Twoside and different margin sizes
Markus Jalsenius
A mystery to me is why the margins are of different size when doing
this:
I use: \documentclass[a4paper,twoside,english]{report}
I want wide left margins on odd numbered pages and wide right margins
on even numbered pages. I get the opposite. If we disregard this fact
for now I have this weird problem:
Why is the wide margins on odd and even pages of different size? It
differs almost 5 mm (meaning the small margins also differ almost 5
mm).
Since an a4-paper is of width 210 mm, I thought this would yield same
margin sizes (+/- 1 mm maybe):
\textwidth=122mm
\oddsidemargin=29mm
\evensidemargin=8mm
However, this also yields margins differing almost 5 mm in size. If I
put an even numbered page on top of an odd numbered page, wide
margins overlapping, it is easy to see that the text is located
differently on the two pages. Why?
Markus
David Kastrup
Markus> Hello, A mystery to me is why the margins are of different
Markus> size when doing this:
Markus> I use: \documentclass[a4paper,twoside,english]{report}
Markus> I want wide left margins on odd numbered pages and wide
Markus> right margins on even numbered pages. I get the
Markus> opposite.
Which is correct. Good typography demands that the white space to the
left of left-hand pages is similar in size to the white space between
the text areas of opposing pages, so the inner margin should more or
less be half the size of the outer one.
Markus> Why is the wide margins on odd and even pages of different
Markus> size? It differs almost 5 mm (meaning the small margins
Markus> also differ almost 5 mm).
Compile and print
latex testpage
Then make sure that your printer does not offset the page. Your TeX
installation should have possibilities to correct. Of course it is
better to use additional options to GhostScript in your printer
spooler. Once you have found out your offsets there (try printing
align.ps from the GhostScript library), you can adjust them on the
GhostScript command line.
Markus> Since an a4-paper is of width 210 mm, I thought this would
Markus> yield same margin sizes (+/- 1 mm maybe):
Markus> \textwidth=122mm \oddsidemargin=29mm \evensidemargin=8mm
Markus> However, this also yields margins differing almost 5 mm in
Markus> size. If I put an even numbered page on top of an odd
Markus> numbered page, wide margins overlapping, it is easy to see
Markus> that the text is located differently on the two
Markus> pages. Why?
Is your system configured for A4 paper at all? Another nice question.
--
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum Email:
David....@t-online.de
Markus Jalsenius
> Markus> size when doing this:
>
> Markus> I use: \documentclass[a4paper,twoside,english]{report}
>
> Markus> size? It differs almost 5 mm (meaning the small margins
> Markus> also differ almost 5 mm).
>
> Compile and print
> latex testpage
>
> Then make sure that your printer does not offset the page. Your TeX
> installation should have possibilities to correct. Of course it is
> better to use additional options to GhostScript in your printer
> spooler. Once you have found out your offsets there (try printing
> align.ps from the GhostScript library), you can adjust them on the
> GhostScript command line.
The problem is if there is something in the PS-document that is wrong
and gives different margin sizes whether it is an odd or even page.
In the end someone else will print the document somewhere else.
I have noticed this behavior: if I view the document from LyX, i.e.
dvi-view, and print my document from there, the papers come out with
odd and even pages identical; the margins identical. However, after
the dvips command, opening Ghostview, and printing the document from
there, the margins differ between odd and even page. However, when I
check with the cursor in Ghostview, the margins are supposed to be
identical.
I use "dvips -t a4" so I really specify paper size. The printer is
set to a4 as well.
Markus
David Kastrup
Look, why don't you adjust your offsets in the printer spooler like I
have told you? That's the way to make sure that your on-screen
display of either dvi or PostScript will match the printed output.
>>>>> "Markus" == Markus Jalsenius <d96...@nada.kth.se> writes:
>> Compile and print latex testpage
>>
>> Then make sure that your printer does not offset the page.
>> Your TeX installation should have possibilities to correct. Of
>> course it is better to use additional options to GhostScript in
>> your printer spooler. Once you have found out your offsets
>> there (try printing align.ps from the GhostScript library), you
>> can adjust them on the GhostScript command line.
Markus> I have noticed this behavior: if I view the document from
Markus> LyX, i.e. dvi-view, and print my document from there, the
Markus> papers come out with odd and even pages identical; the
Markus> margins identical. However, after the dvips command,
Markus> opening Ghostview, and printing the document from there,
Markus> the margins differ between odd and even page. However,
Markus> when I check with the cursor in Ghostview, the margins are
Markus> supposed to be identical.
Markus> I use "dvips -t a4" so I really specify paper size. The
Markus> printer is set to a4 as well.
Markus Jalsenius
> have told you? That's the way to make sure that your on-screen
> display of either dvi or PostScript will match the printed output.
Beacause I do not personally care if I get the right output with MY
printer. I want OTHER people to get the right nice ouput when they
print my document from their printers. I can't refer to printer
offsets when someone I do not know of without computer skills is
printing my text.
Maybe you have a comment to this expanded problem on the same topic
(the text is written yesterday, so you already know some of the
info):
Why is there a problem when converting from DVI to PS to PDF? Each
step distorts the original layout, BUT, not according the viewers on
screen..
1. I have a LaTeX document with
\documentclass[a4paper,english]{report}.
2. I generate the DVI file and print it from the DVI-viewer and get
the result I want. It looks nice.
3. I use "dvips -t a4" to obtain a PS file. The file looks good in
Ghostview; correct margins, text size, etc. But, when I print it the
text is positioned differently on odd and even pages.
4. I use "ps2pdf" to obtain an PDF file. Looking at the file with
Ghostview looks as nice as with the DVI-viewer, but, when I print it
the text with Acroread it is even more distorted, and now the size of
the text is smaller than the DVI/PS-original and the margins larger.
When I print the PDF-file with Ghostview I get the same result as
printing the PS-file, that is, the position of the text is different
for odd and even pages.
Since I am going to send my PDF-file to other people I want them to
have the same nice result as when I print it at home as a DVI-file.
But this is not guaranteed according to my own experience. The worst
ouput comes with Acroread, and that is the tool many people use. Why?
What is wrong? Is this a known problem or am I doing anything wrong?
Markus
Markus Jalsenius
gives an answer to my question.
>
> Why is there a problem when converting from DVI to PS to PDF? Each
> step distorts the original layout, BUT, not according the viewers on
> screen..
After using dvips and ps2pdf, the document can be printed by
Acroread, but make sure that the 'fit ot page' option is disabled in
the print dialog. The result from Acroread will be the same as when
printing the DVI file from the DVI-viewer.
Markus