pdfpc.md
│ ├── pympress.md
│ └── typst-preview.md
├── global-settings.md
├── integration
│ ├── cetz.md
│ ├── codly.md
│ ├── fletcher.md
│ ├── mitex.md
│ ├── pinit.md
│ └── theorion.md
├── intro.md
├── layout.md
├── multi-file.md
├── progress
│ ├── counters.md
│ └── sections.md
├── sections.md
├── start.md
├── themes
│ ├── aqua.md
│ ├── custom.md
│ ├── dewdrop.md
│ ├── metropolis.md
│ ├── simple.md
│ ├── stargazer.md
│ └── university.md
└── utilities
└── fit-to.md
examples/
├── aqua-zh.typ
├── aqua.typ
├── default.typ
├── dewdrop.typ
├── example.typ
├── metropolis.typ
├── simple.typ
├── stargazer.typ
└── university.typ