Research paper template: start from the right page size

Page sizes used by common templates

Pick the page size before anything else; changing it later reflows every figure.

• APA 7 student and professional papers: US Letter, 1-inch margins, single column
• IEEE conference papers: US Letter or A4, two 3.5-inch columns, 0.75 in top and 1 in bottom margins on Letter
• Most theses: Letter or A4 with a 1 to 1.5 inch binding margin on the left
• Springer LNCS: A4-derived 155 × 235 mm trim, single column

Margins that go with those sizes

Templates pair each page size with a margin rule, and the PDF stage is the wrong place to fix a margin, so set it in the document first.

• APA 7: 1 in (2.54 cm) on all sides
• IEEE conference (Letter): 0.75 in top, 1 in bottom, 0.625 in left and right
• IEEE conference (A4): 19 mm top, 43 mm bottom, 13 mm left and right
• Theses: usually 1 in, with 1.5 in on the binding edge if the library prints copies

Generate a blank PDF starter

The Blank PDF Generator creates an empty Letter (612 × 792 pt) or A4 (595 × 842 pt) PDF with the page count you choose. It is useful as a placeholder for a missing appendix, a separator page between merged sections, or a quick size reference to compare against an exported draft.

Assemble the final file

Merge the title page, body, and appendices with Merge PDF, add page numbers, then clean metadata and compress. Every step runs locally in the browser, so a draft is never uploaded.

• Merge PDF joins the parts in the order you drop them
• Add Page Numbers prints "page / total" in the corner you choose
• Resize PDF fixes a part that was exported at the wrong page size
• Compress PDF and Remove PDF Metadata finish the file for upload

Templates for the writing itself

PaperKit does not replace a Word or LaTeX template. Use the official APA sample papers or the IEEE conference template for the document, and the checklists on this site for the numbers you need to verify.