[lug] LaTeX, margins, font size

[Tkil]

>>>>> "DS" == D Stimits <stimits at idcomm.com> writes:

DS> The margins appear to be overly large, so I think if I either
DS> reduce the font size very slightly, or if I make the left margin
DS> just a tiny bit smaller, it should all fit without overflowing to
DS> the next page. Is there a way I can do this, or does the letter
DS> documentclass determine this?

to change font size, the most graceful way is to try a smaller option
in your documentclass declaration:

   \documentclass[10pt]{letter}

to adjust margins, you can use packages, or do it manually.  the
"geometry" package makes it pretty easy; here's something i use to do
two column printing (that i then slice in half short-wise to make two
small pages, each 5.5 x 8.5):

   \documentclass[10pt,twocolumn]{report}
   \usepackage[
           margin=0.5in,
           letterpaper,
           landscape,
           noheadfoot
   ]{geometry}
   
   \setlength{\columnsep}{1.0in}

finally, "doing it manually" works out to using "\setlength" to modify
the values of the lengths used to calculate margins.  the weirdness
here is that all the lengths are calcluated off a 1.0in top and left
margin, so the math is a bit goofy.  (this is one reason why i prefer
the geometry package!)  so, something like this should set 1.0in
margins all the way around a letter paper:

   % set left margin, relative to the 1.0in offset.
   \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{0}
   \setlength{\evensidemargin}{0}

   % letters don't have headers, so...
   \setlength{\topmargin}{0}
   \setlength{\headheight}{0}
   \setlength{\headsep}{0}

   % nor trailers
   \setlength{\footskip}{0}

   % and, finally, the size of the text box; it's for 8.5 x 11.0
   % paper, with an inch off each side:
   \setlength{\textwidth}{6.5in}
   \setlength{\textheight}{9.0in}
   
let me know if this works.  i am a little rusty; this is cobbled
together from vague memories, and by consulting Leslie Lamport's _A
Document Preparation System: LaTeX (User's Guide and Reference
Manual)_, as updated for LaTeX 2e.  the diagram on page 184
(corresponding to reference sectio C.5.3) is particularly handy for
this type of work.

t.