Stop Starting from Scratch: The Best LaTeX Templates and How to Customize Them

The Blank Page Problem

You open a new .tex file. Now what? Document class? Packages? Margins? Font? The cursor blinks accusingly while you wonder where to even start.

Here's the secret: experienced LaTeX users never start from scratch.

They grab a template—something that already handles the tedious setup—and focus on writing. Whether it's a thesis, a journal paper, a CV, or a presentation, there's a template for it.

The skill isn't writing LaTeX from memory. It's finding good templates and knowing how to adapt them. Here's how.

Where to Find Templates

Official Sources

Your university: Check your graduate school, department, or library website. Many institutions provide official thesis templates.

Journal publishers: IEEE, ACM, Springer, Elsevier, and others provide author templates. Always use the official version.

Conference websites: Conference call-for-papers pages typically link to the required template.

Template Repositories

Overleaf Template Gallery: Thousands of templates, easy to preview. Works with any LaTeX editor—just download the source.

LaTeX Templates (latextemplates.com): Curated collection with explanations and previews.

GitHub: Search "latex template [your need]" for community-created options.

CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network): Document classes and packages—the official source for LaTeX additions.

Evaluating Templates

Quality Indicators

Good signs:

• Recent updates (check last modified date)
• Active maintenance (issues being addressed)
• Clear documentation
• Clean, readable code
• Matches your actual requirements

Warning signs:

• Very old (may use deprecated packages)
• Overly complex for your needs
• Undocumented customizations
• Hardcoded values that should be configurable

Verification

Before committing to a template:

1. Download and compile it
2. Read any documentation
3. Try modifying basic elements
4. Check that it meets your requirements

Common Template Types

Article Templates

For papers and short documents:

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
 
% Basic packages
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{hyperref}
 
\title{Your Title}
\author{Your Name}
\date{\today}
 
\begin{document}
\maketitle
 
\begin{abstract}
Your abstract here.
\end{abstract}
 
\section{Introduction}
...
 
\bibliographystyle{plain}
\bibliography{references}
 
\end{document}

Thesis Templates

Thesis templates handle complex front matter:

\documentclass[12pt, oneside]{report}
 
\usepackage{...}
 
\begin{document}
 
\frontmatter
\include{frontmatter/titlepage}
\include{frontmatter/abstract}
\include{frontmatter/acknowledgments}
\tableofcontents
\listoffigures
\listoftables
 
\mainmatter
\include{chapters/introduction}
\include{chapters/literature}
\include{chapters/methods}
\include{chapters/results}
\include{chapters/conclusion}
 
\backmatter
\appendix
\include{appendices/appendix-a}
\bibliographystyle{...}
\bibliography{references}
 
\end{document}

Key features to look for:

• Proper front matter handling
• Chapter/section formatting
• Bibliography style matching requirements
• Page numbering (roman for front matter, arabic for body)

CV/Resume Templates

Academic CVs have specific conventions:

\documentclass[11pt, a4paper]{article}
 
% Custom sections for:
% - Education
% - Publications
% - Presentations
% - Teaching
% - Grants
% - Service
 
\section*{Education}
\textbf{Ph.D., Computer Science} \hfill 2020 \\
University Name, City \\
Thesis: \textit{Title of Thesis}

Popular CV classes:

• moderncv - Clean, professional design
• awesome-cv - Modern, colorful design
• Custom article-based templates for academic CVs

Presentation Templates

For Beamer presentations:

\documentclass{beamer}
\usetheme{Madrid}  % or other theme
\usecolortheme{default}
 
\title{Presentation Title}
\author{Your Name}
\institute{Your Institution}
\date{\today}
 
\begin{document}
 
\begin{frame}
\titlepage
\end{frame}
 
\begin{frame}{Outline}
\tableofcontents
\end{frame}
 
\section{Introduction}
\begin{frame}{First Slide}
Content here...
\end{frame}
 
\end{document}

Beamer themes:

• Madrid - Classic, professional
• Berlin - Navigation sidebar
• Boadilla - Minimal, clean
• metropolis - Modern, popular in CS

Letter Templates

For formal correspondence:

\documentclass{letter}
 
\signature{Your Name}
\address{Your Address \\ City, State ZIP}
 
\begin{document}
\begin{letter}{Recipient Name \\ Address}
 
\opening{Dear Dr. Smith,}
 
Letter body...
 
\closing{Sincerely,}
 
\end{letter}
\end{document}

Customizing Templates

Safe Customizations

These are generally safe to modify:

Content areas:

• Title, author, date
• Abstract, body text
• Bibliography entries

Basic formatting:

• Margins (via geometry package)
• Font size (document class option)
• Line spacing (via setspace package)

Risky Customizations

Be careful modifying:

Template internals:

• Custom class files (.cls)
• Package configuration deep in the preamble
• Redefinitions of standard commands

If you must modify:

1. Understand what the code does
2. Make small, incremental changes
3. Test after each change
4. Keep the original for comparison

Creating Custom Commands

Extend templates without modifying internals:

% In your preamble (after template loads)
\newcommand{\myterm}{Specific Term}
\newcommand{\important}[1]{\textbf{#1}}
\newenvironment{myquote}{\begin{quote}\itshape}{\end{quote}}

Publisher Templates

IEEE

\documentclass[journal]{IEEEtran}
% or
\documentclass[conference]{IEEEtran}

Get from: IEEE Author Center

ACM

\documentclass[sigconf]{acmart}
% or sigplan, acmsmall, acmlarge, etc.

Get from: ACM Digital Library

Springer

\documentclass{llncs}  % For LNCS
% or
\documentclass{sn-jnl}  % For Springer Nature journals

Get from: Springer Author Resources

Elsevier

\documentclass{elsarticle}

Get from: Elsevier LaTeX Instructions

Template Troubleshooting

"Package Not Found"

! LaTeX Error: File `packagename.sty' not found.

The template uses a package you don't have installed. Solutions:

• Install the package through your TeX distribution
• Remove the package if not essential
• Find an alternative that's available

"Undefined Control Sequence"

! Undefined control sequence.
l.45 \somecommand

The template uses a command that isn't defined. Check:

• Is the required package loaded?
• Is there a typo in the command?
• Is the template outdated?

"Option Clash"

! LaTeX Error: Option clash for package xxx.

The same package is loaded twice with different options. Solutions:

• Remove one loading
• Use \PassOptionsToPackage before \documentclass

Compilation Fails

1. Check for LaTeX errors in the log
2. Compile the unmodified template first
3. Ensure all required files are present
4. Verify your LaTeX distribution is current

Building Your Template Collection

Organize Templates

Keep templates you use regularly:

templates/
├── article/
│   └── basic-article.tex
├── thesis/
│   └── institution-thesis/
├── presentations/
│   └── beamer-clean/
├── cv/
│   └── academic-cv/
└── letters/
    └── formal-letter.tex

Customize for Your Needs

Create personalized versions:

• Your name and affiliation pre-filled
• Preferred packages loaded
• Custom commands defined
• Styling adjusted to your taste

Version Control

Track template changes:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial template collection"

This lets you experiment safely and revert if needed.

Quick Reference

Finding Templates

| Need | Where to Look | |------|---------------| | Journal paper | Publisher website | | Conference paper | Conference website | | Thesis | University library/graduate school | | General article | LaTeX Templates, Overleaf Gallery | | CV | Overleaf Gallery, GitHub | | Presentation | Beamer themes on CTAN |

Template Components

| File | Purpose | |------|---------| | .tex | Main document file | | .cls | Document class (don't modify) | | .sty | Style file (don't modify) | | .bst | Bibliography style | | .bib | Bibliography database |

Conclusion

Templates accelerate your LaTeX workflow:

1. Find official templates when available
2. Evaluate before committing to a template
3. Customize safely without breaking internals
4. Build a personal collection for recurring needs

Starting with a good template means you focus on content, not formatting. That's the LaTeX promise—and templates help deliver it.