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Overleaf

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Export your paper as a LaTeX project and upload it to Overleaf, with your references and images included.

To work on your paper in Overleaf, export it from Writing Studio as a LaTeX zip file, then upload that file to Overleaf as a new project. The zip has everything Overleaf needs, so it compiles straight away.

There’s no live connection with Overleaf: the upload is a copy of your paper at that moment.

Export your paper as LaTeX

  1. Open the paper and click Export in the document bar, or press ⌘⇧E (Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows).
  2. Under Layout, choose Default, or Two-column paper for a conference-style layout.
  3. Click LaTeX (.zip).

The zip file downloads, named after your paper’s title. Writing Studio also keeps a copy in version history, labelled “Exported as LaTeX”.

What’s in the zip

  • main.tex, your paper. Each citation is a \cite command, so LaTeX builds the reference list itself.
  • references.bib, every source you cited, in BibTeX. It’s there even if you haven’t cited anything yet, ready for you to add entries.
  • A figures folder, with every image. Charts and diagrams are saved as pictures.

Upload it to Overleaf

  1. Sign in to Overleaf and go to your projects.
  2. Click New Project, then Upload Project.
  3. Choose the zip file you downloaded, or drag it into the box.

Overleaf creates the project and opens main.tex. If the PDF doesn’t appear, click Recompile.

How your paper is set up in LaTeX

  • The paper uses the standard article class at 12 point, with 1-inch margins. Two-column paper adds the two-column option.
  • Your paper’s title becomes the LaTeX title, with today’s date. The author line is empty, so add your name inside \author{} in main.tex.
  • Headings, lists, tables, block quotes, equations, highlights and code blocks all come across.
  • The file is written to compile with pdfLaTeX, which is what Overleaf uses for an uploaded project.

How citations work

The reference list is built by biblatex, with biber. Overleaf runs both for you when it compiles.

biblatex uses a general author-year style for author-date citation styles such as APA, Harvard and MLA, and a numeric style for numbered ones such as IEEE and Vancouver. The heading matches your style, such as References or Works Cited.

This means your references look close to your chosen style, but not exactly the same. If your course or journal needs an exact style, change the style option on this line near the top of main.tex:

\usepackage[style=authoryear,backend=biber]{biblatex}

For example, style=apa uses the biblatex APA style.

Limits

  • Double-spaced manuscript and the Assignment header are for Word and PDF only, not LaTeX.
  • If an image couldn’t be added to the zip, its place is still marked in main.tex, so you can add the file yourself.
  • Comments aren’t included in any export.

What’s not supported

  • A live link or sync with Overleaf. Edits in Overleaf don’t come back to Writing Studio.
  • Importing a .tex file or an Overleaf project into Writing Studio. To bring your sources in, import the .bib file into your library instead. See Import or export BibTeX and RIS.
  • Journal or conference templates. The export uses the standard article layout, which you can change in Overleaf.

Frequently asked questions

Does Overleaf stay in sync with Writing Studio?

No. The export is a one-time copy. Changes you make in Overleaf don't come back to Writing Studio, and later changes in Writing Studio need a new export.

Why do my references look a little different in Overleaf?

In LaTeX, biblatex formats the reference list with its general author-year or numeric style, not your exact citation style. You can change the style option on the biblatex line in main.tex.

Can I import a .tex file into Writing Studio?

No. Writing Studio imports Word (.docx) files only. You can import the references from your .bib file into your library, though.