Abstract:

This presentation by Hans Schülerin offers a comprehensive guide to achieving typographically correct and professional-looking documents with LaTeX, focusing on common mistakes and best practices. The talk is structured into three main parts: mathematical notation, general typesetting "nitpicks," and recommended packages. Schülerin emphasizes the importance of adhering to established style guides (such as DIN and ISO standards) and separating content from presentation by defining custom commands.

Key topics in mathematical notation include the correct use of multiplication dots (\cdot), the crucial distinction between italicized variables and upright (\mathrm) identifiers in indices and constants, proper vector notation, and handling units correctly with the powerful siunitx package. In general typesetting, the presentation covers the avoidance of deprecated syntax like $$, the correct handling of punctuation within and after equations, creating clean tables with booktabs, effective figure placement, and proper use of quotation marks, dashes, and unicode characters. The final section recommends several useful packages, including cleveref for intelligent cross-referencing, tikzplotlib for generating LaTeX-native plots from Python, and todonotes for collaborative work.

A Guide to Proper LaTeX Typesetting

• 00:00:51 The Importance of Rules: The speaker introduces the concept of using style guides (like DIN 1338 and ISO 80000-2) to create consistent, readable, and professional documents, rather than relying on default LaTeX settings or personal intuition.
• 00:02:16 Correct Multiplication Symbol: For multiplication, the centered dot (\cdot) should be used instead of an asterisk (*) or a period.
• 00:03:30 Using Proper Math Operators: Functions like logarithm (\log) and sine (\sin) should be typeset using their predefined commands, not as plain text. For custom operators, use \DeclareMathOperator to ensure correct spacing and formatting.
• 00:04:29 Variables vs. Identifiers (Italic vs. Upright): A core rule is that variables (symbols you can substitute a value into, like an index i) must be italic. Descriptive identifiers or words (e.g., "max" in A_max) must be set in an upright font using \mathrm{...}.
• 00:07:52 Consistent Vector and Matrix Notation: Whether using arrows (\vec{a}) or bold font (\mathbf{a}), notation for vectors and matrices should be consistent. The speaker recommends defining a custom command (e.g., \newcommand{\mat}[1]{...}) to easily change the style throughout the document.
• 00:10:20 Typesetting Units with siunitx: The siunitx package is presented as the definitive solution for typesetting numbers and units. It automatically handles correct spacing, upright unit symbols, and formatting, such as in \quantity{43}{beats\per\second}.
• 00:12:02 Correctly Labeling Axes: The common practice of writing axis labels like V [m/s] is incorrect. The mathematically sound and recommended notation is V / (m/s), which clearly indicates that the values on the axis are dimensionless numbers.
• 00:13:17 Handling Decimal Commas: In German and other languages, a comma is used as the decimal separator. To avoid incorrect spacing, use the siunitx package (e.g., \num{3,1415}) or the icomma package.
• 00:18:28 Avoid Deprecated Syntax: The plain TeX syntax for displayed equations ($$...$$) should never be used in LaTeX. Instead, use the equation environment (\begin{equation}...\end{equation}), which allows other packages to function correctly and provides proper spacing.
• 00:20:20 Integrating Formulas into Sentences: Equations should be treated as part of the surrounding text and include appropriate punctuation (commas or periods) after them to maintain grammatical flow.
• 00:21:17 Mastering Sentence Spacing: LaTeX automatically adds extra space after a period, assuming it ends a sentence. To prevent this after abbreviations like "Dr.", use a backslash followed by a space (Dr.\ ).
• 00:22:31 Using Unicode and Modern Compilers: Instead of using escape sequences for special characters (e.g., \"u for ü), use UTF-8 encoding. For full Unicode support, it is highly recommended to use a modern compiler like XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX.
• 00:28:27 Creating Professional Tables: For clean, readable tables, use the booktabs package. This approach avoids vertical lines and uses horizontal lines of varying thickness (\toprule, \midrule, \bottomrule) to structure the table elegantly.
• 00:29:35 Effective Figure Placement: To avoid disrupting the flow of text, figures and tables should be placed at the top or bottom of the page, not in the middle of a paragraph.
• 00:30:34 Preventing Widows and Orphans: A single line of a paragraph left alone at the bottom ("orphan") or top ("widow") of a page should be avoided. The nowidows package can automatically prevent this.
• 00:32:20 Key Package Recommendations:
  • tikzplotlib: Generates LaTeX-native vector graphics from Python's Matplotlib, ensuring consistent fonts and high quality.
  • cleveref: Automatically adds the type of reference (e.g., "Figure," "Section") when using \cref{...}, simplifying cross-referencing.
  • todonotes: Allows adding highly visible to-do notes and placeholders for missing figures (\missingfigure) in the document margins.
  • latexindent: An external tool that automatically formats and indents LaTeX source code for improved readability, especially for complex tables.
• 00:37:01 Key Takeaway: Always consult and follow the specific style guide required by your university, publisher, or project to ensure your document meets the expected standards.