ACM Article

What is the ACM template?

ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) is the largest scientific society for computing. The official LaTeX class acmart is used by every ACM journal (CACM, TOG, TOPLAS…) and conference (SIGGRAPH, CHI, SIGCOMM, OOPSLA…). It's a single class with many format options that switch the layout based on what you're writing.

The Sarmate template uses acmart, available in every TeX Live distribution and on our compile server.

When should you use this template?

• You're submitting to an ACM journal or conference — same class, different option.
• Your CFP says "use the ACM Master Article Template" — it's acmart.
• You want a polished, professional-looking paper for a CS internal report. acmart looks great even outside ACM venues.

Step-by-step: your first ACM paper

1. Pick the right format

The first \documentclass line determines the layout:

\documentclass[acmsmall]{acmart}     % Small single-column journal (TOG, JACM)
\documentclass[acmlarge]{acmart}     % Large single-column journal
\documentclass[acmtog]{acmart}       % ACM Transactions on Graphics
\documentclass[sigconf]{acmart}      % Two-column conferences (SIGGRAPH, SIGCOMM…)
\documentclass[sigchi]{acmart}       % CHI conference (single-column)
\documentclass[sigplan]{acmart}      % SIGPLAN conferences (POPL, OOPSLA…)
\documentclass[manuscript,review]{acmart}  % Submission with line numbers

Pick the one that matches your venue. The review option (added with a comma) gives you line numbers — relevant during peer review, remove for camera-ready.

2. Title and authors

\title{Your Paper Title}
\subtitle{Optional subtitle}

\author{Jane Smith}
\affiliation{%
  \institution{Cradle University}
  \city{Pittsburgh}
  \state{PA}
  \country{USA}
}
\email{jane@cradle.edu}

\author{John Doe}
\affiliation{...}
\email{...}

Repeat the \author / \affiliation / \email block for each author. ACM is strict: every author needs an institution and country (no affiliation = warning at compile time).

3. Abstract and CCS concepts

\begin{abstract}
We present ... Our results show ...
\end{abstract}

\begin{CCSXML}
<ccs2012>
<concept>
<concept_id>10010520.10010553.10010562</concept_id>
<concept_desc>Computer systems organization~Embedded systems</concept_desc>
<concept_significance>500</concept_significance>
</concept>
</ccs2012>
\end{CCSXML}

\ccsdesc[500]{Computer systems organization~Embedded systems}

\keywords{first keyword, second keyword}

The CCSXML block is generated by ACM's CCS classifier tool — paste the XML it gives you. Don't write it by hand.

4. Copyright

\setcopyright{acmcopyright}
\copyrightyear{2026}
\acmYear{2026}
\acmConference[Conf '26]{ACM Conference}{June 2026}{City, Country}

The exact copyright text comes from ACM's eRights system once your paper is accepted. Until then, leave the placeholder values from the template.

5. Citations

\bibliographystyle{ACM-Reference-Format}
\bibliography{your_bib_file}

ACM-Reference-Format is what ACM expects: numbered, full author names, with DOIs and ACM IDs when available. The class loads natbib by default, so use \citet and \citep like with NeurIPS.

Common errors and how to fix them

"No country specified for author"

Add \country{Your Country} inside \affiliation{...}. ACM requires a country for every author.

"No copyright form filed" or weird copyright box

Until your paper is accepted, this warning is normal. The ACM system gives you the exact \setcopyright{...} line after your eRights form is processed.

Bibliography style looks wrong

You used \bibliographystyle{plain} instead of \bibliographystyle{ACM-Reference-Format}. The latter is what reviewers expect.

Two-column figures crash into the next column

For two-column formats (sigconf), use figure* for full-width figures, regular figure for column-width.

Hyperref errors with weird unicode characters

Add \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} before \usepackage{acmart}. With modern LaTeX, acmart handles UTF-8 natively, but older toolchains may need this.

Format options worth knowing

acmsmall / acmlarge

Single-column journal layouts. acmsmall is the default for most ACM Transactions.

sigconf

Two-column conference layout. SIGGRAPH, SIGCOMM, USENIX, etc.

sigchi

CHI conference (single-column with wider margins for readability).

sigplan

SIGPLAN-related (POPL, OOPSLA, PLDI…). Slightly different from sigconf.

review

Adds line numbers and a "DRAFT" watermark. Use for the version reviewers will see.

anonymous

Hides authors for double-blind review. Combine with review: [manuscript,review,anonymous].

FAQ

Which format option do I pick?

Look at your CFP — it almost always says. If unsure: sigconf for conferences, acmsmall for journals.

How do I get the CCS concepts?

Use the ACM CCS classifier. Browse to find concepts that match your work, click them, and copy the generated XML + \ccsdesc lines into your paper.

What's the page limit?

Depends on the venue. SIGCOMM allows 14 pages, SIGGRAPH 12, CHI 11, POPL 25 (yes, 25). Always check the CFP. acmart doesn't enforce a limit — you do.

Can I customize the copyright box?

No. ACM provides the exact text via the eRights system; using anything else delays publication.

Why does my paper compile but with a "DRAFT" watermark?

You used [manuscript] or [review]. For camera-ready, remove these. The class only stops adding watermarks when you compile in a "production" mode.

Going further

• ACM Master Article Template — the official source.
• ACM CCS Classifier — generate your CCS concepts.
• ACM reference formatting guide.