I'm always open to new tools and techniques to optimize my work. I have to strike a balance between exploration and committing to something.
One of the tools I've been playing with is
@typstapp, a markup language for typesetting documents.
Typst has been a pleasant surprise. I'm in the middle of moving everything over from LaTeX to Typst, and it's honestly been a breath of fresh air.
Typst is just faster and more readable. Editing complex documents feels natural—none of that "I don't even know what this does nor can I tell if I have the [ or { in the right places but Stack Overflow says this works" feeling I used to get with LaTeX. It is easier to read and write and generates files almost instantly. With LaTeX, it would take almost a minute to render my books.
It's missing a few features compared to LaTeX (orphans and widows), but it does the job almost perfectly for my needs.
I even moved my invoicing system to Typst last week. It was a huge win, less code, and easy to change if I need to in the future.
Sometimes, the best tools are the ones that let you get out of your own way. That's been Typst for me. If you're tired of fighting with LaTeX or want something that makes your life easier, give it a shot.
What tools have you found that make a difference in your workflow?