ACM Format
Treat “ACM format” as a live publisher workflow, not one permanent page layout. Use the current template correctly, preserve structured source and accessibility requirements, follow the venue’s submission rules, and use TAPS or the specified production system after acceptance when required.
For ACM publications, start with the current ACM article templates and the instructions for the specific journal or conference. Review submissions and accepted manuscripts can use different presentation stages, and accepted source files are processed through ACM’s publication workflow such as TAPS where the venue uses it.
Key details
Further guidance
Review Vs Publication
Do not assume the review PDF must imitate final typesetting. ACM workflows can separate the review presentation from the publication-ready source and final output.
Taps
When the venue uses TAPS, submit the required source bundle, resolve validation/processing issues, and review the generated proofs before approval.
Template
Use ACM’s current Word or LaTeX article template without defeating the structural styles or class settings the production workflow expects.
Venue First
Read the target venue’s current call or author instructions before choosing template options, page/word limits, anonymization, or supplemental-material handling.
Worked Example
If a conference requires a one-column anonymous review submission but ACM later produces a two-column proceedings PDF, follow the venue’s review instructions first and the TAPS publication instructions after acceptance.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Instructions for Applying the Primary Article Template (opens in a new tab)Association for Computing Machinery · Current ACM author guidance establishes the Primary Article Template workflow for accepted ACM journal and conference articles.
- Instructions for Submitting the Author’s Paper/Article to TAPS (opens in a new tab)Association for Computing Machinery · Current ACM production guidance establishes TAPS as the publication-processing workflow and reinforces that venue/submission-stage requirements matter.