Preparing for IEEE, Springer, and Elsevier Submissions

Learn how to utilize specific .cls class files and BibTeX styles required by top-tier international publishers. Submitting to an international journal is a significant milestone for any researcher, and proper use of the publisher's official LaTeX template is often a mandatory requirement. This guide covers the most widely used templates and the specific considerations that arise when integrating HWP-converted equations into each one.

IEEE Transaction Styles

The IEEEtran class is the gold standard for engineering and computer science papers. Integrating our converted formulas into a two-column IEEE layout requires specific management of long equation breaks. Download the official IEEEtran.cls file from IEEE's official website or directly from CTAN, and start your document with:

\documentclass[journal]{IEEEtran}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amssymb}

Handling Long Equations in Two-Column Layout

The most common challenge when placing converted HWP equations into an IEEE two-column template is that long equations overflow the narrow column width. Use the multline environment from amsmath to break them across lines:

\begin{multline}
  f(x) = a_0 + a_1 x + a_2 x^2 \\
       + a_3 x^3 + a_4 x^4
\end{multline}

For equations that are too wide to fit even after line-breaking, place them in a figure* environment spanning both columns, or use the IEEEeqnarray environment provided by the IEEEtran package, which offers additional alignment control optimized for IEEE formatting.

Springer (Lecture Notes, Journals)

Springer publishes a wide variety of journals and conference proceedings. For Springer journals, the most common template is based on the svjour3 class. For Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) and similar proceedings, the class is llncs. Both are available from Springer's author resources page or CTAN.

\documentclass{llncs}   % For LNCS proceedings
% or
\documentclass{svjour3} % For Springer journals

Key Springer Formatting Rules

Springer templates include their own theorem and proof environments. Use \begin{theorem}, \begin{proof}, etc. rather than defining your own.
The bibliography style for LNCS is splncs04. Always use the publisher-specified style file to ensure references format correctly.
Springer generally requires that figures and tables be placed at the top or bottom of a page, not inline. Use [t] or [b] placement specifiers.

Elsevier (elsarticle)

Elsevier uses the elsarticle document class across its journals, including major publications in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering. The template adapts to different journal formats through class options.

\documentclass[review,12pt]{elsarticle}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{lineno}
\modulolinenumbers[5]

The review option produces a double-spaced manuscript suitable for peer review submission. When your paper is accepted, you switch to the final option to produce the camera-ready version. Line numbers are mandatory for submission to many Elsevier journals and are enabled by the lineno package.

Common Mistake: Using the Wrong Bibliography Style

Each publisher requires its own bibliography style file (.bst). Using a generic style like plain instead of the publisher's own elsarticle-num or splncs04 will cause your reference list to fail formatting requirements. Always download the complete template package from the publisher, not just the class file.

Publisher Template Comparison

Publisher	Class File	BibTeX Style	Where to Get
IEEE	`IEEEtran.cls`	`IEEEtran`	IEEE Author Center / CTAN
Springer LNCS	`llncs.cls`	`splncs04`	Springer Author Resources
Springer Journal	`svjour3.cls`	Journal-specific	Springer Author Resources
Elsevier	`elsarticle.cls`	`elsarticle-num`	Elsevier Author Resources / CTAN
ACM	`acmart.cls`	`ACM-Reference-Format`	ACM Author Resources / CTAN

Recommended Submission Workflow

Download the official template package from the publisher's author resources page. Do not rely on third-party copies.
Convert your HWP equations using our tool and copy the LaTeX output into the template's .tex file.
Compile locally or on Overleaf to verify there are no errors before submission.
Check the compiled PDF carefully for equation overflow, especially in two-column formats.
Submit the full source package, including the .tex file, .bib file, and all figures, as specified by the journal's submission guidelines.

Using Overleaf with Publisher Templates

Overleaf's template gallery contains official templates for IEEE, Springer, Elsevier, and hundreds of other publishers. Starting your paper directly from an Overleaf template ensures you have the correct class file and configuration from the beginning, eliminating one of the most common submission errors.

← Back to Resources