For LaTeX output, here are some options for getting cleaner output:
The function org-export-as-latex actually takes several parameters, one of which is a flag called BODY-ONLY.
The prototype for this function is (org-export-as-latex ARG &optional HIDDEN EXT-PLIST TO-BUFFER BODY-ONLY PUB-DIR) for OrgMode 7.5.
You can try the output by evaluating the LISP call explicitly:
M-: (org-export-as-latex nil nil nil nil t) RET
where the t symbol indicates the body-only option. This will create a new buffer with the LaTeX output. (RET means pressing the return key)
A shortcut for the above is to call org-export-region-as-latex. This is an interactive function which you can call with M-x. Its only argument is the body-only flag.
For example, you can select the whole buffer (via C-x h), then call this function with a prefix argument (to give a non-nil value to body-only):
C-u M-x org-export-region-to-latex RET
Now you'll have a new buffer selected with the LaTeX output and no header / footer / titles / TOC added.
This idea works also with org-export-region-as-html.
There is also a contributed package org-export-generic that lets you define an exporter completely: http://orgmode.org/worg/org-contrib/org-export-generic.html
P.S. I'm using the latest development version of OrgMode 7.5
Best Answer
The default mode for org-mode is truncate-lines mode.
You can customize this behaviour with
org-startup-truncated. TypeF1-v org-startup-truncatedfor a description, and then click on the customize link to change it.