Using figure* to spread an image across two columns is adding a page break. How do I rectify this?

Question

I have a 2 column scientific report that I am trying to write, and I would like a diagram to appear spread across both columns at the top of the second page. From what I've read, using the figure* command should do the trick, but instead a page break is added and the image is centred vertically on the next page! How do I fix this? Thank you in advance.

Please note the content of the text written in the code.

\documentclass[twocolumn]{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{geometry}
\geometry{margin=1in}

\title{test}
\author{Pancake Senpai}
\date{September 2019}

\begin{document}

\maketitle

\section{Introduction}

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

\begin{figure*}[ht]
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{"diagram".png}
    \caption{My diagram.}
\end{figure*}

\end{document}

you should delete the [ht] (figure* can not do h so this just prevents float pages) also figure* comes at the earliest on the next page, so move it earliet in the source file. — David Carlisle, Sep 10 '19 at 14:27
please also fix your example so that it is an example of the problem. Use example-image as the image so that people can run it, but basically if the extra text is added after the figure I would expect that it works as you want — David Carlisle, Sep 10 '19 at 14:28
See also https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/499556/order-of-figure-and-figure-figure-either-goes-to-next-page-or-order-reversed — John Kormylo, Sep 10 '19 at 16:22

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 10 '19 at 14:34

You did not provide a test file, but if you add enough text to start page 2, and the figure is small enough to be allowed at the top of a text page then it comes at teh top of page 2. I deleted [ht] as figure* can not be placed here.

\documentclass[twocolumn]{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{geometry}
\geometry{margin=1in}

\title{test}
\author{Pancake Senpai}
\date{September 2019}

\begin{document}

\maketitle

\section{Introduction}

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

\begin{figure*}
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth,height=5cm]{example-image}
    \caption{My diagram.}
\end{figure*}


This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.


This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.


This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.


This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

This is a two column document and I want an image to spread across two 
columns on the SECOND page. Rather than add a load of text here, I've kept 
it short, but if you run this code then you should add a load of text so 
that you're on page 2 before adding the image in order to replicate the 
conditions.

\end{document}

Using figure* to spread an image across two columns is adding a page break. How do I rectify this?

1 Answers1