Templates
Create Professional Documents with Ease using LaTeX Templates
On the 11th of April 2019 we held a meet-up on templates in LaTeX. The purpose of this event was not only to showcase some exemplary LaTeX templates, but also to show attendees how to use them. Keep reading to access the templates showcased in the meet-up, and to learn how to use them!
What to look for in a template
\documentclass{}This will determine the overall structure and layout of your document.% commentsComments begin with a percentage sign. They do not run commands nor display text in the output. Comments are used in templates to explain things and to give the template user options.\begin{document}This line signifies the start of the document content. Everything before this line is called the preamble, and forms the settings of your document.Errors or warnings: A good template will compile without any errors or warnings.
How to use a template
Overleaf has a comprehensive guide for how to open and get started with a template:
We showed an example starting with this presentation template:
Following What to look for in a template above, we began by learning that this used a beamer document class. You can learn more about beamer documents on Overleaf.
We also played around with the different options for the presentation template appearance, which were initially listed as comments in the preamble. You can view some of the different options for beamer documents in the Beamer Theme Matrix.
Where to find good templates
If you are submitting a paper to a journal or conference, then you may be required to use a specific template. Otherwise, there is a wealth of templates available online. Here are some links to templates which may suit your needs:
Overleaf: www.overleaf.com/latex/templates
LaTeX templates: www.latextemplates.com
Thomas Wong promotes the use of LaTeX for undergraduate students and non-STEM researchers with his LaTeX templates: sites.google.com/view/thomaswong
Is there a University of Melbourne template for theses?
A couple of PhDs from the University of Melbourne have published their own thesis templates.
Also check out this thesis template created by Joshua Ellis:
Who can create a LaTeX template?
LaTeX is free and open source, so anyone can create their own LaTeX template!
It's not as hard as you think. All you need is a working LaTeX document. To publish your document as a template on Overleaf, simply follow these instructions:
Whether you're just getting started with LaTeX, or thinking of publishing your own LaTeX template, I may be able to help! Please get in contact with me on Twitter: @MeirianLT and/or on Slack: http://go.unimelb.edu.au/6mhi.
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