diff --git a/nbconvert/exporters/templateexporter.py b/nbconvert/exporters/templateexporter.py
index 4430a402f..1178ed388 100644
--- a/nbconvert/exporters/templateexporter.py
+++ b/nbconvert/exporters/templateexporter.py
@@ -320,6 +320,7 @@ def from_notebook_node(self, nb, resources=None, **kw):
 
         # Top level variables are passed to the template_exporter here.
         output = self.template.render(nb=nb_copy, resources=resources)
+        output = output.lstrip('\r\n')
         return output, resources
 
     def _register_filter(self, environ, name, jinja_filter):
diff --git a/nbconvert/templates/latex/article.tplx b/nbconvert/templates/latex/article.tplx
index 8588c850c..b87a7ff18 100644
--- a/nbconvert/templates/latex/article.tplx
+++ b/nbconvert/templates/latex/article.tplx
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 
 ((=- Default to the notebook output style -=))
-((* if not cell_style is defined *))
+((*- if not cell_style is defined -*))
     ((* set cell_style = 'style_jupyter.tplx' *))
-((* endif *))
+((*- endif -*))
 
 ((=- Inherit from the specified cell style. -=))
 ((* extends cell_style *))
@@ -12,6 +12,6 @@
 % Latex Article
 %===============================================================================
 
-((* block docclass *))
+((*- block docclass -*))
 \documentclass[11pt]{article}
-((* endblock docclass *))
+((*- endblock docclass -*))
diff --git a/nbconvert/templates/latex/base.tplx b/nbconvert/templates/latex/base.tplx
index 5281c63a4..41b7902f7 100644
--- a/nbconvert/templates/latex/base.tplx
+++ b/nbconvert/templates/latex/base.tplx
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-((= Latex base template (must inherit)
+((=- Latex base template (must inherit)
 This template builds upon the abstract template, adding common latex output
-functions.  Figures, data_text,
-This template does not define a docclass, the inheriting class must define this.=))
+functions. Figures, data_text,
+This template defines defines a default docclass, the inheriting class should
+override this.-=))
 
 ((*- extends 'document_contents.tplx' -*))
 
@@ -9,9 +10,9 @@ This template does not define a docclass, the inheriting class must define this.
 % Abstract overrides
 %===============================================================================
 
-((* block header *))
-    ((* block docclass *))((* endblock docclass *))
-    
+((*- block header -*))
+    ((* block docclass *))\documentclass[11pt]{article}((* endblock docclass *))
+
     ((* block packages *))
     \usepackage{iftex}
     \ifPDFTeX
@@ -179,8 +180,7 @@ This template does not define a docclass, the inheriting class must define this.
 ((* endblock header *))
 
 ((* block body *))
-    \begin{document}
-    
+\begin{document}
     ((* block predoc *))
     ((* block maketitle *))\maketitle((* endblock maketitle *))
     ((* block abstract *))((* endblock abstract *))
@@ -192,5 +192,5 @@ This template does not define a docclass, the inheriting class must define this.
     ((* block postdoc *))
     ((* block bibliography *))((* endblock bibliography *))
     ((* endblock postdoc *))
-    \end{document}
+\end{document}
 ((* endblock body *))
diff --git a/nbconvert/templates/latex/skeleton/null.tplx b/nbconvert/templates/latex/skeleton/null.tplx
index 398d7ed13..c9c380381 100644
--- a/nbconvert/templates/latex/skeleton/null.tplx
+++ b/nbconvert/templates/latex/skeleton/null.tplx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-((= Auto-generated template file, DO NOT edit directly!
-    To edit this file, please refer to ../../skeleton/README.md =))
+((=- Auto-generated template file, DO NOT edit directly!
+    To edit this file, please refer to ../../skeleton/README.md -=))
 
 
 ((=
diff --git a/nbconvert/templates/skeleton/Makefile b/nbconvert/templates/skeleton/Makefile
index c02ac0fe7..65b9ade66 100644
--- a/nbconvert/templates/skeleton/Makefile
+++ b/nbconvert/templates/skeleton/Makefile
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ all: clean $(TPLS)
 # see http://flask.pocoo.org/snippets/55/ for more info
 ../latex/skeleton/%.tplx: %.tpl
 	@echo 'generating tex equivalent of $^: $@'
-	@echo '((= Auto-generated template file, DO NOT edit directly!\n' \
+	@echo '((=- Auto-generated template file, DO NOT edit directly!\n' \
 		  '   To edit this file, please refer to ../../skeleton/README.md' \
-		  '=))\n\n' > $@
+		  '-=))\n\n' > $@
 	@sed \
 		-e 's/{%/((*/g' \
 		-e 's/%}/*))/g' \