Why am I turning my back on Quarto?

Guten Tag! 👋 

Many greetings from Munich, Germany. When I released my PDF automation course earlier this year, I told everyone that I’m teaching how to pair R or Python with Typst.

“That’s the way to go”, I said. And in response? I got a shit ton of questions about Quarto. 😮 

That’s nice. Even with a couple thousand subscribers across different channels, I don’t super often get feedback. So having lots of people reaching out from all over the world is really nice. 😍 

I was confused, though. I didn’t even mention Quarto but everyone was asking me why I’m turning my back on it. And my answer was always the same: I am not.

At that time, I’ve argued that for pure PDF output, this two step process is the best:

1. Export results to CSV or JSON

2. Import those data files directly into Typst

I still believe that this workflow is fantastic. Nevertheless, I constantly find myself helping clients with building their own Quarto templates.

You know, because they need multiple Quarto outputs in their company design. Not just PDF. HTML and PDF output.

Well, THAT’S where Quarto really comes in handy. In that scenario, you got multiple formats to deal with and ideally you funnel that through the exact same file.

That file is a Quarto file. But it comes with the complexity of having to know Quarto, HTML, CSS, Typst and Lua.

As you know, I’ve started to address that in my weekly email series. But I thought “You know what? This deserves its own format”. So I’m hosting a live workshop! 🎉

I’m polishing some details and will share more about that soon. Just know that the workshop will happen later this month!

But until then, I’m curious: What’s the part that usually breaks first when you have to ship the same report as both a web page and a PDF? Hit reply and let me know.

Talk soon,
Albert

Whenever you’re ready, there are three I can help you:

1. Automate Your Data Reports: This course helps data analysts eliminate manual copy-paste reporting by automating PDF reports end-to-end, saving hours every cycle and preventing costly mistakes. (Using the lovely Typst language 😍)

2. Generate Insights in Minutes, not Hours: This comprehensive course teaches you to handle data faster, smarter, and more efficiently.

3. Bespoke Data Science Solutions: I’ve helped clients build their own data science solutions. Whether building custom web apps, PDF reports, AI automations or teaching workshops, I’ve got you covered. You can reach out to me via this form (or simply hit reply to this email)