Page layout involves the physical size of the paper, margins, as well as headers and footers.
Unlike FO, which establishes most of the page layout at the start of the document, ConTeXt creates page layout where it is needed.
Without any instructions, ConTeXt will create one identical page for the entire document.
% this layout produces satisfactory pages \starttext ... \stoptext
<!--this document produces satisfactory pages--> <TeXML> <env name="text"> ... </env>
Default layout inserts margins
You can set up the size of the paper in two ways, either by using ConTeXt’s preset dimensions, or by defining your own.
% Using ConTeXt's pre-set paper sizes \setuppapersize[A4]
<!--Using ConTeXt's pre-set paper sizes--> <cmd name="setuppapersize"> <opt>A4</opt> </cmd>
% defining your own paper size % the first option is whatever name you want \definepapersize[myCustomLayout][width=8.5in, height=11in] \setuppapersize[myCustomLayout]
<!--defining your own paper size--> <!--the first option is whatever name you want--> <cmd name="definepapersize"> <opt>myCustomLayout</opt> <opt>width=8.5in, height=11in</opt> </cmd>
For all page layouts, set up your dimensions with the definelayout command. After issuing this command, invoke the definitions you have just created with the setuplayout command. The first option of both the definelayout and setuplayout command is the name of the definition, which can be any name you choose. (In my example, the first option for both the definelayout and setuplayout commands is “myCustomLayout”.)
Always set your width to middle.
If you do not plan on using margin notes, use the backspace and cutspace property to set your margins. The backspace will be the total distance from the left edge of the page to your body text, while the cutspace property will the total distance from the right edge of the page to your body text. For mirrored texts, this will be reversed: the backspace will determine the right side, and the cutspace the left side.
\definelayout[myCustomLayout][ backspace=40mm, cutspace=38mm, width=middle, ] \setuplayout[myCustomLayout]
<cmd name="definelayout"> <opt> backspace = 40mm, cutspace=38mm, width=middle </opt> </cmd> <cmd name="setuplayout"> <opt>myCustomLayout</opt> </cmd>
setting up margins with backspace
If you plan to use margin notes, reserve space in your margins for the notes, the notes and the edge of the page, and the space between the noes and your body text. The width of the leftmargin and rightmargin determines the width your margin notes. The leftmargindistance and rightmargindistance determine the space between the notes and your body text.
The backspace property is the sum of the the leftmargin, the leftmargindistance, and the space from the left edge of the page to the left margin. If the page is mirrored (see below),this is reversed: the backspace will be the sum of these regions on the right hand side of the page.
The cutspace property is the sum of the the rightmargin, the rightmargindistance, and the space from the right edge of the page to the right margin. If the page is mirrored (see below),this is reversed: the cutspace will be the sum of these regions on the left hand side of the page.
This leaves two regions which have no name (so far as I know), and which are calculated by ConTeXt rather than being explicitly coded by a user. These regions are the very outer edges of the page.
ConTeXt calculates these regions by subtracting the margin and margin distance from the backspace or cutspace value. In our example, the left outer edge is 15mm because the backspace (50mm) minus the leftmargin (25mm) minus the leftmargindistance (10mm)= 15mm.
\definelayout[myCustomLayout][ leftmargin=25mm, rightmargin=30mm, leftmargindistance=10mm, rightmargindistance=10mm, backspace=50mm, width=middle, ] \setuplayout[myCustomLayout]
<cmd name="definelayout"> <opt> leftmargin=25mm, rightmargin=30mm, leftmargindistance=10mm, rightmargindistance=10mm, backspace=50mm, width=middle, </opt> </cmd> <cmd name="setuplayout"> <opt>myCustomLayout</opt> </cmd>
custom margins
If you do not explicitly declare leftmargindistance or rightmargindistance, ConTeXt will set these regions to 5mm.
If you do not explicitly declare a backspace value, ConTeXt will set this region to 25 mm. If your left margin is greater than 25 mm, this can lead to unwanted results.
Setting up the height is very similar to setting up the width. You can control the space from the edge of the page to headers, the header space itself, and the distance between the header and the body text.
If you don’t use headers and footers, alter the height of the body text by changing the header and footer properties, and by setting the height to fit. Keep in mind that ConTeXt puts a default space of 25 mm at the top and bottom of the page.
Always set your height to middle.
\definelayout[myCustomLayout][ header=30mm, footer=25mm, height=middle, ] \setuplayout[myCustomLayout] ...
<cmd name="definelayout"> <opt>myCustomLayout</opt> <opt>header=30mm, footer=25mm, height=middle, </opt> </cmd> <cmd name="setuplayout"> <opt>myCustomLayout</opt> </cmd>
changing body height through headers and footers
For headers and footers, reserve space for the notes, as well as space between the notes and the edge of the page as well as space between the noes and your body text. Increasing any of the space in this region reduces the height of the body text. Always set your height to middle.
The topspace properties establishes the space at the very top of the page. The bottomspace properties establishes the space at the very bottom of the page. The headerdistance and footerdistance reserves space between the header or footer and the body text.
\definelayout[myCustomLayout][ header=30mm, footer=20mm, headerdistance=10mm, footerdistance=10mm, topspace=30mm, bottomspace=25mm, height=middle, ] \setuplayout[myCustomLayout]
<cmd name="definelayout"> <opt> header=30mm, footer=20mm headerdistance=10mm, footerdistance=10mm, topspace=30mm, bottomspace=25mm, height=middle, </opt> </cmd> <cmd name="setuplayout"> <opt>myCustomLayout</opt> </cmd> ...
setting up footer and header space
If you do not explicitly declare headerdistance or footerdistance, ConTeXt sets these regions to 5mm.
ConTeXt allows for different layouts on the first, even, and odd pages. Unfortunately, the text width must be the same on all pages within this text flow. If you change the width from one page to the next, the text will not necessarily line up. In order to change the width of a page, you need to start a new run of pages. For example, you can create a book in which chapter 1 had pages that are 8 inches wide while chapter 2 had pages 8.5 inches wide. But within the chapter, you couldn’t have the odd page be 8 inches wide and the even page be 8.5 inches wide.
The easiest way to change layout for odd and even pages is by mirroring them, so that the page layout will be switched for odd and even pages. To do so, add change the setuppagenumbering command to produce double-sided documents.
\setuppagenumbering[state=stop, way=bytext, alternative=doublesided] \definelayout[myCustomLayout][ width=middle, backspace=40mm, cutspace=50mm, ] \setuplayout[myCustomLayout]
<cmd name="setuppagenumbering"> <opt>state=stop, way=bytext, alternative=doublesided </opt> </cmd> <cmd name="definelayout"> <opt> width=middle, backspace=40mm, cutspace=50mm, </opt> </cmd> <cmd name="setuplayout"> <opt>myCustomLayout</opt> </cmd>
mirroring pages
Keeping track of how values get switched seems tricky to me. Defining first, odd, and even pages (see below) offers an alternative.
A more flexible way to change layouts for different pages is to use a position argument. Use “1” for the first page, and “odd” and “even” for the odd and even pages.
Like with mirroring pages, you have to make sure the width of all your pages is the same.
% setup layout for first page \definelayout[1][ backspace=30mm, cutspace=40mm, width=middle, ] % setup layout for even page \definelayout[even][ backspace=35mm, cutspace=35mm, width=middle, ] % setup layout for even page \definelayout[odd][ backspace=40mm, cutspace=30mm, width=middle, ] % this command now takes no option \setuplayout
<!--setup layout for first page--> <cmd name="definelayout"> <opt>backspace=30mm, cutspace=40mm, width=middle, </opt> </cmd> <!--setup layout for even page--> <cmd name="definelayout"> <opt>backspace=35mm, cutspace=35mm, width=middle, </opt> </cmd> <!--setup layout for odd page--> <cmd name="definelayout"> <opt>backspace=30mm, cutspace=40mm, width=middle, </opt> </cmd> <!--this command now takes not option--> <cmd name="setuplayout" gr="0"/>
different first, even and odd pages
You don’t need to define a separate layout for the first page if you just want different odd and even pages.
Customization of pages is not limited to width. You can have different height and footerdistances, etc, for first, even and odd pages.
If you set the header or footer to 0mm, you will eliminate the space and any texts for headers or footers along with it. There are also other ways to control headers and footers explained below.
Place headers and footers with the commands setupheadertexts and setupfootertexts. These commands takes 4 arguments. The first is for the left margin on odd pages, the second for the right margin on odd pages, the third for the left margin on even pages, and the fourth for the left margin on even pages.
\setupheadertexts[one][two] [three][four] \setupfootertexts[one][two] [three][four]
<cmd name="setupheadertexts"> <opt>one</opt> <opt>two</opt> <opt>three</opt> <opt>four</opt> </cmd> <cmd name="setupfootertexts"> <opt>one</opt> <opt>two</opt> <opt>three</opt> <opt>four</opt> </cmd>
setupheadertexts with four arguments
When pages are mirrored, the third and fourth argument are reversed. The placement of the headers and footers does not change for even
headers switched for mirrored layout
We need special commands to format headers and footers, since the normal commands for body text won’t work.
The hfill command helps us align text left and right, as well as center text. This command tells ConTeXt to put as much space as possible between it and the next object. If we use it before some text, it pushes that text all the way to the left. If we use it after some text, it pushes that text all the way to the right.
If we use the hfill command both before and after the text, it puts as much space between the left and the right as possible, resulting in text being approximately centered. The centering won’t be exact because the space of your text on the left will most likely not be the same as the space for the text on the right. To fix this, use the llap and rlap commands.
\setupheadertexts[\hfill American Lit][] [][Thoreau
\hfill]
\setupfootertexts[\rlap{Romanticism} \hfill
\pagenumber \hfill \llap{Civil Disobedience}][] [][Civil Disobedience]
<cmd name="setupheadertexts"> <opt> <cmd name="hfill"/> American Lit </opt> <opt/> <opt/> <opt> Thoreau <cmd name="hfill"/> </opt> </cmd> <cmd name="setupheadertexts"> <opt> <cmd name="rlap"> <parm>Romanticism</parm> </cmd> <cmd name="hfill"/> <cmd name="pagenumber"/> <cmd name="hfill"/> <cmd name="llap"> <parm>Civil Disobedience</parm> </cmd> </opt> <opt/> <opt/> <opt> Civil Disobedience </opt> </cmd>
using hfill to place headers and footers
You can also use the hskip command to create a specific amount of white space. If you wanted 10 points between Thoreau and Romanticism, you type hskip10pt.
Since ConTeXt doesn’t allow us to create paragraphs in headers and footers as we would in normal text, we use the vbox command to create multi-lines headers and footers. The command vbox stands for vertical box, the basic paragraph unit that ConTeXt uses behind the scenes. In order to break a line inside a vbox, use vskip.
\setupheadertexts[\vbox{Chapter 8 \vskip5pt Thoreau}][][][Civil
Disobedience]
<cmd name="setupheadertexts">
<opt>
<cmd name="vbox">
<par>
Chapter 8
<cmd name="vskip5pt"/>
Thoreau
</par>
</cmd>
</opt>
<opt/>
<opt/>
<opt>Civil Disobedience</opt>
</cmd>
using a vbox to create multi-line header
I came across a problem in formatting a footer with a thesis. I needed a 1-inch space at the bottom, with a page number centered in the middle, and 1/2 an inch from the bottom. None of the above commands allowed me to both center the page number and control its vertical placement, so I finally had to settle for this work-around.
\setupfootertexts[\vbox{\centerline{\pagenumber }\vskip12pt }]
[][][]
The vbox command functions exactly as above. The centerline command centers the page number. The vskip command put space between the bottom of the footer space and the actual number. In other words, it raised up the number. A greater number for vskip would have made the number even higher.
Long documents require different layouts for different parts. The abstract in a thesis may need a narrower page width. Each chapter in a book might have a different header.
ConTeXt has a hierarchy of sections for the user, including part, chapter, section, sub-section, and even sub-sub-section. If a user structures his document using these divisions, ConTeXt can create a table of contents and keep track of numbering, amongst other things. However, the XML author doesn’t need these features, which often prove more of a nuisance. Through the use of XSLT, and XML author already has access to a powerful numbering scheme and the ability to create any type of table of contents she wants.
Therefore I’ll use only one section command, part. The part command provides the mechanism to re-define physical page size, page layout, and headers and footers. By default, the part command will force page numbering to begin at one. In order to stop this behavior (and you probably want to), set the option way in the setuppagenumbering to bytext.
To start a new run of pages in which you redefine layout, issue a part command.
\part{}
<cmd name="part"/>
Once you issue this command, create any new definitions you need to. Simply follow the same procedure outline previously in this document, and the new settings take affect. Remember to issue these commands after you issue the part command. (The once exception is setuphead, which is explained below.) If you redefine headers and footers before the part command, the new definitions might appear in the previous section.
Here is an example of creating new headers for each chapter in a book.
\part{}
\setupheadertexts[Chapter 1][][][American Literature]
% the rest of the chapter goes here
\part{}
\setupheadertexts[Chapter 2][][][American Literature]
% the rest of the chapter goes here
<cmd name="part"> <parm/> <cmd/> <cmd name="setupheadertexts"> <opt>Chapter 1</opt> <opt/> <opt/> <opt>American Literature</opt> <!--the rest of the chpater goes here--> </cmd> <cmd name="setupheadertexts"> <opt>Chapter 2</opt> <opt/> <opt/> <opt>American Literature</opt> <!--the rest of the chapter goes here--> </cmd>
The setuphead command (not to be confused with the setupheader command!), helps us set up the first page for each new part. Because this command defines the new section, it must come before the part command.
The first option of this command is the section it defines, such as part, section, or sub-section.
Use the page option in setuphead to force an odd or even page. left forces a left page, and right forces a right page.
\setuphead[part][page=left]
<cmd name="setuphead"> <opt>part</opt> <opt>page=left</opt> </cmd>
The setupheader and setupfooter allows for control over header and footer placement. To completely eliminate a header or footer for just one page, use the setupheader or setupfooter commmand in conjunction with the header=empty.
% eliminates the header and space for the header % for one page \setupheader[part][header=empty]
<cmd name="setupheader"> <opt>part</opt> <opt>header=empty</opt> </cmd>
header=empty
Setting header=high, not only eliminates the header text, but the white space around it.
% eliminates the header and space for the header % for one page \setupheader[part][header=high]
<cmd name="setupheader"> <opt>part</opt> <opt>header=empty</opt> </cmd>
header=high
Setting the header to none eliminates headers and footers, as well as the space they occupy, for all pages until a contradictory command is issued.
Other values for header are “stop”, which stops the placement of headers and footers; “start”, which starts them again if they have been stopped.
The footer=empty and footer=high commands are the equivalent to their header counterparts. The text and or space at the bottom will be suppressed.
The setupheader command only lets us eliminate a header or footer for the first page, not create a new one. To create a custom header of footer for the first page, define text with the definetext command, and then recall this defintion in the setuphead command.
\definetext[customHeader][header][Chapter 1]
\setuphead[part][header=customHeader]
\part{}
<cmd name="definetext"> <opt>customheader</opt> <opt>header</opt> <opt>Chapter 1</opt> </cmd> <cmd name="setuphead"> <opt>part</opt> <opt>header=cutomHeader</opt> </cmd>
custom header
This example uses three options for the definetext command. The first is the name I give it, which I use again in the setuphead command. The second is the position. The last options is the text placed in the header.
Remember to place the setuphead command before the part command.
The setuphead also takes the footer option.
The command pagenumber prints out a page number wherever it is issued (for example, in a header or footer).
In order to reset the page number, use the setuppagenumbers command. Set the option number to the desired number.
% sets the current page number to 3 \setuppagenumber[number=3]
In order to change the page number to something different than an Arabic number, use the setuppagenumbering command. Set the conversion option to characters for lower-case letters, Characters for upper-case letters, romannumerals for lower-case Roman Numerals, and Romannumerals for upper-case Roman Numerals.
% Changes "3" to "iii" \setuppagenumbering[conversion=romannumerals]
copyright 2005 Paul Henry Tremblay
License: GPL
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last updated: 2005-03-27