# Latex

> Generate LaTeX documents (or convert markdown to LaTeX) with professional typography. Optionally compile to PDF.

- Skill: `amhuppert/latex` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 4 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add amhuppert/latex`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/amhuppert/latex/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Design & Media
- Author: amhuppert (https://skillmd.com/u/amhuppert)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/amhuppert/latex

---


# LaTeX Document Creator

Create beautifully formatted LaTeX documents from any input source (markdown files, plain text, structured data, or user instructions). Produce professional-quality typeset output following modern LaTeX best practices.

## Workflow

1. **Analyze input** - Read the source material, identify structure (headings, lists, tables, figures, math, code, citations)
2. **Determine document class** - Select appropriate class based on content type and length
3. **Generate LaTeX** - Produce a complete `.tex` file with proper preamble and body
4. **Compile to PDF** (if requested) - Detect platform and compile using `latexmk`

If the user provides additional formatting instructions, apply them. User instructions override defaults below.

## Document Class Selection

| Content Type | Class | When |
|---|---|---|
| Short documents, articles, memos | `scrartcl` | No chapters needed |
| Reports, theses, long documents | `scrreprt` | Chapter-level structure |
| Books, manuals | `scrbook` | Front/back matter, parts |
| Presentations | `beamer` | Slides |

Use KOMA-Script classes (`scrartcl`, `scrreprt`, `scrbook`) over standard classes for superior typography defaults and built-in customization.

## Standard Preamble

Organize the preamble in this order. Include only packages the document actually needs.

```latex
\documentclass[a4paper, 11pt]{scrartcl}

% --- Typography ---
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{lmodern}              % Clean, professional font
\usepackage{microtype}            % ESSENTIAL: character protrusion + font expansion

% --- Math (include only if document has math) ---
\usepackage{mathtools}            % Superset of amsmath with fixes
\usepackage{amssymb}

% --- Layout ---
\usepackage{geometry}

% --- Tables & Figures ---
\usepackage{booktabs}             % Professional table rules
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{subcaption}

% --- Lists ---
\usepackage{enumitem}

% --- Language & Quotes ---
\usepackage[english]{babel}
\usepackage{csquotes}

% --- Colors ---
\usepackage{xcolor}

% --- Code Listings (include only if document has code) ---
\usepackage{listings}

% --- Units (include only if document has quantities) ---
\usepackage{siunitx}

% --- Links & References (load near-last) ---
\usepackage{hyperref}
\hypersetup{
  colorlinks=true,
  linkcolor=blue!70!black,
  citecolor=green!50!black,
  urlcolor=blue!70!black,
}
\usepackage{cleveref}             % MUST be after hyperref
```

### Package Notes

- `microtype` is non-negotiable for professional output - always include it
- `mathtools` loads `amsmath` automatically; never load both
- `cleveref` must load after `hyperref`
- `hyperref` should load near-last
- For bibliography: use `biblatex` with `biber` backend, not legacy `bibtex`/`natbib`

## Typography Rules

### Fonts

- Default: `lmodern` (Latin Modern) - clean, professional, widely available
- Alternative serif: `libertinus`, `newtxtext`/`newtxmath` (Times-like)
- For system fonts (Unicode): switch to LuaLaTeX with `fontspec`

### Spacing and Punctuation

- En-dash for ranges: `2020--2025` renders as 2020–2025
- Em-dash for breaks: `word---word` renders as word—word
- Non-breaking space (`~`) before `\cite`, `\cref`, and between numbers and units
- Thin space before differentials: `\int f(x) \, dx`
- Use `\enquote{}` from `csquotes` for quotation marks, never manual quote characters
- Use `\emph{}` instead of `\textit{}` - semantic emphasis that adapts to context
- Use `\dots` for ellipses, never three periods

### Sentence Spacing

- After abbreviations (not ending a sentence): `e.g.\ this`, `i.e.\ that`
- After a capital letter ending a sentence: `NASA\@. The next sentence`

## Formatting Standards

### Tables

- Always use `booktabs`: `\toprule`, `\midrule`, `\bottomrule`
- Never use vertical rules (`|`) or `\hline`
- Place table captions **above** the table
- Place figure captions **below** the figure

### Figures

- Use `\centering` inside floats, not `\begin{center}`
- Default float placement: `[htbp]`
- Reference all figures in text before they appear

### Cross-References

- Use `\cref{}` from `cleveref` - automatically produces "Figure 1", "Table 2", etc.
- Label prefixes: `fig:`, `tab:`, `sec:`, `eq:`, `lst:`
- Place `\label` immediately after `\caption` or `\section`

### Lists

- Use `enumitem` for customization
- Avoid nesting deeper than 3 levels - restructure content instead

## Common Pitfalls to Avoid

- Never use `$$...$$` for display math - use `\[...\]` or `equation` environment
- Never use `\\` for paragraph breaks - use a blank line
- Never use `\begin{center}` inside floats - use `\centering`
- Never place `\label` before `\caption` - produces wrong reference numbers
- Never hardcode reference numbers - always use `\cref{}`
- Never use bare function names in math - use `\sin`, `\log`, or `\DeclareMathOperator`
- Escape special characters: `#`, `%`, `$`, `&`, `_`, `{`, `}`

## Markdown-to-LaTeX Conversion

When converting from markdown, apply these mappings:

| Markdown | LaTeX |
|---|---|
| `# Heading` | `\section{Heading}` |
| `## Heading` | `\subsection{Heading}` |
| `### Heading` | `\subsubsection{Heading}` |
| `**bold**` | `\textbf{bold}` |
| `*italic*` | `\emph{italic}` |
| `` `code` `` | `\texttt{code}` |
| `> blockquote` | `\begin{quote}...\end{quote}` |
| `- item` | `\begin{itemize}\item ...\end{itemize}` |
| `1. item` | `\begin{enumerate}\item ...\end{enumerate}` |
| `[text](url)` | `\href{url}{text}` |
| `![alt](path)` | `\begin{figure}...\includegraphics{path}...\end{figure}` |
| `` ```lang ``` `` | `\begin{lstlisting}[language=lang]...\end{lstlisting}` |
| `---` (horizontal rule) | `\bigskip\noindent\rule{\textwidth}{0.4pt}\bigskip` |
| Tables | `\begin{tabular}` with `booktabs` rules |
| `$math$` | `$math$` (same) |
| `$$math$$` | `\[math\]` |

### Conversion Guidelines

- Infer document title from the first `#` heading or filename
- Infer `\author` and `\date` if present in the source, otherwise omit
- Preserve the semantic structure - do not flatten or over-nest headings
- Convert markdown tables to `booktabs`-styled `tabular` environments
- Escape all LaTeX special characters in text content
- For documents with chapters, promote heading levels (`#` → `\chapter`, `##` → `\section`)

## Compiling to PDF

When the user requests PDF output, detect the platform and compile.

### Engine Selection

| Engine | Command | Use When |
|---|---|---|
| pdfLaTeX | `latexmk -pdf` | Default. ASCII/Latin content, standard fonts, fastest compilation |
| XeLaTeX | `latexmk -xelatex` | System fonts via `fontspec`, native Unicode |
| LuaLaTeX | `latexmk -lualatex` | System fonts + Lua scripting, no memory limits |

### Using latexmk (Preferred)

`latexmk` automatically runs the correct number of passes for cross-references, bibliographies, and indices. Always prefer it over manual multi-pass compilation.

```bash
latexmk -pdf document.tex       # Compile to PDF (pdflatex)
latexmk -xelatex document.tex   # Compile with XeTeX
latexmk -lualatex document.tex  # Compile with LuaTeX
latexmk -c document.tex         # Clean auxiliary files (keep PDF)
```

### Manual Compilation (When latexmk Is Unavailable)

```bash
# Simple document (no bibliography)
pdflatex document.tex && pdflatex document.tex

# Document with biblatex/biber bibliography
pdflatex document.tex && biber document && pdflatex document.tex && pdflatex document.tex
```

### Platform-Specific Installation

If LaTeX tools are not installed or compilation fails due to missing packages, read the appropriate platform guide for installation instructions:

- **Ubuntu/Debian**: Read `references/pdf-compilation-ubuntu.md`
- **macOS**: Read `references/pdf-compilation-macos.md`

Detect the platform with `uname -s` (`Linux` or `Darwin`).

Package installation requires system permissions — present the installation command to the user and let them confirm before running `sudo` or `brew` commands.