Tired of waiting 30+ seconds every time you change a comma? Here are your options, from quick fixes to permanent solutions.
LaTeX was designed in 1984. It compiles by making multiple passes over your entire document. For modern documents with complex bibliographies and many packages, this takes 30 seconds to several minutes. Typst was designed for instant compilation—it compiles in ~50ms.
Typst compiles in milliseconds, not minutes. TypeTeX adds AI writing assistance. Export to LaTeX when you need it for journals.
Add \documentclass[draft]{article} to skip image rendering during editing. Switch back for final compile.
Use mylatexformat to precompile your preamble. Most effective for documents with many packages.
Convert high-res images to lower resolution for drafts. Use PDF instead of PNG when possible.
Use \include and \includeonly to compile individual chapters. Good for long documents like theses.
| Metric | LaTeX | Typst |
|---|---|---|
| Compilation Time | 30s - 2min | 50ms |
| Syntax Complexity | High | Low |
| Error Messages | Cryptic | Clear |
| Journal Support | Excellent | Growing (export to LaTeX) |