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This is the fun part. You’ll start from a professionally designed template, use Gemini CLI to customise it, and compile it into a polished PDF. No coding required — just clear descriptions, spoken or typed.
You can either speak your prompts using Wispr Flow, or type/paste them into Gemini CLI. Both work exactly the same way. Wispr Flow is optional — it just makes the experience hands-free. Every prompt in this tutorial works whether you speak it or type it.

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The Vibe Coding Loop

Every step follows the same pattern: Describe what you want. Gemini CLI customises the template. Typst compiles it to PDF. Review and repeat until it’s perfect.
1

Create a project folder

  1. Open File Explorer
  2. Go to your Documents folder
  3. Right-click in an empty space → New → Folder
  4. Name it my-pdfs
Name it something simple like my-pdfs. Use lowercase letters with no spaces.
2

Open terminal in your project folder

Open your my-pdfs folder in File Explorer. Click the address bar at the top, type powershell, and press Enter.
3

Initialise a cover letter template

Typst has a library of free, community-made templates called Typst Universe. We’ll start with fireside — a clean, modern cover letter template.In your terminal, run:
Copy this command
This downloads the template and creates a ready-to-use project folder with a .typ file inside.
What just happened? The typst init command pulled a professionally designed template from Typst Universe and set up a project folder for you. The template already has a polished layout — you just need to fill in your details.
If you see an error, try these fixes:
  • “typst: command not found” — Go back to the setup page and install Typst CLI
  • Network error — Check your internet connection; typst init downloads the template from the web
  • Permission error — On Windows, try running PowerShell as Administrator. On macOS, try adding sudo before the command
4

Start Gemini CLI

Navigate into the template folder and start Gemini CLI:
Copy this command
Press Enter. You should see Gemini CLI start up with a prompt ready for your input. If you have Wispr Flow running, you can speak your prompts directly — otherwise, type or paste them.
5

Customise with Gemini CLI

Now tell Gemini CLI what you want. Pick the style that appeals to you — say it out loud or copy and paste:
Say this or copy this prompt
Don’t worry about getting it perfect on the first try. You’ll refine the design in the next steps — that’s the whole point of vibe coding!
6

Review your PDF

Open the compiled PDF by double-clicking it in your file explorer. It will open in your default PDF viewer.
Starting from a template means your first result already looks professional. The template handles layout, typography, and spacing — Gemini CLI just customises the content and styling to your taste.
7

Iterate and improve

Not happy with the result? That’s normal — and that’s the whole point! Say or copy any of these follow-up prompts into Gemini CLI:
Say this or copy this prompt
Say this or copy this prompt
Say this or copy this prompt
Say this or copy this prompt
The vibe coding loop: describe → compile → review → refine. Keep going until you love it! You can send as many prompts to Gemini CLI as you want — speak them or type them.
8

Personalise for a real job

Ready to create a real cover letter? Say or copy this template prompt and fill in your details:
Say this or copy this prompt
Save your prompts! Keep a text file with your personal details so you can quickly generate cover letters for different jobs. Change the company name, role, and key skills each time.

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What Just Happened?

Here’s what you did, step by step:
  1. You initialised a professional template from Typst Universe with typst init
  2. You described what you wanted — by speaking or typing — and Gemini CLI customised the template
  3. Typst compiled the code into a pixel-perfect PDF
  4. You iterated — asking for design changes, recompiling, and reviewing until it looked right
The key insight: you started from a professionally designed template instead of a blank page. The template gave you a solid foundation, and AI handled the customisation. You never had to learn Typst syntax — you described what you wanted, and Gemini CLI made it happen.

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Troubleshooting

The .typ file might be empty or have an error. Say or type this in Gemini CLI:
Say this or copy this prompt
If you see an error when compiling, paste the error message into Gemini CLI:
Say this or copy this prompt
Typst error messages are clear and specific — they tell you exactly which line has the problem.
Say or type this in Gemini CLI:
Say this or copy this prompt
You can re-initialise the template:
Copy this command
Or tell Gemini CLI to start from scratch:
Say this or copy this prompt
Wispr Flow may occasionally mishear technical terms or proper nouns. You can review and correct the text in Gemini CLI before pressing Enter. If voice input is causing too many errors, switch to typing or pasting prompts instead.
Happy with your cover letter? Head to Explore templates to discover more document types you can create — invoices, reports, checklists, and more.