How to package and export source files for LaTeX paper submission

Key points of this article

The goal of the submission source file package is to allow editors or reviewers to independently compile results consistent with your PDF on other people's computers, rather than packaging the entire local folder.
Read the author's instructions before packaging to confirm whether source files are required, whether .bbl is required, image format and compressed package size limit.
Copy the project to a blank folder and compile it using only the contents of the compressed package, which can expose missing files, absolute paths and macro package issues in advance.
Delete intermediate files such as .aux and .log. Pictures and reference files must be found under relative paths.
When translating a LaTeX source package with OmniDoc, formulas and typography are preserved, but the translation must still check formulas, terminology, and references paragraph by paragraph.

When many people submit a manuscript for the first time, the LaTeX project in their hand can already compile a PDF normally on their computer, but they do not know what the "source file" required by the journal specifically refers to. What the editorial department usually wants is not your entire local folder, but a compressed package that can be independently compiled on someone else's computer and the result is consistent with your PDF. This paper submission latex tutorial specifically talks about packaging and exporting. It is not the same thing as applying a template to write a paper.

After reading this article, you can determine which files to package, clean up irrelevant content, verify compilation in a clean environment, and check whether the compressed package is complete. If your original manuscript is in Chinese and you need an English version of the source file, the end of the article will also talk about the idea of using document translation to retain formulas and layout, and why the translation must be manually checked.

How to package the LaTeX source files for submission? One sentence conclusion: Only put files that can be compiled independently, and then compress them after verification in a blank environment.

your situation	Recommended practices	reason
A single .tex file plus a few pictures	Pack the main files, pictures and .bib, and manually count them one by one	The structure is simple, the list is not long, and missing items are easy to check
Multiple chapters, files scattered in subfolders	Keep relative paths and check the file names in \input and \include one by one.	When the path is wrong, the other party's compiler will report that the file cannot be found.
Used .cls or .bst provided by the journal	Put the style files into the compressed package	The other party’s environment may not have these files installed.
Use BibTeX and the journal requires attaching .bbl	Also check whether the generated .bbl is consistent with the current reference	Prevent the other party from being unable to display references due to lack of .bbl
The original manuscript is in Chinese and an English version of the source file is required.	Translate the source file package first, then check the formulas and terminology paragraph by paragraph	Machine translation may make mistakes and must be manually confirmed before submission.

Before you start: Confirm these points first

Read the Instructions to Authors first. The journal's submission instructions usually state whether source files are required, whether .bbl is required, allowed image formats and compressed package sizes. These requirements take precedence over any general guidelines and should be checked before packaging.
Determine the entry master file. There may be multiple .tex in a project, but only one is the entry file, and other files are referenced by it through \input or \include. The main file name must be clearly marked in the compressed package or written in the description, otherwise the other party will not know where to start compilation.
Check if the path is portable. Absolute paths like C:/Users/... will definitely fail on other people's computers. Images, .bib, and subfiles should all use relative paths.
Note the local compilation environment. Your local font and macro package versions may be newer or older than the other party's. If the project relies on special fonts, this should be clearly stated in the description, or a common font should be used instead.
Back up the original project. Whether cleaning files or translating, always keep a complete original copy so that you can roll back if something goes wrong.

Steps to translate LaTeX source file package in OmniDoc

If you need to translate the LaTeX source file of a Chinese paper into English, you can follow the steps below. This section only involves translation, packaging and submission is still completed according to the previous list.

Prepare source file package. First organize the project according to the previous list, put the main files, pictures, .bib and style files into the same folder, and then compress them into a compressed package.
Upload the compressed package to omnidoc.top. When uploading a LaTeX source file package, OmniDoc will process it according to the source file instead of just looking at a single PDF.
Select the output method. You can choose bilingual comparison, which allows you to compare the original text and the translation paragraph by paragraph; you can also output only the translation for final typesetting.
Select text style. For essay scenarios, you can choose an academic style to make the terminology and sentence structure closer to academic writing habits.
Wait for the processing to complete before downloading the results. What is downloaded is the translated source file package. After decompression, you can see the corresponding project files.
Recompile locally. Use your usual LaTeX environment to compile the translation project, first make sure it can generate PDF, and then talk about the content.
Check the formulas and symbols paragraph by paragraph. Check every formula, variable name, superscript and subscript, and unit against the original manuscript to confirm that the mathematical meaning has not been changed in the translation.
Check terminology, references, and figure numbers. Check whether the professional terminology is unified and whether the numbers and cross-references of figures, tables, and formulas are correct.
Repackage the submission version. After confirmation, delete the intermediate files, recompress according to the previous list, and compile and verify again in a local blank folder.

Check each item after completion

Check items	How to see	What to do if there is a problem
Can it be compiled in a blank environment?	Unzip the compressed package to a new folder and compile only the files in the package	If a missing file is reported, it will be filled in. If a macro package error is reported, the version will be noted in the description.
Are the pictures complete?	Check the \includegraphics in the text to confirm the existence of the files one by one.	After retrieving the original image, place it in the corresponding position along the corresponding path
Check if the references are normal	After compilation, check if the citation shows a question mark	Complete the .bib entry, or attach .bbl as required by the journal
Is cross-referencing correct?	Check whether diagrams, tables, formulas, chapter numbers, and citations in the main text are consistent	Compile several times to remove undefined references, then make corrections step by step
Formulas and Terminology	Compare with the original manuscript and check each part one by one, especially the variables and units	Manual correction; do not directly trust machine translations
Compressed package contents	Check for mixed .aux, . log, temporary directory, or unrelated drafts	After deletion, compress again and compile again for verification

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Should I compress the submission file or just submit one PDF?

Please refer to the journal's author guidelines. A common practice is to submit both the PDF and the source file package; the source file package must be independently compilable and consistent with the PDF content.

2. Should the compressed package contain the compiled PDF and intermediate files?

Usually, source files do not require .aux, . log and other intermediate files. If the journal requires a PDF attached, it should be submitted separately and not mixed in the temporary catalog of the source file package.

3. Why does it work locally but others get an error when they open it?

In most cases, this is caused by absolute paths, missing style files, or differences in macropackage versions. Copying the project to a blank folder and recompiling only the compressed package contents can detect these issues in advance.

4. Can I submit directly using the translated English source files?

You can't just throw directly. If the translation contains inconsistent terminology, mistranslations of formula variables, or misquotations, the author must verify each paragraph and confirm accuracy before submitting.

5. Will the formula and layout change after translation?

When handling LaTeX source files, OmniDoc retains formulas, tables, images, and other content. However, layout still needs to be checked locally, and page counts, chart positions, and numbers must be checked to ensure they meet expectations.

📝 Summary

The key to submitting LaTeX papers is to turn the source file package into a complete project that others can independently compile. First, read the author's instructions, then verify it in a blank environment. If you need an English version, you can first use OmniDoc to translate the source file package, then manually check the formulas and terminology paragraph by paragraph. Following the list of latex tutorials submitted to this paper can reduce the number of editorial requests for revisions.

Open OmniDoc to edit, convert, or translate your LaTeX documents