Document Classes & Templates¶

Topic: LaTeX Lesson: 14 of 16 Prerequisites: Lessons 01-06 (document structure, formatting) Objective: Understand standard and specialized document classes, create professional templates for academic papers, theses, CVs, and publications

Introduction¶

The document class is the foundation of every LaTeX document, specified in the very first line:

\documentclass[options]{class}

It determines: - Page layout: Margins, paper size, text width - Typography: Font sizes, heading styles - Structure: Section numbering, table of contents format - Available commands: Special commands for that document type

This lesson covers standard classes, KOMA-Script alternatives, specialized classes for CVs and theses, and how to find and adapt templates for your needs.

Standard LaTeX Classes¶

Overview¶

LaTeX provides four standard classes:

Class	Purpose	Key Features
`article`	Short papers, articles	No chapters, simple structure
`report`	Longer reports, theses	Chapters, one-sided by default
`book`	Books, long documents	Chapters, two-sided, front matter
`letter`	Letters	Special address formatting

When to Use Each Class¶

article: - Journal papers - Conference submissions - Short reports (< 20 pages) - Problem sets, homework - No chapter divisions needed

report: - Technical reports - Undergraduate theses - Project documentation - One-sided printing - Simpler than book

book: - Textbooks - PhD dissertations - Monographs - Two-sided printing - Complex front/back matter

letter: - Formal correspondence - Cover letters - Business letters

Common Class Options¶

Syntax¶

\documentclass[option1,option2,...]{classname}

Font Size¶

\documentclass[10pt]{article}  % Default
\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\documentclass[12pt]{article}

Available: 10pt, 11pt, 12pt (default: 10pt)

Paper Size¶

\documentclass[a4paper]{article}     % A4 (210 × 297 mm)
\documentclass[letterpaper]{article} % US Letter (8.5 × 11 in)
\documentclass[legalpaper]{article}  % US Legal

Default: letterpaper in US distributions, a4paper elsewhere

Layout¶

\documentclass[oneside]{report}   % Single-sided (default for report/article)
\documentclass[twoside]{report}   % Double-sided (default for book)

Two-sided printing: - Different margins for odd/even pages - Page numbers alternate left/right - Blank pages inserted before chapters

\documentclass[onecolumn]{article}  % Single column (default)
\documentclass[twocolumn]{article}  % Two columns (for journals)

Title Page¶

\documentclass[titlepage]{article}    % Title on separate page
\documentclass[notitlepage]{article}  % Title at top of first page (default)

Draft Mode¶

\documentclass[draft]{article}

Shows overfull hboxes as black bars
Faster compilation (doesn't include images)
Useful during editing

\documentclass[final]{article}  % Opposite of draft (default)

Equation Alignment¶

\documentclass[leqno]{article}  % Equation numbers on left
\documentclass[reqno]{article}  % Equation numbers on right (default)

Combining Options¶

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper,twoside,draft]{report}

KOMA-Script Classes¶

What is KOMA-Script?¶

KOMA-Script is a modern replacement for standard classes, designed for: - European typography (but works worldwide) - Greater flexibility - Better default layouts - Extensive customization options

KOMA Classes¶

Standard	KOMA-Script	Purpose
`article`	`scrartcl`	Articles
`report`	`scrreprt`	Reports
`book`	`scrbook`	Books
`letter`	`scrlttr2`	Letters

Advantages Over Standard Classes¶

Typearea calculation: Optimal margins based on typography principles
Sans-serif headings: Modern look
Extensive options: Control almost every aspect
Better multilingual support: Works well with babel
Ongoing development: Actively maintained

Basic Usage¶

\documentclass{scrartcl}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

\begin{document}
  \section{Introduction}
  Content here.
\end{document}

Key KOMA-Script Options¶

`parskip`: Paragraph Spacing¶

\documentclass[parskip=half]{scrartcl}

parskip=false: Indented paragraphs (default)
parskip=half: Half-line space, no indent
parskip=full: Full-line space, no indent

US style typically uses indents; European style often uses spacing.

`headings`: Heading Size¶

\documentclass[headings=big]{scrartcl}

headings=small: Smaller headings
headings=normal: Default
headings=big: Larger headings

`fontsize`: Arbitrary Font Size¶

\documentclass[fontsize=11.5pt]{scrartcl}

Unlike standard classes, KOMA-Script accepts any font size.

`DIV`: Type Area Calculation¶

\documentclass[DIV=12]{scrartcl}

Higher DIV = narrower margins, more text per page
Lower DIV = wider margins, less text per page
Default: Calculated based on font size

To auto-calculate:

\documentclass[DIV=calc]{scrartcl}

Complete KOMA Example¶

\documentclass[
  12pt,
  a4paper,
  parskip=half,
  headings=big,
  DIV=12
]{scrartcl}

\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{lmodern}

\title{My Document}
\author{Your Name}
\date{\today}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\section{Introduction}
KOMA-Script provides better default typography.

\section{Conclusion}
The DIV option controls margins automatically.

\end{document}

Memoir Class¶

What is Memoir?¶

The memoir class is a super-flexible alternative that combines features of many packages:

Based on book class
Includes functionality of: geometry, fancyhdr, titlesec, tocloft, and more
One class to rule them all
Extensive manual (> 500 pages)

When to Use Memoir¶

You want maximum control
You're writing a book or thesis
You need advanced layout customization
You want to avoid loading many packages

Basic Usage¶

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{memoir}

\begin{document}
\frontmatter
  \tableofcontents

\mainmatter
  \chapter{Introduction}
  Content here.

\backmatter
  \appendix
  \chapter{Appendix}

\end{document}

Memoir Features¶

Page layout:

\setlrmarginsandblock{3cm}{2cm}{*}  % Left, right margins
\setulmarginsandblock{3cm}{3cm}{*}  % Top, bottom margins
\checkandfixthelayout

Chapter styles:

\chapterstyle{veelo}  % Many built-in styles

Section formatting:

\setsecheadstyle{\Large\bfseries\sffamily}

Custom page styles:

\makepagestyle{mystyle}
\makeevenhead{mystyle}{\thepage}{}{\leftmark}
\makeoddhead{mystyle}{\rightmark}{}{\thepage}
\pagestyle{mystyle}

Letter Writing¶

Standard `letter` Class¶

\documentclass{letter}

\signature{Your Name}
\address{Your Street\\Your City, ZIP}

\begin{document}

\begin{letter}{Recipient Name\\Recipient Street\\City, ZIP}

\opening{Dear Dr. Smith,}

I am writing to apply for the position of...

\closing{Sincerely,}

\end{letter}

\end{document}

KOMA-Script Letter: `scrlttr2`¶

More powerful, with extensive options:

\documentclass{scrlttr2}

\setkomavar{fromname}{John Doe}
\setkomavar{fromaddress}{123 Main St\\Springfield, IL}
\setkomavar{fromemail}{john@example.com}
\setkomavar{subject}{Application for Position}

\begin{document}

\begin{letter}{Hiring Manager\\Company Inc.\\456 Business Ave\\City, State}

\opening{Dear Hiring Manager,}

I am writing to express my interest...

\closing{Sincerely,}

\end{letter}

\end{document}

Advantages: - Flexible variable system (\setkomavar) - Easy customization of layout - Localization support

Modern Alternative: `newlfm`¶

The newlfm package provides a modern letter format:

\documentclass[12pt]{newlfm}

\namefrom{Your Name}
\addrfrom{Your Address}
\emailfrom{your@email.com}

\nameto{Recipient}
\addrto{Recipient Address}

\begin{document}
\begin{newlfm}

Dear Recipient,

Letter content here.

\end{newlfm}
\end{document}

Resume and CV Classes¶

`moderncv`¶

Popular, professional CV class with multiple styles.

Installation:

# Usually included in TeX Live/MiKTeX
# Or install manually from CTAN

Example:

\documentclass[11pt,a4paper,sans]{moderncv}

\moderncvstyle{classic}  % Styles: casual, classic, banking, oldstyle, fancy
\moderncvcolor{blue}     % Colors: blue, orange, green, red, purple, grey, black

\usepackage[scale=0.75]{geometry}

% Personal info
\name{John}{Doe}
\title{Software Engineer}
\address{123 Main Street}{Springfield, IL 62701}{USA}
\phone[mobile]{+1~(234)~567~890}
\email{john@example.com}
\homepage{www.johndoe.com}
\social[linkedin]{johndoe}
\social[github]{johndoe}

\begin{document}
\makecvtitle

\section{Education}
\cventry{2015--2019}{Bachelor of Science}{University Name}{City}{}{Computer Science, GPA: 3.8/4.0}

\section{Experience}
\cventry{2019--Present}{Software Engineer}{Tech Company}{City}{}{
  \begin{itemize}
    \item Developed backend services using Python and Go
    \item Improved system performance by 40\%
  \end{itemize}
}

\section{Skills}
\cvitem{Languages}{Python, Go, C++, JavaScript}
\cvitem{Technologies}{Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, PostgreSQL}

\section{Projects}
\cvitem{Open Source}{Contributor to XYZ project (500+ stars on GitHub)}

\end{document}

Output: Professional CV with photo option, social links, consistent formatting.

`europass`¶

Official Europass CV format (used in Europe):

\documentclass[english,a4paper]{europasscv}

\ecvname{Doe, John}
\ecvaddress{123 Main St, Springfield, IL 62701, USA}
\ecvmobile{+1 234 567 890}
\ecvemail{john@example.com}

\begin{document}
\begin{europasscv}

\ecvpersonalinfo

\ecvsection{Work Experience}
\ecvworkexperience{2019--Present}{Software Engineer}{Tech Company}{City, Country}{
  Backend development, Python, Go
}

\ecvsection{Education and Training}
\ecveducation{2015--2019}{Bachelor of Science in Computer Science}{University Name}{City, Country}{}

\end{europasscv}
\end{document}

`awesome-cv`¶

Modern, eye-catching CV (requires XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX):

\documentclass[11pt,a4paper]{awesome-cv}

\name{John}{Doe}
\position{Software Engineer}
\address{123 Main Street, Springfield, IL 62701}
\mobile{(+1) 234-567-890}
\email{john@example.com}
\github{johndoe}
\linkedin{johndoe}

\begin{document}
\makecvheader

\cvsection{Experience}
\begin{cventries}
  \cventry
    {Software Engineer}
    {Tech Company}
    {Springfield, IL}
    {Jan 2019 - Present}
    {
      \begin{cvitems}
        \item {Developed microservices architecture using Go and Docker}
        \item {Reduced deployment time by 60\% through CI/CD automation}
      \end{cvitems}
    }
\end{cventries}

\cvsection{Education}
\begin{cventries}
  \cventry
    {B.S. in Computer Science}
    {University Name}
    {Springfield, IL}
    {2015 - 2019}
    {GPA: 3.8/4.0}
\end{cventries}

\end{document}

Compile with:

xelatex cv.tex

Thesis Templates¶

Basic Thesis Structure¶

A typical thesis has:

Front matter: Title page, abstract, acknowledgments, TOC, list of figures/tables
Main matter: Chapters
Back matter: Appendices, bibliography, index

Using `report` Class¶

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper,oneside]{report}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage[backend=biber]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{references.bib}

\title{Thesis Title}
\author{Your Name}
\date{Month Year}

\begin{document}

% Front matter
\frontmatter
\maketitle

\begin{abstract}
  This thesis investigates...
\end{abstract}

\tableofcontents
\listoffigures
\listoftables

% Main matter
\mainmatter
\chapter{Introduction}
Context and motivation...

\chapter{Literature Review}
Previous work...

\chapter{Methodology}
Our approach...

\chapter{Results}
Experimental findings...

\chapter{Conclusion}
Summary and future work...

% Back matter
\backmatter
\appendix
\chapter{Supplementary Data}

\printbibliography

\end{document}

Note: \frontmatter, \mainmatter, \backmatter are only available in book and report classes (and derivatives).

University-Specific Templates¶

Most universities provide official LaTeX thesis templates. Find them via: - University library website - Department website - Ask your advisor - Search: "[University name] LaTeX thesis template"

Common features: - Custom title page with university logo - Specific margin requirements - Copyright page - Signature page - Committee approval page

Creating Your Own Thesis Template¶

Step 1: Start with base class

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper,twoside]{report}

Step 2: Set margins per university requirements

\usepackage{geometry}
\geometry{
  left=1.5in,
  right=1in,
  top=1in,
  bottom=1in
}

Step 3: Create custom title page

\renewcommand{\maketitle}{%
  \begin{titlepage}
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=0.3\textwidth]{university-logo.png}\par
    \vspace{1cm}
    {\Large \textsc{University Name}\par}
    \vspace{1cm}
    {\huge\bfseries \@title\par}
    \vspace{2cm}
    {\Large\itshape \@author\par}
    \vfill
    A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment\\
    of the requirements for the degree of\\
    \textbf{Doctor of Philosophy}
    \vfill
    {\large \@date\par}
  \end{titlepage}
}

Step 4: Define custom pages

\newcommand{\makecopyright}{%
  \clearpage
  \thispagestyle{empty}
  \vspace*{\fill}
  \begin{center}
    Copyright \textcopyright\ \the\year\ by \@author\\
    All rights reserved.
  \end{center}
  \vspace*{\fill}
  \clearpage
}

Step 5: Use in document

\maketitle
\makecopyright
\begin{abstract}...\end{abstract}

Conference and Journal Templates¶

IEEE¶

\documentclass[conference]{IEEEtran}

\title{Your Paper Title}
\author{
  \IEEEauthorblockN{First Author}
  \IEEEauthorblockA{Department\\University\\Email}
  \and
  \IEEEauthorblockN{Second Author}
  \IEEEauthorblockA{Company\\Email}
}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\begin{abstract}
Abstract text...
\end{abstract}

\section{Introduction}
Paper content...

\bibliographystyle{IEEEtran}
\bibliography{references}

\end{document}

Get template: IEEE Author Center

ACM¶

\documentclass[sigconf]{acmart}

\title{Paper Title}
\author{First Author}
\affiliation{\institution{University}}
\email{first@example.com}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\begin{abstract}
Abstract...
\end{abstract}

\keywords{keyword1, keyword2}

\section{Introduction}
Content...

\bibliographystyle{ACM-Reference-Format}
\bibliography{references}

\end{document}

Get template: ACM Master Article Template

Springer LNCS (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)¶

\documentclass{llncs}

\title{Paper Title}
\author{First Author \and Second Author}
\institute{University, City, Country\\
\email{\{first,second\}@example.com}}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\begin{abstract}
Abstract...
\end{abstract}

\section{Introduction}
Content...

\bibliographystyle{splncs04}
\bibliography{references}

\end{document}

Get template: Springer LNCS

Elsevier¶

\documentclass[review]{elsarticle}

\usepackage{lineno}
\linenumbers

\journal{Journal Name}

\begin{document}

\begin{frontmatter}

\title{Article Title}

\author[inst1]{First Author}
\author[inst2]{Second Author}

\address[inst1]{Department, University, City, Country}
\address[inst2]{Company, City, Country}

\begin{abstract}
Abstract text...
\end{abstract}

\begin{keyword}
keyword1 \sep keyword2
\end{keyword}

\end{frontmatter}

\section{Introduction}
Content...

\bibliographystyle{elsarticle-num}
\bibliography{references}

\end{document}

Get template: Elsevier LaTeX Instructions

Poster Templates¶

`beamerposter`¶

Uses Beamer themes for posters:

\documentclass[final]{beamer}
\usepackage[size=a0,scale=1.4]{beamerposter}

\title{Poster Title}
\author{Your Name}
\institute{University}

\begin{document}
\begin{frame}[t]
  \begin{columns}[t]
    \begin{column}{.3\linewidth}
      \begin{block}{Introduction}
        Content...
      \end{block}
    \end{column}

    \begin{column}{.3\linewidth}
      \begin{block}{Methods}
        Content...
      \end{block}
    \end{column}

    \begin{column}{.3\linewidth}
      \begin{block}{Results}
        Content...
      \end{block}
    \end{column}
  \end{columns}
\end{frame}
\end{document}

`tikzposter`¶

More flexible, TikZ-based:

\documentclass[25pt,a0paper,portrait]{tikzposter}

\title{Poster Title}
\author{Your Name}
\institute{University}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\begin{columns}
  \column{0.5}
  \block{Introduction}{Content...}

  \column{0.5}
  \block{Methods}{Content...}
\end{columns}

\block{Results}{Content...}
\block{Conclusion}{Content...}

\end{document}

Finding Templates¶

Overleaf Template Gallery¶

URL: overleaf.com/latex/templates
Thousands of templates
Search by document type: thesis, CV, presentation, paper
One-click copy to your account

CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network)¶

URL: ctan.org
Official package repository
Documentation for every class
Example documents included

LaTeXTemplates.com¶

URL: latextemplates.com
Curated collection
Categories: academic, books, CVs, presentations
Clean, modern designs

University/Publisher Websites¶

Search: "[institution] LaTeX template"
Often required for submissions
Pre-configured to meet specific requirements

Adapting Templates¶

Steps to Customize a Template¶

Read documentation: Understand available options
Identify sections: Title page, headers, margins, fonts
Modify gradually: Change one thing at a time, compile often
Keep original: Save template as template-original.tex for reference
Document changes: Add comments explaining modifications

Common Customizations¶

Change margins:

\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}

Change font:

\usepackage{lmodern}         % Latin Modern
\usepackage{mathpazo}        % Palatino
\usepackage{times}           % Times New Roman
\usepackage{helvet}          % Helvetica

Change colors:

\usepackage{xcolor}
\definecolor{myblue}{RGB}{0,82,155}

Adjust spacing:

\usepackage{setspace}
\doublespacing     % or \onehalfspacing

Header/footer:

\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\pagestyle{fancy}
\fancyhf{}
\fancyhead[L]{\leftmark}
\fancyhead[R]{\thepage}

Best Practices¶

Choosing a Class¶

Start simple: Use standard classes unless you need special features
Check requirements: For theses/papers, use official templates
Consider maintenance: Popular classes have better support
Read documentation: Understand options before customizing

Template Organization¶

thesis/
├── main.tex          # Main file
├── preamble.tex      # Packages and settings
├── chapters/
│   ├── ch1.tex
│   ├── ch2.tex
│   └── ch3.tex
├── frontmatter/
│   ├── abstract.tex
│   └── acknowledgments.tex
├── figures/
├── tables/
└── references.bib

Use \input{file.tex} or \include{file.tex} to keep files manageable.

Version Control¶

# .gitignore for LaTeX
*.aux
*.log
*.out
*.toc
*.pdf  # Optional: exclude compiled PDFs

Track source .tex files, not auxiliary files.

Exercises¶

Exercise 1: Compare Classes¶

Create the same simple document (title, 2 sections, equation) using: - article - scrartcl - memoir

Compare: title page, section formatting, spacing.

Exercise 2: KOMA Options¶

Create a document using scrartcl with: - 11pt font - A4 paper - parskip=half (no paragraph indentation) - headings=big - Auto-calculated type area

Add at least 3 sections with dummy text.

Exercise 3: Create a CV¶

Using moderncv: - Choose a style (casual, classic, banking) - Add personal info (name, email, phone, LinkedIn) - Add 2 education entries - Add 2 work experience entries - Add skills section

Exercise 4: Thesis Title Page¶

Create a custom title page for a thesis that includes: - University logo (use \rule{3cm}{3cm} as placeholder) - Thesis title - Author name - Degree type (e.g., "Master of Science") - Department name - Submission date - Proper vertical spacing

Exercise 5: Conference Template¶

Download an IEEE or ACM template (or use Overleaf): - Write a 2-page mock paper - Include: title, abstract, 3 sections, 1 figure, 3 references - Ensure proper formatting

Exercise 6: Letter¶

Write a formal letter using scrlttr2: - Set sender info (name, address, email) - Set recipient info - Add subject line - Write 2-paragraph body - Use \opening{} and \closing{}

Summary¶

Document classes define the structure and appearance of your LaTeX documents:

Standard classes: article, report, book, letter for basic needs
KOMA-Script: Modern alternatives with better typography and flexibility
Memoir: All-in-one class for books and theses
Specialized classes: moderncv, IEEEtran, beamerposter for specific purposes
Templates: Extensive resources available online (Overleaf, CTAN, LaTeXTemplates)

Key skills: - Choose appropriate class for document type - Understand and use class options effectively - Find and adapt existing templates - Create custom templates for recurring document types

Mastering document classes and templates allows you to produce professional documents efficiently, focusing on content rather than formatting.

Navigation

Previous: 13_Custom_Commands.md
Next: 15_Automation_and_Build.md

Document Classes & Templates¶

Introduction¶

Standard LaTeX Classes¶

Overview¶

When to Use Each Class¶

Common Class Options¶

Syntax¶

Font Size¶

Paper Size¶

Layout¶

Title Page¶

Draft Mode¶

Equation Alignment¶

Combining Options¶

KOMA-Script Classes¶

What is KOMA-Script?¶

KOMA Classes¶

Advantages Over Standard Classes¶

Basic Usage¶

Key KOMA-Script Options¶

parskip: Paragraph Spacing¶

headings: Heading Size¶

fontsize: Arbitrary Font Size¶

DIV: Type Area Calculation¶

Complete KOMA Example¶

Memoir Class¶

What is Memoir?¶

When to Use Memoir¶

Basic Usage¶

Memoir Features¶

Letter Writing¶

Standard letter Class¶

KOMA-Script Letter: scrlttr2¶

Modern Alternative: newlfm¶

Resume and CV Classes¶

moderncv¶

europass¶

awesome-cv¶

Thesis Templates¶

Basic Thesis Structure¶

Using report Class¶

University-Specific Templates¶

Creating Your Own Thesis Template¶

Conference and Journal Templates¶

IEEE¶

ACM¶

Springer LNCS (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)¶

Elsevier¶

Poster Templates¶

beamerposter¶

tikzposter¶

Finding Templates¶

Overleaf Template Gallery¶

CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network)¶

LaTeXTemplates.com¶

University/Publisher Websites¶

Adapting Templates¶

Steps to Customize a Template¶

Common Customizations¶

Best Practices¶

Choosing a Class¶

Template Organization¶

Version Control¶

Exercises¶

Exercise 1: Compare Classes¶

Exercise 2: KOMA Options¶

Exercise 3: Create a CV¶

Exercise 4: Thesis Title Page¶

Exercise 5: Conference Template¶

Exercise 6: Letter¶

Summary¶

`parskip`: Paragraph Spacing¶

`headings`: Heading Size¶

`fontsize`: Arbitrary Font Size¶

`DIV`: Type Area Calculation¶

Standard `letter` Class¶

KOMA-Script Letter: `scrlttr2`¶

Modern Alternative: `newlfm`¶

`moderncv`¶

`europass`¶

`awesome-cv`¶

Using `report` Class¶

`beamerposter`¶

`tikzposter`¶