Align a figure to the left in a column in beamer

Question

The frame is divided into two columns, and both columns contain figures. However, the space on the left side of the first column is too large (as indicated in the image), and I would like to push the figure further to the left.I am thinking this has something to do with the margin of the frame.

I tried solutions from this question, but they did not work.

Here is a MWE:

\documentclass{beamer}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{tikz}
\begin{document}
\begin{frame}[t]\vspace{0.1cm}
\begin{columns}[t]
\tikzset{box/.style={inner xsep=0pt}}
\column{.32\textwidth}
\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=4.2cm]{example-image-a}

\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=4.4cm]{example-image-a}
\end{figure}
\column{.68\textwidth}
\begin{minipage}{\textwidth}
\begin{figure} 
\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=2cm]{example-image-a} 
\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=2cm]{example-image-a} 
\end{figure}
%\footnotetext{text \}
\end{minipage}

\begin{minipage}{\textwidth}
\begin{figure} 
\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=2cm]{example-image-a} 
\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=2cm]{example-image-a} 
\end{figure}
%\footnotetext{text \}
\end{minipage}

\begin{minipage}{\textwidth}
\begin{figure} 
\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=2cm]{example-image-a}

\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=2cm]{example-image-a}
\end{figure}
%\footnotetext{text}
\end{minipage} 
\end{columns}
\end{frame}
\end{document}

Answer 1

There are 3 sources of spaces:

1. If you use the column environment without special options, then there won't be any margins on the page. Instead a \hfill is placed before, between and after the columns. As the combined width of your columns is only 1 textwidth, there are still an additional 2 cm to be filled by these \hfills.

   If you want your column to start further left, increase their combined width so that there is less space left which the \hfills could fill. In the most extreme case, your columns can fill the whole paperwidth, then your column will start exactly at the edge of the page.

2. An additional space can be caused by the figure environment, which will centre your image within the column. If your column is wider than the image, then you will get some space between the left edge of the page and your image (however in your case, the column was actually too small for the image).

3. The unprotected line ending of \tikzset{box/.style={inner xsep=0pt}} will also add one space

\documentclass{beamer}
\usepackage{tikz}
\begin{document}
\begin{frame}[t]\vspace{0.1cm}
\begin{columns}[t]
\tikzset{box/.style={inner xsep=0pt}}%
\begin{column}{.35\paperwidth}
\begin{figure}
\raggedright
\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=4.2cm]{example-image-a}

\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=4.4cm]{example-image-a}
\end{figure}
\end{column}
\begin{column}{.65\paperwidth}
\begin{minipage}{\textwidth}
\begin{figure} 
\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=2cm]{example-image-a} 
\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=2cm]{example-image-a} 
\end{figure}
%\footnotetext{text \}
\end{minipage}

\begin{minipage}{\textwidth}
\begin{figure} 
\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=2cm]{example-image-a} 
\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=2cm]{example-image-a} 
\end{figure}
%\footnotetext{text \}
\end{minipage}

\begin{minipage}{\textwidth}
\begin{figure} 
\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=2cm]{example-image-a}

\includegraphics[height= 2cm, width=2cm]{example-image-a}
\end{figure}
%\footnotetext{text}
\end{minipage}
\end{column}
\end{columns}
\end{frame}
\end{document}