diff --git a/gca/core.py b/gca/core.py
index dee5163..bb5777d 100644
--- a/gca/core.py
+++ b/gca/core.py
@@ -176,6 +176,14 @@ def format_affiliation(self):
         active = filter(bool, components)
         return u', '.join(active)
 
+    def latex_format_affiliation(self):
+        department = self._data['department']
+        section = self._data['section']
+        address = self._data['address']
+        country = self._data['country']
+        components = [u', ' + c if c and len(c) else u'' for c in [department, section, address, country]]
+        return u'\\affiliation{' + '}{'.join(components) + '}'
+
 
 class Author(Entity):
     def __init__(self, data=None):
@@ -220,28 +228,35 @@ def full_name(self):
     def format_name(self, inverted=False):
         d = self._data
 
+        first = self.sanitize_name(d['firstName'])
+
         if inverted:
             middle = self.format_initials(d['middleName'], suffix='.')
             if middle and len(middle):
-                middle = ' ' + middle
-            return "%s, %s%s" % (d['lastName'], d['firstName'], middle)
+                middle = u' ' + middle
+            return "%s, %s%s" % (d['lastName'], first, middle)
 
-        middle = d['middleName'] + u' ' if d['middleName'] else u""
-        return d['firstName'] + u' ' + middle + d['lastName']
+        middle = self.sanitize_name(d['middleName'])
+        middle = middle + u' ' if middle else u''
+        return first + u' ' + middle + d['lastName']
 
     def latex_format_name(self):
         d = self._data
         first = ''
         shortfirst = ''
         if d['firstName'] and len(d['firstName']):
-            first = d['firstName']
-            shortfirst = self.format_initials(d['firstName'], suffix='.')
+            first = self.sanitize_name(d['firstName'], separator=' ', suffix='.')
+            shortfirst = self.format_initials(d['firstName'],
+                                              separator=' ', suffix='.')
         middle = ''
         shortmiddle = ''
         if d['middleName'] and len(d['middleName']):
-            middle = u' ' + d['middleName']
-            shortmiddle = u' ' + self.format_initials(d['middleName'], suffix='.')
-        return u"\\authorname{%s}{%s}{%s}{%s}{%s}" % (first, middle, shortfirst, shortmiddle, d['lastName'])
+            middle = u' ' + self.sanitize_name(d['middleName'], separator=' ',
+                                                      suffix='.')
+            shortmiddle = u' ' + self.format_initials(d['middleName'],
+                                                      separator=' ',
+                                                      suffix='.')
+        return u"\\authorname{%s}{%s}{%s}{%s}{%s}" % (first, middle, shortfirst, shortmiddle, d['lastName'].strip())
 
     def format_affiliation(self):
         af = self._data['affiliations']
@@ -254,12 +269,39 @@ def index_name(self):
                             self.format_initials(self.first_name),
                             self.format_initials(self.middle_name))
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def sanitize_name(name, separator='', suffix=''):
+        """ Apply to first and middle name to separate initials.
+        E.g. 'MS' -> 'M. S.'
+        E.g. 'M' -> 'M.'
+        """
+        if not name:
+            return ""
+        # make sure name is split after every '.' and around '-':
+        name = name.strip().replace('.', '. ')
+        name = name.replace('-', ' - ')
+        # split into components and also split double and triple initials (e.g. 'HJ'):
+        comps = [y for x in name.split() for y in (x if len(x)<=3 and x.isupper() and x.isalpha() else [x] )]
+        text = separator.join([a if len(a) > 1 else a[0] + suffix if a[0] != '-' else a[0] for a in comps])
+        if separator:
+            return text.replace(separator+'-'+separator, '-')
+        else:
+            return text
+
     @staticmethod
     def format_initials(name, separator='', suffix=''):
         if not name:
             return ""
-        comps = name.split(' ')
-        return separator.join([a[0] + suffix for a in comps])
+        # make sure name is split after every '.' and around '-':
+        name = name.strip().replace('.', '. ')
+        name = name.replace('-', ' - ')
+        # split into components and also split double and triple initials (e.g. 'HJ'):
+        comps = [y for x in name.split() for y in (x if len(x)<=3 and x.isupper() and x.isalpha() else [x] )]
+        text = separator.join([a[0] + suffix if a[0] != '-' else a[0] for a in comps])
+        if separator:
+            return text.replace(separator+'-'+separator, '-')
+        else:
+            return text
 
 
 class Reference(Entity):
@@ -745,3 +787,18 @@ def to_json(data):
         js = json.dumps(data, sort_keys=True, indent=4,
                         separators=(',', ': '), ensure_ascii=False)
         return js
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    # test author formatting:
+    names = [' Hans ', 'Hans', 'H.', 'H',
+             ' Hans Juergen ', 'Hans Juergen', 'H. J.', ' H. J. ', 'H.J.', 'H.J', 'HJ',
+             ' Hans - Juergen ', 'Hans-Juergen', 'H.-J.', ' H. - J. ', 'H.-J.', 'H-J',
+             ' Peter Hans - Juergen ', 'Peter Hans-Juergen', 'P. H.-J.', 'P. H. - J. ', 'P.H.-J.', 'P H-J', 'PH-J', 'PETER', 'PET', 'Pet', 'PETE']
+    print('sanitize_name():')
+    for n in names:
+        print('%-25s: %s' % (n, Author.sanitize_name(n, separator=' ', suffix='.')))
+    print()
+    print('format_initials():')
+    for n in names:
+        print('%-25s: %s' % (n, Author.format_initials(n, separator=' ', suffix='.')))
diff --git a/gca/tex.py b/gca/tex.py
index 3b548dd..a1d2e8b 100644
--- a/gca/tex.py
+++ b/gca/tex.py
@@ -154,34 +154,42 @@ def check_cur_state(abstract, state):
 %endif
 
 %% Command for setting the abstract's title. It gets four arguments:
-%% 1. some optional string (user supplied by manual editing the latex file)
-%% 2. poster ID
-%% 3. last name of first author
-%% 4. title of abstract
-\newcommand{\abstracttitle}[4][]{\section[#3: #4]{#4}}
-%%\newcommand{\abstracttitle}[4][]{\section[#2]{#4}}
+%% 1. poster ID
+%% 2. last name of first author
+%% 3. title of abstract
+\newcommand{\abstracttitle}[3]{\section[#2: #3]{#3}}
+%%\newcommand{\abstracttitle}[3]{\section[#1]{#3}}
 
 %% Environment for formatting the authors block:
 \newenvironment{authors}
   {\begin{flushleft}\setstretch{1.2}\sffamily}
   {\end{flushleft}\vspace{-3ex}}
 
-%% Command for formatting of author names. Five arguments:
+%% Command for formatting author names. Five arguments:
 %% 1. first name
 %% 2. middle name
-%% 3. initial of first name
-%% 4. initial of middle name
+%% 3. initials of first name
+%% 4. initials of middle name
 %% 5. last name
-\newcommand{\authorname}[5]{\mbox{#1#2 \textbf{#5}}}  %% first and middle name plus bold last name
+\newcommand{\authorname}[5]{\mbox{#1#2 \textbf{#5}}}  %% full first and middle name plus bold last name
 %% \newcommand{\authorname}[5]{\mbox{\textbf{#5}, #3#4}}  %% bold last name, first and middle initials
 %% \newcommand{\authorname}[5]{\mbox{\textbf{#5}, #1#4}}  %% bold last name, full first name and middle initials
 
-%% Environment for formatting the affiliations:
+%% Environment for formatting affiliations:
 %% each affiliation is provided as an \item
 \newenvironment{affiliations}
   {\begin{flushleft}\begin{enumerate}\setlength{\itemsep}{-0.5ex}\footnotesize\sffamily}
   {\end{enumerate}\end{flushleft}}
 
+\usepackage{xstring}
+%% Command for formatting each affiliation. Four arguments:
+%% 1. department
+%% 2. section
+%% 3. address
+%% 4. country
+%% Each of the arguments are either empty strings or preceded by ', '.
+\newcommand{\affiliation}[4]{\StrGobbleLeft{#1#2#3#4}{2}}
+
 %% Environment for formatting the abstract's main text:
 \newenvironment{abstracttext}
   {\noindent\hspace*{-0.8ex}}
@@ -194,7 +202,11 @@ def check_cur_state(abstract, state):
   
 %% Maximum height of a figure:
 \newlength{\figureheight}
-\setlength{\figureheight}{0.35\textheight}
+\setlength{\figureheight}{0.3\textheight}
+
+%% Command for including an image:
+\newcommand{\includeimage}[1]
+  {\centerline{\includegraphics[width=1\linewidth, height=1\figureheight, keepaspectratio]{#1}}}
 
 %% Environment for formatting the acknowledgements block:
 \newenvironment{acknowledgements}
@@ -234,9 +246,9 @@ def check_cur_state(abstract, state):
 
     ${mk_abstract(idx, abstract, figures is not None, show_meta)}
 % endfor
+%if not bare:
 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 %% appendix
-%if not bare:
 \backmatter
 
 \printindex[authors]
@@ -247,7 +259,7 @@ def check_cur_state(abstract, state):
 
 <%def name="mk_abstract(idx, abstract, include_figures, print_meta)">
 \begin{abstractblock}
-\abstracttitle[]{${abstract.poster_id}}{${abstract.authors[0].last_name}}{${mk_tex_text(abstract.title)}}
+\abstracttitle{${abstract.poster_id}}{${abstract.authors[0].last_name}}{${mk_tex_text(abstract.title).rstrip('.')}}
 ${mk_authors(abstract.authors)}
 ${mk_affiliations(abstract.affiliations)}
 %if abstract.doi:
@@ -297,7 +309,7 @@ def check_cur_state(abstract, state):
 <%def name="mk_affiliations(affiliations)">
 \begin{affiliations}
 % for idx, affiliation in enumerate(affiliations):
-  \item[${idx+1}.] ${mk_tex_text(affiliation.format_affiliation())}
+  \item[${idx+1}.] ${mk_tex_text(affiliation.latex_format_affiliation())}
 % endfor
 \end{affiliations}
 </%def>
@@ -318,7 +330,7 @@ def check_cur_state(abstract, state):
 
 <%def name="mk_figure(figure)">
 \begin{afigure}
-    \centerline{\includegraphics[width=1\linewidth, height=1\figureheight, keepaspectratio]{${figure.uuid}}}
+    \includeimage{${figure.uuid}}
     \captionof*{figure}{\small ${mk_tex_text(figure.caption)}}
 \end{afigure}
 </%def>