Caption on the side of a figure

Question

Can anyone tell me how to get my caption on side of my figure, and at the same time aligned with the top of my figure?

Answer 1

Here is a direct and robust method:

\begin{figure}
  \begin{minipage}[c]{0.67\textwidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{2011-03-03}
  \end{minipage}\hfill
  \begin{minipage}[c]{0.3\textwidth}
    \caption{
       Температура перехода в ионизованное состояние
       атомарного водорода в зависимости от плотности газа.
    } \label{fig:03-03}
  \end{minipage}
\end{figure}

Perhaps, this way is less smart compared to packages sidecap and floatrow mentioned in other answers, but I use it for many years because of its simplicity. Widths of images and captions are fully controllable through arguments of minipage environment (parbox also works) and \includegraphics. Vertical alignment is controlled through optional argumants [c], [t] or [b] of minipage`.

Answer 2

You can use the \floatbox and \capbeside commands provided by the floatrow package:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[demo]{graphicx}
\usepackage{floatrow}

\begin{document}

\begin{figure}
\floatbox[{\capbeside\thisfloatsetup{capbesideposition={left,top},capbesidewidth=4cm}}]{figure}[\FBwidth]
{\caption{A test figure with its caption side by side}\label{fig:test}}
{\includegraphics[width=5cm]{name}}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}
\floatbox[{\capbeside\thisfloatsetup{capbesideposition={right,top},capbesidewidth=4cm}}]{figure}[\FBwidth]
{\caption{A test figure with its caption side by side}\label{fig:test}}
{\includegraphics[width=5cm]{name}}
\end{figure}

\end{document}

You could also be interested in the tufte document classes:

\documentclass{tufte-book}
\usepackage[demo]{graphicx}
\usepackage{lipsum}

\begin{document}

\lipsum[1]
\begin{figure}
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=5cm]{name}
  \caption{\protect\lipsum[1]}
\end{figure}

\end{document}

Answer 3

Use the sidecap package.

\usepackage{sidecap}

\begin{SCfigure}
    \includegraphics{fig}
  \caption{Foo bar}
\end{SCfigure}

See vertical position of sidecap figure w.r.t. top aligned caption

Answer 4

\documentclass[twoside,a5paper]{article}
\usepackage[demo]{graphicx}
\usepackage[outercaption]{sidecap}    
\begin{document}

\begin{SCfigure}
\includegraphics[width=5cm]{name}
\caption{A test figure with its caption side by side}\label{fig:testA}
\end{SCfigure}

\begin{SCtable}
\caption{A test figure with its caption side by side}\label{fig:testB}
\includegraphics[width=5cm]{name}
\end{SCtable}

\clearpage

\begin{SCtable}
\caption{A test figure with its caption side by side}\label{fig:testB}
\includegraphics[width=5cm]{name}
\end{SCtable}
\end{document}

Answer 5

I am aware that this has been solved, however, I thought I would contribute what I use to address this problem.

I Create two new commands, as follows:

%----------------------------------------
%COMMAND FOR DOING SIDE CAPTION.
%----------------------------------------
\newcommandx{\mycaptionminipage}[3][3=c,usedefault]{%
    \begin{minipage}[#3]{#1}%
        \ifthenelse{\equal{#3}{b}}{\captionsetup{aboveskip=0pt}}{}
        \ifthenelse{\equal{#3}{t}}{\captionsetup{belowskip=0pt}}{}
        \vspace{0pt}\centering\captionsetup{width=\textwidth} %Temporarily set caption width
        #2%
    \end{minipage}%
}%
\newcommandx{\mysidecaption}[4][4=c,usedefault]{%
    \checkoddpage%
    \ifoddpage%
        %CASE ODD PAGES
        \mycaptionminipage{\dimexpr\linewidth-#1\linewidth-\intextsep\relax}{#3}[#4]%
        \hfill%
        \mycaptionminipage{#1\linewidth}{#2}[#4]%
    \else%
        %CASE EVEN PAGES
        \mycaptionminipage{#1\linewidth}{#2}[#4]%
        \hfill%
        \mycaptionminipage{\dimexpr\linewidth-#1\linewidth-\intextsep\relax}{#3}[#4]%
    \fi%
}%

These latter command take an argument representing the content along the outer margin (right hand side for odd page, left hand side for even page), content for inner margin, fraction of line taken up by the outer content, and, the alignment between the inner and outer content.

Usage is as follows:

\mysidecaption{<LINE FRACTION OF OUTER CONTENT>}{<OUTER CONTENT>}{<INNER CONTENT>}[<VERTICAL ALIGNMENT, c(default), b or t>]

Here are Some Sample Outputs:

1. ODD page:

2. EVEN page, via the same commands:

Full Working Example as Follows:

\documentclass[10pt]{article}
\usepackage[left=2cm,right=2cm,top=3cm,bottom=3cm]{geometry}
\usepackage{xargs,lipsum,caption,changepage,ifthen}
\usepackage[demo]{graphicx}

%----------------------------------------
%COMMAND FOR DOING SIDE CAPTION.
%----------------------------------------
\newcommandx{\mycaptionminipage}[3][3=c,usedefault]{%
    \begin{minipage}[#3]{#1}%
        \ifthenelse{\equal{#3}{b}}{\captionsetup{aboveskip=0pt}}{}
        \ifthenelse{\equal{#3}{t}}{\captionsetup{belowskip=0pt}}{}
        \vspace{0pt}\centering\captionsetup{width=\textwidth} %Temporarily set caption width
        #2%
    \end{minipage}%
}%
\newcommandx{\mysidecaption}[4][4=c,usedefault]{%
    \checkoddpage%
    \ifoddpage%
        %CASE ODD PAGES
        \mycaptionminipage{\dimexpr\linewidth-#1\linewidth-\intextsep\relax}{#3}[#4]%
        \hfill%
        \mycaptionminipage{#1\linewidth}{#2}[#4]%
    \else%
        %CASE EVEN PAGES
        \mycaptionminipage{#1\linewidth}{#2}[#4]%
        \hfill%
        \mycaptionminipage{\dimexpr\linewidth-#1\linewidth-\intextsep\relax}{#3}[#4]%
    \fi%
}%


%DUMMY TEXT.
\def\t{Nam dui ligula, fringilla a, euismod sodales, sollicitudin vel, wisi. Morbi auctor lorem non justo. Namlacus libero, pretium at, lobortis vitae, ultricies et, tellus. Donec aliquet, tortor sed accumsan bibendum, erat ligula aliquet magna, vitae ornare odio metus a mi. Morbi ac orci et nisl hendrerit mollis. Suspendisse ut massa. Donec aliquet, tortor sed accumsan bibendum, erat ligula aliquet magna, vitae ornare odio metus a mi. Morbi ac orci et nisl hendrerit mollis. Suspendisse ut massa.}

\begin{document}
    \section{Examples on ODD Page}
    \subsection{Image Outer, Caption Inner, Center Aligned}
            \mysidecaption{0.5}{%
                \includegraphics[width=\linewidth,height=2cm]{name}%
            }{%
                \captionof{figure}{\t}%
            }[c]%
    \subsection{Image Inner, Caption Outer, Center Aligned}
            \mysidecaption{0.5}{%
                \captionof{figure}{\t}%
            }{%
                \includegraphics[width=\linewidth,height=2cm]{name}%
            }[c]%
    \subsection{Image Inner, Caption Outer, BOTTOM Aligned}
            \mysidecaption{0.5}{%
                \captionof{figure}{\t}%
            }{%
                \includegraphics[width=\linewidth,height=2cm]{name}%
            }[b]%
    \subsection{Image Inner, Caption Outer, TOP Aligned}
            \mysidecaption{0.5}{%
                \captionof{figure}{\t}%
            }{%
                \includegraphics[width=\linewidth,height=2cm]{name}%
            }[t]%

    \clearpage
    \section{Examples on EVEN Page}
        \subsection{Image Outer, Caption Inner, Center Aligned}
                \mysidecaption{0.5}{%
                    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth,height=2cm]{name}%
                }{%
                    \captionof{figure}{\t}%
                }[c]%
        \subsection{Image Inner, Caption Outer, Center Aligned}
                \mysidecaption{0.5}{%
                    \captionof{figure}{\t}%
                }{%
                    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth,height=2cm]{name}%
                }[c]%
        \subsection{Image Inner, Caption Outer, BOTTOM Aligned}
                \mysidecaption{0.5}{%
                    \captionof{figure}{\t}%
                }{%
                    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth,height=2cm]{name}%
                }[b]%
        \subsection{Image Inner, Caption Outer, TOP Aligned}
                \mysidecaption{0.5}{%
                    \captionof{figure}{\t}%
                }{%
                    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth,height=2cm]{name}%
                }[t]%

\end{document}

Answer 6

Another possibility is to use koma script with 'captionbeside'

\KOMAoptions{captions=bottombeside} % topbeside
\begin{figure}[H]
\begin{captionbeside}%
    [Example of captionbeside]%
    {Example of captionbeside, with inside caption. 
    Suspendisse justo purus, lacinia et, iaculis ac, sagittis at, enim. Nulla placerat, massa iaculis imperdiet tristique, dolor libero laoreet risus, ac sollicitudin enim sem vel ante.}%
    [i][0.8\linewidth][2em]
        \includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth]{images/latex}
\end{captionbeside}
\label{fig:maincls.captionbeside}
\end{figure}

which has a similar command structure to floatrow.

Answer 7

Or you can take the lazy way out (also robust) and use the \sidecaption environment defined by the Memoir class

\begin{sidecaption}[fortoc]{title}[label]
the body of the float
\end{sidecaption}

Memoir also provides width, separation and margin location macros without forcing you to use Tufte or Koma design/layout solutions, and it allows you to use e.g. XeTeX.

Answer 8

Somehow I cannot post it as a comment. This solution is basically what Igor Kotelnikov suggested above with the follow-up comments. It was convoluted a bit to get everything right, so I decided to post it. Go upvote the initial suggestion!

\newcommand{\sidebysidecaption}[4]{%
\RaggedRight%
  \begin{minipage}[t]{#1}
    \vspace*{0pt}
    #3
  \end{minipage}
  \hfill%
  \begin{minipage}[t]{#2}
    \vspace*{0pt}
    #4
\end{minipage}%
}

With usage:

\begin{figure}[tb]
\sidebysidecaption{0.555\linewidth}{0.42\linewidth}{%
    \includegraphics[width=1\linewidth]{saica13/images/cam_mounting.png}%
}{%
  \caption[Photograph of camera mounting]{Camera mounted between two
    projections screens. Note that while the view direction can be
    modified, the up vector of the camera is fixed.}
  \label{fg:cam-mounting}
}
\end{figure}

Answer 9

None of these is robust enough to work with the beamerposter class within an environment such as the following:

\begin{frame}%
  \begin{columns}%
    \begin{column}{\colCWidth}%
        \tcbox[title=MOTIVATION]%
        {\begin{minipage}[t][.1\textheight][t]
         ...
         \end{minipage}%
        }%
     \end{column}%
  \end{columns}%
\end{frame}