Switched Emacs Org mode LaTeX previews from ImageMagick to dvisvgm. Much sharper results.
The Problem
Default LaTeX preview in Org mode uses ImageMagick to convert equations to PNG. Results are blurry when scaled.
Why dvisvgm is Better
- Vector graphics: SVG scales perfectly at any zoom level
- Sharp rendering: No pixelation
- Better font handling: LaTeX fonts render correctly
Setup
Install dvisvgm:
# With BasicTeX
tlmgr install dvisvgm
# Or full TeX Live
brew install texlive # includes dvisvgm
Configure in ~/.doom.d/config.el (or your Emacs config):
(after! org
;; Use dvisvgm for LaTeX previews
(setq org-preview-latex-default-process 'dvisvgm)
(setq org-preview-latex-process-alist
'((dvisvgm :programs ("latex" "dvisvgm")
:description "dvi > svg"
:message "You need to install latex and dvisvgm."
:use-xcolor t
:image-input-type "dvi"
:image-output-type "svg"
:image-size-adjust (1.0 . 1.0)
:latex-compiler ("latex -interaction nonstopmode -output-directory %o %f")
:image-converter ("dvisvgm %f -n -b min -c %S -o %O"))))
;; Appearance settings
(setq org-format-latex-header
"\\documentclass[preview]{standalone}
\\usepackage{amsmath}
\\usepackage{xcolor}")
(setq org-format-latex-options
(plist-put org-format-latex-options :scale 2.0))
(setq org-format-latex-options
(plist-put org-format-latex-options :background "Transparent")))
Usage
- Clear old previews:
M-x org-clear-latex-preview - Generate new ones:
M-x org-latex-preview
Equations now render as crisp SVGs.
Example
Type in Org mode:
\[ E = mc^2 \]
Hit C-c C-x C-l to preview. Zoom in - still sharp!
Troubleshooting
If previews don’t update:
- Clear cache:
M-x org-clear-latex-preview - Check
/var/folders/.../for generated SVGs - Test manually:
latex test.tex && dvisvgm test.dvi -o test.svg
Much better than blurry PNGs.