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Learn LaTeX in 30 Minutes

LaTeX is a typesetting system where you write plain text with commands and compile it to a polished PDF. In the next 30 minutes you will write a complete document — with sections, math, an image, a table, and lists — and compile it. You can run every example here directly in the LetX editor; no installation needed.

In this tutorial
1. Your first document2. Title & sections3. Text formatting4. Math5. Images6. Tables7. Lists8. Compile & export

1. Your first document

Every LaTeX document picks a class, then puts content between \begin{document} and \end{document}.

\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}
Hello, world! My first LaTeX document.
\end{document}

2. Title and sections

Add a title block and split content into numbered sections — LaTeX numbers them for you.

\documentclass{article}
\title{My Report}
\author{Your Name}
\date{\today}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\section{Introduction}
This section is numbered automatically.

\subsection{Background}
A nested subsection.
\end{document}

3. Text formatting

\textbf{bold}, \textit{italic}, \underline{underlined},
and \emph{emphasis}.

4. Math

Inline math goes in $ … $; load amsmath for more. Source on the left, result on the right:

\[ E = mc^2 \]
E=mc2E = mc^2
\[ \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a} \]
−b±b2−4ac2a\frac{-b \pm \sqrt{b^2 - 4ac}}{2a}

5. Images

Load graphicx, then include an uploaded image inside a figure.

\usepackage{graphicx}   % preamble
% ...
\begin{figure}[ht]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.7\linewidth]{image.png}
  \caption{A caption.}
\end{figure}

6. Tables

\begin{tabular}{l c r}
  Item & Qty & Price \\
  Pen & 3 & 1.50
\end{tabular}

7. Lists

\begin{itemize}
  \item A bullet
\end{itemize}
\begin{enumerate}
  \item A numbered item
\end{enumerate}

8. Compile and export

Compiling turns your source into a PDF. On LetX press Compile (or Ctrl/Cmd+Enter) and the PDF updates in 1–2 seconds; click download to export it.

Go deeper

Ready for more? The free Complete LaTeX Course covers each topic in depth across 8 lessons.

Take the full courseOpen LetX free

Frequently asked questions

Can I really learn LaTeX in 30 minutes?

Yes — you can learn enough LaTeX to write a structured document with sections, math, images, and tables in about 30 minutes. This quickstart covers those essentials; the full course goes deeper on each.

Do I need to install anything?

No. With an online editor like LetX you write and compile in the browser — no TeX distribution to install. Just open a project and paste the examples.

What should I learn after this?

Take the free Complete LaTeX Course for in-depth lessons on document structure, mathematics, figures, tables, and bibliographies, or browse the quick guides and common-problem fixes.