ADR-01: Typst as the document format

Context

TINO needed a document format that could produce professional, print-ready output while being suitable for automation and accessible to non-technical contributors. The candidates were:

• Markdown

• reStructuredText

• LaTeX

• Typst

Decision

TINO is built around Typst exclusively, using the official Rust-based compiler — not any third-party TypeScript reimplementation. The Typst CLI is invoked as a subprocess for compilation to PDF and SVG (preview).

Consequences

Positive

• Typographic control

  Typst produces publication-quality output — page layout, headers and footers, tables, math, citations — without the complexity of LaTeX.
• Approachable syntax

  The learning curve is shallow enough for the whole team, not just developers.
• Fast compilation

  Typst’s incremental compiler is significantly faster than LaTeX, making live preview practical.
• Package ecosystem

  Typst Universe provides reusable templates.

  TINO also supports local packages for templates, corporate design, and much more.
• AI-friendly target

  Typst’s clean, structured syntax makes it a practical output format for language-model-driven document generation (see 🤷🏻‍♂️ Rationale).

Negative

• CLI coupling

  TINO is tightly coupled to the Typst CLI binary — a breaking change in its interface requires a TINO update.
• No migration path

  Teams already invested in LaTeX or Markdown cannot reuse existing documents without conversion.
• Younger ecosystem

  Typst is younger than LaTeX. Some specialised packages available in TeX do not yet have equivalents.