platex

What it is

@nandan-varma/platex compiles LaTeX to PDF from TypeScript. It works in any framework that speaks the Fetch API — Next.js, TanStack Start, Astro, SvelteKit, Remix, Bun, Deno, Cloudflare Workers — on Node.js or the edge. Nothing is hardcoded: every engine, timeout, limit, auth token, and retry setting is an option with a sane default and an env-var fallback.

npm install @nandan-varma/platex

One call

import { compile } from '@nandan-varma/platex';

const result = await compile(source, {
  serviceUrl: process.env.PLATEX_SERVICE_URL, // omit — read automatically
});

if (result.pdf) {
  // result.pdf is a Buffer — return, save, or stream it
}

Reusable client

lib/platex.ts

import { createPlatexClient } from '@nandan-varma/platex';

export const platex = createPlatexClient({ timeout: 25_000, retry: 2 });

// anywhere
const result = await platex.compile(source);

Drop-in route

// app/api/compile/route.ts (Next.js)
import { handleCompileRequest } from '@nandan-varma/platex';

export const POST = handleCompileRequest;

CLI

npx @nandan-varma/platex main.tex        # → main.pdf, no TeX install needed
platex main.tex --watch                  # recompile on save

Why platex

Accurate PDF output

Standard engine flags, multi-pass logic, and rerun heuristics for faithful LaTeX-to-PDF rendering — as accurate as your local TeX toolchain.

Runs anywhere

Node.js or the edge. Three entry points: a full Node library, an edge-safe remote-only client, and a server factory to embed the API.

Two deployment targets

A remote service for Vercel (bundled Tectonic), or full TeX Live locally / self-hosted — the same library auto-selects.

Structured diagnostics

Errors and warnings parsed from raw TeX logs, with file, line, and category — plus per-pass raw logs for debugging.

A real CLI

The same pipeline as a platex binary — watch mode, extra files, remote compilation, stdin, and JSON output.

Zero config

Set PLATEX_SERVICE_URL and go. Every option is optional, overridable per call, per client, or per deployment.

Start here

InstallationDeploy the service and install the client library.

Quick startFrom npm install to your first PDF in a few minutes.

How it worksDeployment modes, entry points, and what Tectonic is.

Compiling LaTeXThe compile() API, the reusable client, and every option.

CLI & watch modeDrive the same pipeline from any shell or script.

API referenceEvery type, option, and default in one place.

Framework integrations

The same handleCompileRequest handler — a standard Request → Response function — works in every framework. Next.js also gets a dedicated page per rendering pattern:

• Server Components — compile() runs during the server render; the PDF ships in the initial HTML.
• Client Components — edit LaTeX in the browser and compile on demand via fetch.
• Server Actions — a form submits straight to a 'use server' function.
• Route Handlers — the raw HTTP endpoint backing the other patterns.
• Other frameworks — Astro, SvelteKit, Remix, TanStack Start, Bun, Deno, Hono, Cloudflare Workers.