--- name: manuscript-typography description: 'Audit academic manuscripts for typographic design conventions: booktabs table style, caption placement, dashes/quotes, units and numbers, cross-reference style, page layout, typographic hierarchy, professional polish. Triggers on: "check typography", "fix formatting", "polish my paper", "check my LaTeX", "typographic review", "make it look professional", "check tables", "fix captions". Companion to manuscript-review (content) and arxiv-preflight (compliance).' metadata: version: 1.0.0 complements: [manuscript-review, arxiv-preflight, figure-table-quality] category: review tags: [typography, latex, formatting, booktabs, polish] difficulty: advanced phase: review --- # Manuscript Typography Audit **Pipeline position:** Phase 2b (polish audit). Runs in parallel with manuscript-provenance. Depends on: content settled after Phase 1 fixes. See `/manuscript-pipeline` for full execution order. ## Purpose Audit a LaTeX manuscript for widely-accepted academic typographic conventions that directly affect readability and professional appearance. These are not venue-specific formatting rules — they are cross-venue norms from decades of academic publishing that experienced readers and reviewers notice. A paper with solid content but poor typography signals inexperience. Reviewers form impressions from visual presentation before reading a single sentence. ## Relationship to Other Skills | Concern | manuscript-review | manuscript-typography (this) | arxiv-preflight | |---------|-------------------|------------------------------|-----------------| | Table content | Data quality, significant figures (§12) | Design: booktabs, alignment, headers, caption placement | Format compliance | | Figure content | Colorblind, axis labels, chartjunk (§12) | Design: font matching, backgrounds, subfigure style | Format/size compliance | | Rendered output | Legibility, float proximity, page breaks (§23) | Layout: widows, column balance, spacing, float specifiers | N/A | | Math notation | Notation consistency, operator formatting (§15) | Spacing, delimiter sizing, display vs inline choices | N/A | | Cross-refs | Citation hygiene (§11) | Reference style consistency, non-breaking spaces | N/A | | Typography | N/A | Dashes, quotes, units, micro-typography | N/A | | Polish | N/A | TODOs, placeholders, metadata, bookmarks | N/A | **Rule:** This skill audits design and typography. manuscript-review audits content and communication. arxiv-preflight audits submission compliance. No overlap — each reads different signals from the same document. ## Workflow ### 1. Ingest Read all `.tex` files (main + `\input`/`\include` targets). Identify: - Document class and loaded packages - Two-column vs single-column layout - Target venue (if identifiable from class/template) If compiled PDF is available, use it for rendered inspection checks. ### 2. Audit Passes For each check: - **FAIL** — convention violated (document file, line, specific fix with LaTeX code) - **WARN** — debatable but worth considering - **PASS** — convention followed - **N/A** — not applicable --- ### Pass 1 — Table Design **1.1 Rule structure** - Use `booktabs` package: `\toprule`, `\midrule`, `\bottomrule` - No `\hline` (replace with booktabs equivalents) - No vertical rules (`|` in column spec) — vertical lines in tables are a hallmark of amateur typesetting - No double horizontal rules - Exception: if the document class mandates a specific table style, note but don't flag ```latex % BAD \begin{tabular}{|l|c|r|} \hline Method & Accuracy & F1 \\ \hline\hline Ours & 0.94 & 0.91 \\ \hline \end{tabular} % GOOD \begin{tabular}{lcr} \toprule Method & Accuracy & F1 \\ \midrule Ours & 0.94 & 0.91 \\ \bottomrule \end{tabular} ``` **1.2 Column alignment** - Numeric columns: right-aligned or decimal-aligned (`S` column from `siunitx`) - Text columns: left-aligned - Center alignment: only for single characters or very short labels - Header alignment: matches column alignment or centered **1.3 Header formatting** - Headers visually distinct from body (bold is standard: `\textbf{}`) - No ALL CAPS headers (use bold or small caps) - Units in headers: parenthesized or bracketed — `Latency (ms)` not `Latency ms` **1.4 Best-result indication** - If highlighting best results: consistent method across all tables (bold, underline, or marker) - Define the convention in the first table's caption or a footnote - Do not mix bold-for-best and underline-for-best across tables **1.5 Table notes** - Footnotes/notes below the table, not in the caption - Use `\tablenotes` (threeparttable) or manual footnotes with consistent markers **1.6 Caption placement** - Table captions ABOVE the table (universal convention) - `\caption{}` before `\begin{tabular}` - Not below — below is for figures **1.7 Caption formatting** - Caption label ("Table 1:" / "Table 1.") in **bold** or **small caps** — visually distinct from the description text - Caption description text smaller than body text — `\small` (one step down) is standard; `\footnotesize` acceptable - Use the `caption` package to control this consistently: ```latex \usepackage[font=small, labelfont=bf]{caption} % label ("Table 1:") = bold, description = \small % applies uniformly to all figures AND tables ``` - Never caption text at full body size — it visually competes with the main text and makes the document look untypeset - Never caption text below `\footnotesize` — becomes unreadable - Consistent across ALL captions (tables and figures use the same size/weight scheme) **1.8 Caption style** - Consistent prefix: "Table 1:" or "Table 1." — not mixed (controlled by `labelsep` in `caption` package) - First sentence describes what the table shows - Caption is self-contained (interpretable without body text) **1.9 Spacing** - `\addlinespace` (booktabs) for logical row groups, not empty rows - No `\\[6pt]` manual spacing hacks inside tables - Column separation adequate — use `@{\hspace{...}}` or `\setlength{\tabcolsep}` if too compressed **1.10 Long tables** - Tables exceeding one page: use `longtable` or `supertabular` - Repeated headers on continuation pages - No font-size reduction to force a table onto one page (below `\small` is unreadable) --- ### Pass 2 — Figure Design **2.1 Caption placement** - Figure captions BELOW the figure (universal convention) - `\caption{}` after `\includegraphics` - Not above — above is for tables **2.2 Caption formatting** - Same size/weight scheme as table captions — the `caption` package applies uniformly - Caption label ("Figure 1:") bold or small caps (matches table label style) - Caption description text at `\small` or `\footnotesize` (matches table caption size) - If not using `caption` package: verify manually that figure and table captions use identical formatting **2.3 Caption style** - Consistent prefix: "Figure 1:" or "Figure 1." or "Fig. 1:" — pick one for all figures - Matches table caption style (if tables use "Table 1:", figures use "Figure 1:") - Caption self-contained **2.4 Subfigure labeling** - Consistent style: (a), (b), (c) — not mixed with (i), (ii), (iii) or a), b), c) - Use `subcaption` or `subfigure` package — not manual lettering - Subfigure labels referenced consistently in text: "Figure 1(a)" not "Figure 1a" or "Figure 1 (a)" mixed **2.5 Font consistency** - Text within figures (axis labels, annotations, legends) uses a font that complements the body text - Matching the body serif (Computer Modern, Times) or a clean sans-serif (Helvetica, CMSans) is standard - Matplotlib/R/MATLAB default fonts are visually distinct from LaTeX body text — flag when obvious - Font size in figures after scaling: readable at rendered size (cross-reference with manuscript-review §23) - Figure-internal text should be comparable to caption text size — not larger than body text, not smaller than footnotes **2.6 Background** - White or transparent background — no gray plot backgrounds (matplotlib default `axes.facecolor`) - No colored frame/border unless it serves a purpose **2.7 Aspect ratio** - Plots not stretched or compressed - Standard aspect ratios: 4:3, 16:9, golden ratio, or square - All panels in a multi-panel figure use the same aspect ratio **2.8 Consistent framing** - All figures use the same border/frame approach (all framed or all unframed) - Consistent padding/margins around figure content --- ### Pass 3 — LaTeX Typography **3.1 Dashes** - Hyphen (`-`): compound words (well-known, state-of-the-art) - En-dash (`--`): number ranges (10--20, pages 5--12, 2020--2023). Common error: hyphen used for ranges ("10-20" → "10--20"). - Em-dash (`---`): parenthetical asides and emphatic breaks. Em-dashes are accepted by CMOS 18, APA 7, and MLA 9 in academic prose — flag the following instead of banning the character: - **Spacing inconsistency:** CMOS/APA/MLA use closed em-dashes (`text---text`); journalistic AP style uses spaced (`text --- text`). Pick one and apply uniformly. Mixed usage = FAIL. - **Overuse:** more than ~1 em-dash per paragraph or ~3 per page tips into conversational register. Flag clusters as WARN; suggest restructuring to commas/colons/parentheses. - **Misuse for ranges:** em-dash where en-dash belongs (`pages 5---12` should be `pages 5--12`) = FAIL. - **AI-tell heuristic (advisory only, MEDIUM):** dense em-dash usage combined with other AI-pattern markers can indicate unedited LLM output. Defer to `manuscript-review` Pass 7b for that judgment, do not flag em-dashes alone as AI tells. **3.2 Quotation marks** - Opening: ` `` ` (backticks) - Closing: `''` (straight single quotes) - Not `"straight quotes"` — renders incorrectly in TeX - Nested: `` `inner' `` inside `` ``outer'' `` **3.3 Ellipsis** - `\ldots` or `\dots` — not three periods (`...`) - `\ldots` produces properly spaced ellipsis **3.4 Non-breaking spaces** - Before `\ref`: `Figure~\ref{fig:x}`, `Table~\ref{tab:x}`, `Section~\ref{sec:x}` - Before `\cite`: `previous work~\cite{smith2020}` - Between number and unit: `10~ms` or `10\,ms` - Prevents line breaks that separate a label from its referent **3.5 Ties and thin spaces** - Thin space between number and unit: `10\,ms`, `5\,GB`, `100\,K` (use `siunitx` for consistency) - No space inside parenthetical citations: `\cite{x}` not `\cite{ x }` - No double spaces in source (harmless but untidy) **3.6 Semantic markup** - `\emph{text}` over `{\it text}` or `\textit{text}` — `\emph` nests correctly - `\textbf{}` for bold, not `{\bf }` - New-style font commands (`\textbf`, `\textit`, `\textsf`) over old-style (`\bf`, `\it`, `\sf`) - `\textrm{}` for roman text inside math mode, not manual font switches **3.7 Micro-typography** - `\usepackage{microtype}` — enables character protrusion and font expansion - Dramatically improves line breaking and margin alignment with zero effort - If not loaded, recommend adding it **3.8 Special characters** - `\&` not `&` in text - `\%` not `%` in text - `\#` not `#` in text - `\_` not `_` in text - Degree symbol: `$^\circ$` or `\textdegree` — not `°` (Unicode) - Multiplication: `$\times$` — not `x` **3.9 Ligatures** - ff, fi, fl, ffi, ffl must render as proper ligatures (default in CM/Latin Modern fonts) - Flag if `\DisableLigatures` or `microtype` `ligatures=false` is set globally without reason - Some fonts break ligatures — if text renders "find" as "f ind" or similar, the font config is wrong - Ligatures should NOT cross morpheme boundaries in some compound words (e.g., "shelfful") — minor, WARN only **3.10 Italic usage — three distinct purposes** - **Emphasis:** `\emph{important}` — for stress within a sentence - **Foreign words:** `\textit{in vivo}`, `\textit{a priori}` — for non-English terms not yet naturalized - **Terms being defined:** `\textit{A convolutional layer is...}` — for the first occurrence of a technical term being introduced - Using bold, ALL CAPS, or colored text for emphasis in running prose = FAIL - Consistent: if "in vitro" is italicized on page 3, it must be italicized everywhere (or nowhere if treated as naturalized) **3.11 No color for emphasis** - Colored text in running prose for emphasis (red for important, blue for terms) = FAIL - Color belongs in figures, tables, and hyperlinks — not in body text - Exception: `hyperref` link colors for cross-references and URLs **3.12 Sentence spacing** - LaTeX default: extra space after periods (end-of-sentence). This is traditional TeX behavior. - `\frenchspacing` disables it (uniform spacing). Both are acceptable — but be deliberate. - If using abbreviations with periods (e.g., "et al.", "Fig.", "vs.") without `\frenchspacing`, add `\ ` or `~` after the period to prevent LaTeX from treating it as end-of-sentence: `et al.\ ` or use `\@.` before a true sentence-ending period after a capital letter. - Common bug: "...by Dr. Smith" — LaTeX adds extra space after "Dr." thinking it's end-of-sentence. Fix: `Dr.\ Smith` **3.13 Display vs inline math** - Expressions with fractions (`\frac`), sums (`\sum`), products (`\prod`), integrals, or matrices should be displayed, not inline — inline rendering compresses them and disrupts line spacing - Short expressions (single variables, simple subscripts, brief equalities like `$x = 5$`) stay inline - Rule of thumb: if the expression changes the line height, display it - Display equations that are part of a sentence still need proper punctuation - `\[ ... \]` or `equation` environment — not `$$ ... $$` (which is plain TeX, not LaTeX, and has incorrect spacing) **3.14 URL handling** - URLs in `\url{}` or `\href{}` — never bare text or `\texttt{}` - `\url{}` enables line breaking at appropriate characters (/, ., -, etc.) - `\texttt{https://...}` does NOT break across lines → overfull boxes - Load `url` or `hyperref` package (hyperref includes url functionality) - If `hyperref` is loaded: verify `breaklinks=true` is set in `\hypersetup` - Long URLs in bibliography entries need additional break points. Check for `\UrlBreaks`: ```latex \makeatletter \g@addto@macro{\UrlBreaks}{\UrlOrds} \makeatother ``` - Without this, URLs with long path segments (common in blog posts and documentation) will overflow margins in the bibliography even when wrapped in `\url{}` --- ### Pass 4 — Units and Numbers **4.1 Number-unit spacing** - Space between number and unit: "10 ms" not "10ms" - Best: `siunitx` package — `\SI{10}{\milli\second}` or `\qty{10}{ms}` - Consistent across the entire document - Exception: percentages and degrees can touch the number (convention varies — pick one and stick to it) **4.2 Unit typography** - Units in upright/roman font, not italic: "10 ms" not "10 *ms*" - In math mode: `$t = 10\,\mathrm{ms}$` not `$t = 10\,ms$` (italic) - Compound units: `m/s` or `m\,s$^{-1}$` — consistent style **4.3 Number formatting** - Consistent decimal separator (period in English) - Large numbers: consistent thousands separator (comma, thin space, or none) - Ranges: en-dash (`10--20`) not hyphen (`10-20`) - Negative numbers: proper minus (`$-5$`) not hyphen (`-5`) in running text **4.4 Significant figures** - Same metric → same number of decimal places across all tables and text - Cross-reference with manuscript-review §12 (content consistency) - Precision should not exceed measurement precision **4.5 Percentages** - Consistent: "14.3%" or "14.3 %" — pick one - "Percentage points" vs "percent" distinction when comparing percentages **4.6 Inline fractions** - In running text: `\nicefrac{1}{2}` or `\sfrac{1}{2}` (from `xfrac`) — not `$\frac{1}{2}$` - `$\frac{}{}$` inline disrupts line spacing by creating a tall element - Display fractions (`\frac`) are correct in display math and equations - Alternative: "1/2" is acceptable in informal contexts — consistent style across document --- ### Pass 5 — Cross-References and Citations **5.1 Reference abbreviation consistency** - Pick one and use it everywhere: - Full: "Figure", "Table", "Section", "Equation" - Abbreviated: "Fig.", "Tab.", "Sec.", "Eq." - Mixed within the same category is a FAIL - Common convention: abbreviated in parentheticals, full in running prose ("As shown in Fig. 1" but "Figure 1 shows...") **5.2 Non-breaking spaces** - `Figure~\ref{fig:x}` — prevents "Figure" at end of line, "3" at start of next - `Eq.~\eqref{eq:x}` — same - This is the single most common LaTeX typography mistake **5.3 Equation references** - Consistent: parenthesized `(\ref{eq:x})` or `\eqref{eq:x}` — not mixed - Consistent: "Equation (1)" or "Eq. (1)" or "(1)" — pick one **5.4 Citation style** - Consistent bracket style throughout (author-year or numeric — determined by `\bibliographystyle`) - No manual citation formatting (`[1]` hardcoded) — always `\cite` - Multiple citations in one bracket: `\cite{a,b,c}` not `\cite{a}\cite{b}\cite{c}` - Citation-text integration: "Smith et al. \cite{smith}" or "\citet{smith}" — not both styles **5.5 Latin abbreviations and common shorthands** - "e.g.," and "i.e.," — always followed by a comma (CMOS). Consistent across document. - "et al." — period after "al" (it's an abbreviation of "alia"). No italics (naturalized). - "vs." — period after. "Versus" in formal prose, "vs." in parentheticals and tables. - "cf." — period after. Means "compare," not "see." - "etc." — period after. Avoid in formal academic prose (prefer explicit enumeration). - If not using `\frenchspacing`: add `\ ` after abbreviation periods mid-sentence to prevent extra spacing (see 3.12) **5.6 Hyperref consistency** - If using `hyperref`: link colors consistent (all blue, all black, or all boxed) - No mix of colored and non-colored cross-references - Link targets resolve correctly (no "??" in output) --- ### Pass 6 — Page Layout and Spacing **6.1 Float specifiers** - Prefer `[htbp]` over `[H]` — `[H]` forces placement and often creates bad page breaks with large whitespace gaps - `[t]` or `[tb]` acceptable for top/bottom placement - `[h]` alone is fragile (LaTeX often ignores it) - No `[h!]` or `[H]` unless there is a specific reason **6.2 Widow and orphan control** - No single line of a paragraph stranded at top of page (widow) or bottom of page (orphan) - `\widowpenalty=10000` and `\clubpenalty=10000` in preamble - Or per-instance `\needspace` commands **6.3 Column balance** (two-column layouts) - Final page: columns balanced (use `\usepackage{balance}` or `\usepackage{flushend}`) - Unbalanced final page (full left, empty right) looks unfinished **6.4 Manual spacing** - Flag excessive `\vspace{}`, `\hspace{}`, `\\[Xpt]`, `\bigskip`, `\smallskip` - These are band-aids for layout problems that should be solved structurally - Acceptable: minimal use in specific float or title contexts **6.5 Page breaks** - No `\newpage` or `\clearpage` in the middle of sections without justification - `\clearpage` before bibliography is acceptable **6.6 Paragraph spacing vs indentation** - Standard LaTeX: paragraph indentation + no extra spacing (default) - Alternative: no indentation + vertical spacing (`\usepackage{parskip}`) - Mixing both (indentation AND extra spacing) is a FAIL — pick one **6.7 Paragraph indentation size** - Standard: 1em to 1.5em (LaTeX default `\parindent` is ~1.5em) - Too large (>2em): wastes space and looks exaggerated - Too small (<0.5em): indentation is invisible and fails its purpose - Do not manually set `\parindent` to unusual values without reason **6.8 First paragraph after heading** - First paragraph after a section/subsection heading should NOT be indented (LaTeX default behavior) - If someone adds `\indent` or `\hspace{\parindent}` to first paragraphs: FAIL - If a package or manual setting indents first paragraphs (`\usepackage{indentfirst}`): WARN — non-standard in English academic typesetting. Standard in French/some European traditions — acceptable if intentional. **6.9 Line spacing / leading** - Standard: single spacing with the line height set by the document class (default `\baselinestretch` = 1.0) - Double-spacing via `\linespread{1.6}` or `\usepackage[doublespacing]{setspace}` = FAIL for submission — this is referee/draft mode, not camera-ready - If the document class is `article` and double-spacing is active, flag it — likely a forgotten draft setting - `\linespread{1.05}` to `\linespread{1.1}` is acceptable fine-tuning for some fonts **6.10 Line length / characters per line** - Optimal: 45--75 characters per line (Bringhurst). 66 is ideal. - Two-column layouts at standard column widths (~3.3 inches / 84mm) naturally achieve this - Single-column layouts with narrow margins can exceed 90 characters per line → reduced readability - Fix: wider margins, or switch to two-column, or use `\usepackage{geometry}` to set appropriate text width - If the document class sets the margins (most conference classes do), do not override **6.11 Deferred float accumulation** - Read the compiled PDF. Check whether floats (tables, figures) from earlier subsections land in the middle of a later subsection, breaking paragraph continuity. - Symptom: a sentence starts, then 1+ pages of floats appear, then the sentence continues. The reader loses the thread. - Common cause: many `[t]` floats in a section with dense content. LaTeX defers floats it cannot place, and they pile into the next available space. - Diagnosis: count pending floats at each subsection boundary. If floats from subsection N appear after the start of subsection N+2 or later, flag as FAIL. - Fix: add `\usepackage{placeins}` and insert `\FloatBarrier` before subsections that should start with clean text flow (especially methodology/statistics/discussion sections that follow data-heavy sections with many floats). - Alternative: `\usepackage[section]{placeins}` prevents floats from crossing `\section` boundaries automatically. For `\subsection`-level control, manual `\FloatBarrier` is needed. - Do NOT fix by changing all floats to `[H]` — this creates worse layout problems (large whitespace gaps). `\FloatBarrier` at strategic points is the correct solution. - Category: AUTO-FIX (add `\usepackage{placeins}` + `\FloatBarrier` before affected subsections) **6.12 Consecutive hyphenated lines** - More than 2--3 consecutive line-ending hyphens = visual defect ("pig bristle" or "ladder" in typography) - Fix: `\hyphenpenalty=50` (default), increase to reduce hyphenation frequency, or rephrase locally - `\usepackage[none]{hyphenat}` disables hyphenation entirely — rarely desirable in academic text - `\hyphenation{spe-ci-fic-word}` for individual problem words --- ### Pass 7 — Code and Algorithms **7.1 Inline code** - Use `\texttt{}` or `\verb||` for inline code/identifiers - Consistent: all inline code uses the same formatting - Not: sometimes typewriter, sometimes italic, sometimes nothing **7.2 Code listings** - Use `listings` or `minted` package — not manual `\texttt` blocks - Consistent syntax highlighting style - Line numbers if code lines are referenced in text - Font size: `\small` or `\footnotesize` — not body size (too large) or `\scriptsize` (too small) **7.3 Algorithm pseudocode** - Use `algorithm2e`, `algorithmic`, or `algorithmicx` package - Consistent indentation - Line numbering if referenced - Input/output clearly stated - Caption above (follows table convention — algorithms are procedural tables) --- ### Pass 8 — Typographic Hierarchy The document's font sizes and weights must form a clear visual hierarchy. Readers unconsciously use size/weight differences to parse document structure. When elements are the same size, the hierarchy collapses and the page looks flat. **8.1 Size hierarchy reference** Standard academic LaTeX size hierarchy (relative to body text): | Element | Size relative to body | Weight | Style | |---------|----------------------|--------|-------| | Chapter/Part title | +4--6pt | Bold | Roman | | Section heading | +2--3pt | Bold | Roman | | Subsection heading | +1--2pt | Bold | Roman | | Subsubsection heading | same as body | Bold or italic | Roman | | Body text | base (10pt, 11pt, or 12pt) | Normal | Roman | | Caption label ("Figure 1:") | 1 step below body (`\small`) | **Bold** | Roman | | Caption description | 1 step below body (`\small`) | Normal | Roman | | Table body text | same as body or `\small` | Normal | Roman | | Figure-internal text | comparable to caption size | Normal | Sans-serif or body font | | Footnotes | 2 steps below body (`\footnotesize`) | Normal | Roman | | Code listings | 1--2 steps below body | Normal | Monospace | | Header/footer | 1--2 steps below body | Normal | Roman or italic | Most document classes set this hierarchy automatically. The skill checks that the author hasn't overridden it incorrectly. **8.2 Caption size must be smaller than body** - Captions at full body size (e.g., 12pt captions with 12pt body) = FAIL - Captions should be 1 step down: `\small` (10.95pt for 12pt body, 9.5pt for 11pt, 9pt for 10pt) - `\footnotesize` is also acceptable (slightly smaller) - The `caption` package is the correct way to enforce this: ```latex % Standard professional setup \usepackage[font=small, labelfont=bf]{caption} % Alternative: slightly smaller \usepackage[font=footnotesize, labelfont=bf]{caption} % With label separator control \usepackage[font=small, labelfont=bf, labelsep=period]{caption} % produces "Figure 1. Description" with bold "Figure 1." ``` **8.3 Caption label must be visually distinct from description** - Label ("Table 1:" / "Figure 1.") in **bold** — this is the dominant convention - Alternatives: small caps (`labelfont=sc`) or bold small caps - Label at the same weight as description text = FAIL — the reader can't quickly find the figure number - The label is a reference anchor; the description is prose. They serve different functions and must look different. **8.4 Heading weight and size decrease with depth** - `\section` > `\subsection` > `\subsubsection` in both size and visual weight - If the document class provides this (most do), do not override with manual font commands - Manual `{\Large\textbf{...}}` instead of `\section{}` = FAIL — breaks numbering, bookmarks, and TOC **8.5 Footnote size** - Footnotes should be smaller than body text (standard LaTeX default: `\footnotesize`) - Footnotes at body size = FAIL - Footnote reference markers: superscript numbers (default) — consistent style **8.6 Table body text size** - Table body text at same size as body text or one step down (`\small`) - Tables should NOT be at `\footnotesize` or smaller to fit — redesign the table instead (fewer columns, abbreviate headers, split into two tables) - Exception: appendix tables with many columns where space is genuinely constrained — `\small` is the floor **8.7 Header/footer text** - Running headers/footers at smaller size than body (standard in most document classes) - Manual headers at body size = visual noise competing with content **8.8 No manual font-size overrides in body** - Flag `{\large ...}` or `{\Large ...}` in running text (not headings) - Flag `{\small ...}` wrapping entire sections to fit page limits - These override the hierarchy and create visual inconsistency - Exception: `\small` inside specific floats/environments is acceptable --- ### Pass 9 — Professional Polish **9.1 Placeholder detection** - No "TODO", "FIXME", "XXX", "PLACEHOLDER", "TBD" in any `.tex` file - No "Lorem ipsum" or filler text - No commented-out paragraphs that are clearly draft remnants (as opposed to intentional version tracking) **9.2 PDF metadata** (if PDF available) - Title set in PDF properties (not "main.tex" or blank) - Author set in PDF properties - `\hypersetup{pdftitle={...}, pdfauthor={...}}` configured **9.3 PDF bookmarks** - `hyperref` loaded with bookmarks enabled (default) - Section structure navigable via PDF reader sidebar - Bookmark text matches section titles **9.4 Consistent package loading** - No duplicate `\usepackage` calls for the same package - No conflicting package options - Package loading order follows conventions (hyperref last or near-last) **9.5 Overfull/underfull box warnings (MANDATORY — do not skip)** - Read the `.log` file (same name as main tex, e.g., `main.log` or `yuj.log`) - Grep for `Overfull \\hbox` — each is text extending past the margin - Report every instance with the line number and badness value - Common causes: long URLs in bibliography, unbreakable inline math, wide `\resizebox` tables, long `\texttt{}` strings - Fix per cause: - URLs: `breaklinks=true` + `\UrlBreaks{\UrlOrds}` (see 3.14) - Inline math: break with `\allowbreak` or move to display - Tables: check `\resizebox` scaling, consider `\small` or redesign - `\texttt{}`: replace with `\url{}` for URLs, add `\allowbreak` for paths - Also check for `Underfull \\hbox` with badness > 5000 — these produce visibly loose lines **9.6 Unresolved references** - No `??` in rendered output from unresolved `\ref` or `\cite` - No `[?]` from missing bibliography entries - Check `.log` for "Reference ... undefined" and "Citation ... undefined" --- ### 3. Generate Report ```markdown # Typography Audit Report **Manuscript:** [main tex file] **Document class:** [detected class] **Layout:** [single/two-column] **Date:** [date] **Verdict:** [Professional | Needs Polish | Significant Issues] ## Summary | Category | Pass | Fail | Warn | |----------|------|------|------| | Table Design | | | | | Figure Design | | | | | LaTeX Typography | | | | | Units & Numbers | | | | | Cross-References | | | | | Page Layout | | | | | Code & Algorithms | | | | | Typographic Hierarchy | | | | | Professional Polish | | | | ## Fixes (ordered by impact) ### High Impact (visual professionalism) [Issues that experienced readers/reviewers will notice immediately] ### Medium Impact (readability) [Issues that affect reading experience but may not be consciously noticed] ### Low Impact (polish) [Micro-issues that matter for camera-ready / final versions] ## Quick Fixes [One-line fixes: add microtype, add booktabs, fix non-breaking spaces — items that take <1 minute each and improve the document noticeably] ``` ### 4. Output Save report as `[manuscript-name]-typography-report.md` in the project directory. Present: - Verdict - Count of high/medium/low issues - Top 5 quick fixes (highest impact for least effort) - Specific LaTeX code for each fix ## LaTeX Quick-Fix Reference Common one-line preamble additions that resolve multiple issues: ```latex % Micro-typography: better line breaks, margin alignment \usepackage{microtype} % Professional tables: \toprule, \midrule, \bottomrule \usepackage{booktabs} % Proper SI units: \SI{10}{\milli\second} \usepackage{siunitx} % Subfigures with consistent labeling \usepackage[labelformat=parens]{subcaption} % Widow/orphan prevention \widowpenalty=10000 \clubpenalty=10000 % Two-column balance on last page \usepackage{balance} % add \balance before \bibliography % Caption formatting: bold label, small text \usepackage[font=small, labelfont=bf]{caption} % Inline fractions: \nicefrac{1}{2} \usepackage{nicefrac} % PDF metadata \hypersetup{ pdftitle={Your Paper Title}, pdfauthor={Author Names}, } ``` ## Core Principles - **Conventions, not preferences.** Every check in this audit reflects a norm practiced by the majority of well-typeset academic papers across venues. Where conventions genuinely vary (e.g., percentage spacing), flag as WARN with both options and ask for consistency. - **Document class awareness.** Some document classes override default conventions (e.g., `IEEEtran` has its own table style). When the class dictates a style, follow it — do not impose conflicting conventions. - **Fix the source, not the symptom.** `\vspace{-3mm}` to fix spacing is a symptom-level hack. Fixing the float specifier or package configuration that caused the bad spacing is the real fix. - **Quick wins first.** The report prioritizes fixes by impact-to-effort ratio. Adding `\usepackage{microtype}` takes 5 seconds and improves every page. That goes before suggestions to redesign all tables. - **No style imposition.** This skill does not enforce "my preferred style." It enforces consistency within the document and adherence to conventions that have broad consensus. Where the author has made a deliberate, consistent choice, respect it.