| name | typst-test-slide |
| description | This skill should be used when the user asks to 'test a slide', 'isolate a slide', 'debug a slide', 'preview a single slide', 'test this slide', 'render one slide', or when you need to visually verify a single Typst slide from a presentation in isolation. Provides the exact file setup pattern to avoid access-denied and import errors. |
Typst Test Slide - Isolate and Render a Single Slide
Renders a single Typst slide in isolation for debugging or visual verification. This is a recipe, not a workflow.
Why This Exists
Typst cannot access files outside its project root. Creating test files in /tmp/ causes "access denied" on every #import and #image() call. This skill provides the correct pattern.
Common Errors This Prevents
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|
access denied on #import "../templates/theme.typ" | Test file is in /tmp/ (outside project root) | Put test file in output/ inside the project |
access denied on #image(...) | Image path resolves outside project root | Use ../assets/ from output/ directory |
file not found on #import "../../templates/theme.typ" | Wrong relative depth (used sub-slide depth instead of output/ depth) | output/ is one level deep: use ../templates/, not ../../templates/ |
| Slides don't render (just text) | Missing #show: university-theme.with(...) preamble | Include the full preamble (see template below) |
The Pattern
1. Create the test file in output/
cat > output/test-slide.typ << 'EOF'
aspect-ratio: "16-9",
config-info(
title: [Test],
author: [Test],
date: datetime.today(),
institution: [UVA],
logo: image("../assets/LawP_horizontal_short_4c_RGB.png"),
),
)
// paste slide content here
]
EOF
2. Compile with --root . from project root
tinymist compile --root . output/test-slide.typ /tmp/test-slide.png --ppi 144
The --root . flag tells Typst that the project root is the current directory, so ../templates/ from output/ resolves correctly.
3. Clean up
rm -f output/test-slide.typ
Key Rules
- Always create in
output/, never /tmp/ or any directory outside the project root.
- Always compile with
--root . from the project root directory.
- Paths from
output/ go up one level: ../templates/, ../assets/.
- Paths from
slides/XX-topic/ go up two levels: ../../templates/, ../../assets/ -- do not confuse these depths.
- Delete the test file when done.
output/ is gitignored but keeping test files around causes confusion.
