A search for “Deckle” in this forum didn’t return any hits.
I just noticed someone is using Typst in a program for writers. This could be a nice upgrade in print-ready PDF quality for many indie writers and publishers. I only know what’s on their web page: deckle dot studio.
This is not a recommendation or review; just pointing out someone’s use of Typst in a niche field that desperately needs it.
I wrote some Mathematica code to analyze typesetting using screen shots from Amazon’s read samples of print copy books. I’m using it to optimize my own Typst settings. The difference between books typeset using paragraph line breaking (probably mostly InDesign) and single line breaking is stark.
Bringing higher quality typesetting to the self-publishing world is doing a great service to many readers’ eyes and sensibilities. Most self-publishers want easy-to-use out of the box and would never attempt to use InDesign, LaTeX, or Typst.
Best wishes and good luck to the creator(s) of Deckle.
I didn’t notice it at first either. It’s mentioned in the blog post (on the deckle dot studio site) titled “The Best Book Formatting Software for Self-Publishing Authors (2025 Buyer’s Guide)”.
Down the page a ways is this description:
What Deckle Gets Right
The PDF engine is a genuine differentiator. Deckle’s compile system is built on Typst — a professional typesetting engine that applies actual typographic rules to your manuscript, not template skins. Proper widow and orphan control, optical margin alignment, precise chapter sink calculation, correct drop cap baseline geometry, professional small caps handling. The output is closer to what a typographer would produce than what a template system produces.
I’m in the process of setting up a Scrivener template that compiles through Typst… fraction of the price of Deckle, and, speaking as a non-coding 81 year-old, not that difficult to set up. Also, by simply importing packages from Typst Universe, you have all the power of Typst for more than writing novels.
