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Re: [O] Professional PDF LaTeX templates?


From: Nick Dokos
Subject: Re: [O] Professional PDF LaTeX templates?
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:54:18 -0400

'Mash <address@hidden> wrote:

> 
> I suppose by "professional" I really meant "polished", and so it is
> LaTeX styling I have having trouble with, it may also be laziness on
> my part. I have tried searching for LaTeX styling which I can
> translate into a few org-mode header declarations but still can't work
> out what is or is not compatible with org-mode (LaTeX classes) or how
> to implement styling correctly.
> 
> I think what it is that I have been using CSS for so long that I am
> getting frustrated in not being able to produce the level of results I
> want in LaTeX. Also I feel like a complete numpty not being able to
> clearly understand how to build and define external LaTeX classes I
> can call to output my simple .org file to a "polished" .pdf. I.e.
> margins, line-heights, different block element font styling, common
> graphical page headers or footers.
> 
> There are a huge amount of LaTeX examples on the web, but they are
> full documents with inline elements, I wanted to know if anyone has
> already setup classes that work, with notes on LaTeX dependencies (and
> how and where to download them from) which they use day to day to
> produce reports, articles, contracts or client proposals from simple
> .org files?
> 
> Is that any clearer?
> 
> 

Not really.

Both Eric Fraga and John Hendy have given valid answers to how one goes
about it: you settle down to *one* kind of document that you want to
produce (take the simplest one and leave the rest for later), then
either learn enough LaTeX to be able to produce it or cajole/beg/hire
somebody to do it for you, and *then* figure out how to use org to produce
the LaTeX needed to produce that kind of document.

The trouble is that neither org nor LaTeX are black boxes whose insides
you can afford to ignore. With the approach outlined above, at the end
of the process, you *will* have a (blackbox-like) almost automatic way of
going from org to "professional" output, but it is fragile in the sense
that if you want to change something, you will need to implement the
change in LaTeX first, and once you are satisfied with the output, you
will need to go back and tweak the org mechanisms to produce that.
Then you can shut your eyes again and pretend that it's a black box.

So learn some LaTeX: once you get past the initial hump (the mechanics
of producing output), then it's not only fairly easy, it also starts
making sense. Having a desired output (keep it simple!) is going to make
that an enjoyable journey too. And once you touch down on LaTeX island,
and become comfortable, you'll either never leave or you'll want to
visit again and again!

And as John pointed out, people here are fairly easy to cajole into helping
you :-)

Nick



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