In academic publishing, Format is King. Even if your research is groundbreaking, submitting a paper with the wrong margins, font size, or citation style will lead to an immediate "Desk Rejection."

Below is the definitive list of official template sources for the major publishers (IEEE, Springer, ACM, SPIE, IOP) for 2026.

1. IEEE Conference Template (The "Standard")

Most engineering and computer science conferences (e.g., ICCAR, ICCCS, CCDC) use the standard IEEE Two-Column Format.

• Format Style: Double Column, 10pt Times New Roman, Single Spaced.
• Crucial Choice: You must choose between US Letter (USA conferences) or A4 (European/Asian conferences). If unsure, check the specific conference website.
• Official Download Link:
• IEEE Manuscript Templates for Conference Proceedings
• Includes: Microsoft Word (A4/US Letter) and LaTeX (Overleaf).

2. Springer LNCS / CCIS Template (The "Single Column")

Conferences like ICMLSC or ICBBE often use the Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) format. This is very different from IEEE.

• Format Style: Single Column, larger margins, specific header/footer styles.
• Warning: A 6-page IEEE paper might turn into a 10-12 page Springer paper because of the single-column layout.
• Official Download Link:
• Springer LNCS/CCIS Conference Proceedings Guidelines
• Includes: Word 2007+, LaTeX2e (llncs.cls).

3. ACM Master Template (The "Complex" One)

ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) uses a unified "Primary Article Template." Since 2020, they use a system called TAPS.

• The Workflow: You submit in Single Column review format. If accepted, the TAPS system automatically converts it to Double Column for publication.
• Warning: Do not force your submission into double-column unless the conference specifically asks for "Camera-Ready" direct upload.
• Official Download Link:
• ACM Primary Article Templates
• Includes: Word (Mac/Windows) and LaTeX (acmart).

4. SPIE Template (The "Simple" One)

For ICGIP, ICMVA, and other optical/imaging conferences. SPIE is known for being author-friendly.

• Format Style: Single Column, very clean, specific citation order.
• Official Download Link:
• SPIE Manuscript Submission Guidelines

5. IOP Conference Series (Physics/Environment)

For ACESD or materials conferences.

• Format Style: Single Column, broadly similar to Springer but with different citation styles.
• Official Download Link:
• IOP Conference Series Templates

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The "Golden Rules" of Formatting (2026 Edition)

1. Do Not Touch the Margins: Never manually adjust the margins in Word to "squeeze" in more text. The publisher's script will detect this error and reject the PDF.
2. Image Quality: All images must be 300 DPI (dots per inch). If your graph looks blurry when zoomed in at 200%, it will be rejected.
3. No Page Numbers: Never add page numbers (e.g., "Page 1 of 5") to your conference paper. The publisher adds these later when compiling the full proceedings.
4. PDF Compliance: Use IEEE PDF eXpress (if available for your conference) to check if your fonts are embedded correctly before final submission.