# CDSC LaTeX Templates Copyright (c) 2009-2026 Benjamin Mako Hill / This repository contains LaTeX configuration files and templates used to format papers, memos, letters, talks, and posters. All files are released under the GNU GPL version 3 or later. The latest version can be found [in git](https://gitea.communitydata.science/collective/cdsc_tex). You can check out the latest version with: ``` git clone https://gitea.communitydata.science/collective/cdsc_tex.git ``` Bug reports, comments, questions, and patches can be directed to: * Benjamin Mako Hill [work] * Benjamin Mako Hill [personal] To submit a patch, clone the repository, make your changes, and use `git format-patch` to generate patch files to send by email: ``` git format-patch origin/master git send-email *.patch ``` ## Templates Each has its own README with build instructions and details. * [paper_template](paper_template/README.md) — a paper, in `article` * [memo_template](memo_template/README.md) — a short memo * [letter_template](letter_template/README.md) — a letter * [slides_template](slides_template/README.md) — presentation slides, in ltx-talk * [poster_template](poster_template/README.md) — a conference poster, in beamer ## Dependencies On Debian or Ubuntu, install the following packages: * latexmk * texlive-luatex * texlive-latex-recommended * texlive-fonts-extra * texlive-fonts-recommended * texlive-bibtex-extra * python3-pypdf (slides template only, for the speaker-notes PDF) ``` apt install latexmk texlive-luatex texlive-latex-recommended \ texlive-fonts-extra texlive-fonts-recommended \ texlive-bibtex-extra python3-pypdf ``` On other systems, installing a full TeX Live distribution should provide everything needed. All templates build with LuaLaTeX (via `latexmk -lualatex`) and take their fonts from TeX Live, so nothing has to be installed as a system font. The tagging code requires TeX Live 2025 or later. On Overleaf, set the version under Menu > Settings > TeX Live version. Debian Trixie ships TeX Live 2024; sid (unstable) has TeX Live 2026, which also works and installs without pulling in much else. The slides template needs a newer LaTeX than the others; see its [README](slides_template/README.md#requirements). ## Accessibility The paper, memo, letter, and slides templates produce tagged PDFs that declare PDF/UA-2 (ISO 14289-2). The [poster template](poster_template/README.md) does not, because beamer cannot. Two keys in the `\DocumentMetadata` block at the top of each template do this, and both are needed: `tagging=on` loads the kernel code that puts headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, and figures into the PDF's structure tree, and `pdfstandard=ua-2` writes the conformance claim. The paper and memo templates were originally built on the memoir class, which is incompatible with the LaTeX tagged-PDF code. They now use the standard article class with custom styling (`cdsc-paper.sty` and `cdsc-memo.sty`) to keep their previous look while supporting full tagging. ### Writing an accessible document Tagging gets you the structure; the content is still up to the author. The paper and slides templates carry a worked example of each of these: * Use `\section` and `\subsection` for headings rather than setting type in bold by hand. Screen reader users navigate by the heading tree. In the slides template, give frame titles as `\frametitle`. * Give every figure an `alt=` description on `\includegraphics`, saying what the reader is meant to take from it. A decorative image takes `\includegraphics[artifact]{...}` instead. * Mark header rows on data tables with `\tagpdfsetup{table/header-rows={1}}` so their cells become TH rather than TD. ### Customizing the styles Some common packages defeat tagging, and the failure is silent: the document compiles without complaint and the tags are simply missing. Before adding a package, check it against the LaTeX Tagging Project's [status list](https://latex3.github.io/tagging-project/tagging-status/). `titlesec` and `titling` are the two to know about, because they are the obvious tools for the job `cdsc-paper.sty` and `cdsc-memo.sty` do. `titlesec` replaces the `\@startsection` hook the tagging code uses to emit heading tags, so loading it produces a PDF with no headings in the structure tree. ### Verifying You can check a built PDF with [veraPDF](https://verapdf.org/): ``` verapdf -f ua2 text.pdf ``` It prints PASS or FAIL, and `--format text` lists the failing clauses. All four tagged templates pass as shipped, so a FAIL points at the document rather than the template. Note that a PASS is necessary but not sufficient. A document whose body text is all marked as artifact passes too, because the standard only requires that content which is not real be an artifact. You can confirm there is something in the structure tree as well: ``` python3 -c "import pikepdf,sys; d=pikepdf.open(sys.argv[1]); \ print(d.Root.get('/StructTreeRoot') and 'tagged' or 'UNTAGGED')" file.pdf ``` ## Branches This repository has two main branches: * `master` — Standard LaTeX templates (paper, memo, letter, slides, poster) * `knitr` — Knitr/R template for reproducible research documents ## Scripts ### new_tex_document Creates a new document directory from a template. Takes a document type and destination directory as arguments: ``` new_tex_document ``` Available types: * `paper` — LaTeX paper template (master branch) * `memo` — LaTeX memo template (master branch) * `knitr` — Knitr/R paper template (knitr branch) * `letter` — LaTeX letter template (master branch) * `slides` — ltx-talk presentation template (master branch) Example: ``` new_tex_document paper my-new-paper ``` This creates `my-new-paper/` populated with the template files, with the main source file renamed to `my-new-paper.tex` (or `.Rtex` for knitr). ### rename_tex_to_dirname Renames the single .tex file in the current directory to match the directory name. Useful for cleaning up a template that was set up manually: ``` cd my-paper && rename_tex_to_dirname ``` ## Shell Aliases The file `cdsc_tex_aliases.sh` provides aliases for the old individual script names, for convenience or backwards compatibility. Add the following to your `.bashrc` or `.zshrc`: ``` [[ -f ~/tex/cdsc_tex/cdsc_tex_aliases.sh ]] && \ source ~/tex/cdsc_tex/cdsc_tex_aliases.sh ``` This defines the following aliases (only if `new_tex_document` is in PATH): * `new_tex_memo` → `new_tex_document memo` * `new_knitr_document` → `new_tex_document knitr` * `new_tex_letter` → `new_tex_document letter` * `new_beamer_presentation` → `new_tex_document slides` ## Migration The individual scripts `new_knitr_document`, `new_tex_letter`, and `new_beamer_presentation` have been consolidated into `new_tex_document`. To migrate, replace calls to the old scripts with `new_tex_document`: ``` Old: new_knitr_document mydir New: new_tex_document knitr mydir Old: new_tex_letter mydir New: new_tex_document letter mydir Old: new_beamer_presentation mydir New: new_tex_document slides mydir ``` The presentation template came from [beamer-mako](https://gitlab.com/makoshark/beamer-mako), which is superseded by `slides_template` here. Alternatively, source `cdsc_tex_aliases.sh` (see above) to keep using the old names without changing your workflow.