Typst Template Creation

A minimal academic paper template

// lib.typ — your template definition
#let academic-paper(
  title: "Title",
  authors: (),                       // array of (name, affiliation, email)
  abstract: [],
  body,
) = {
  // Document defaults
  set page(paper: "us-letter", margin: 1in)
  set text(font: "Times New Roman", size: 11pt)
  set par(justify: true, leading: 1em)
  set heading(numbering: "1.")

  // Title block
  align(center)[
    #text(size: 18pt, weight: "bold")[#title]

    #v(1em)

    #grid(
      columns: (1fr,) * authors.len(),
      ..authors.map(a => align(center)[
        #text(weight: "bold")[#a.name] \
        #text(size: 9pt)[#a.affiliation \ #a.email]
      ])
    )
  ]

  v(2em)

  // Abstract
  if abstract != [] {
    align(center)[
      #text(weight: "bold")[Abstract]
    ]
    v(0.5em)
    pad(left: 1em, right: 1em, abstract)
    v(2em)
  }

  // Body
  body
}

How users apply the template

// main.typ
#import "@preview/academic-paper:0.1.0": academic-paper

#show: academic-paper.with(
  title: "Your Paper Title",
  authors: (
    (name: "First Author", affiliation: "University Name", email: "first@author.com"),
    (name: "Second Author", affiliation: "Other Institution", email: "second@other.com"),
  ),
  abstract: [
    Your abstract goes here.
    Multiple sentences. The template handles formatting.
  ],
)

= Introduction

Body content starts here. The template handled the title, authors, and abstract.

= Methods

= Results

#bibliography("references.bib", style: "ieee")

Template package structure

academic-paper/
├── typst.toml                 # manifest
├── lib.typ                    # template function
├── README.md                  # documentation + screenshots
├── LICENSE
├── template/                  # starter files for "typst init"
│   ├── main.typ
│   ├── references.bib
│   └── figures/.gitkeep
└── examples/
    └── basic.typ              # working example

Publishing as a template (vs regular package)

Add a [template] section to typst.toml so users can use typst init:

[package]
name = "academic-paper"
version = "0.1.0"
entrypoint = "lib.typ"
authors = ["Your Name"]
license = "MIT"
description = "A clean academic paper template"

[template]
path = "template"           # starter files directory
entrypoint = "main.typ"     # which file is the entry point
thumbnail = "thumbnail.png" # optional preview image

Then users run typst init @preview/academic-paper to get a starter project.

Common patterns

• Use the .with() pattern. Don't expect users to call the template function directly with positional arguments. .with() is more readable.
• Provide sensible defaults. Title defaults to "Title", abstract empty, etc. Users only override what they need.
• Compose with show rules. Apply #show heading: ... inside the template to customize headings without affecting user's overrides.
• Document the API. README should list all parameters, types, defaults, and have at least one screenshot of output.