Write into bottom margin rather than break page

Question

I have a document that is automatically generated, and I would like the last bit that always gets put onto the end to simply ignore the bottom margin.

In other words, I want my file to compile normally, unless this last bit would cross a page barrier. If that is the case, I would like to effectively extend the margin of the last page so as to avoid that last page break.

One possible solution would be to simply change the bottom margin of the last page only. But I can not figure out how to do that.

EDIT: There is nothing in the bottom margin. Also, there are multiple versions of this process, and in each version the last bit is a little different. It is usually something like:

Sincerely,

<name>

<company position>

Do you have content in the bottom margin (like the page number and or a rule across the footer)? Would it be possible to disclose "this last bit"? — Werner, Aug 29 '16 at 23:55
Is this bottom part added in the automated process as text just before \end{document}? Can it be modified to form part of a macro, say, \endgreeting that is placed just before \end{document}? The reason I'm asking this is because one could capture this final content and work with it when that part is reached within the compilation process. If there's no handle on it, one may have very little option but to always extend the last page to larger-than-normal \textheight. — Werner, Aug 30 '16 at 00:24
@Werner, I could use a macro, but I am unsure what you mean by "capture" it. I don't know much latex, the document is automatically generated in a separate programming language. Also, how would one change \textheight just for the last page? — Kyle, Aug 30 '16 at 00:33
Actually it's far more convenient if you're able to write the \greetingatend as a macro in the preamble. This provides a "handle" into the macro. I'm thinking about the following sample layout: paste — Werner, Aug 30 '16 at 00:44
@Werner, I modified it according to that example, but it still splits up the greeting. Is that approach supposed to write into the margin? — Kyle, Aug 30 '16 at 01:03
Put the last paragraph into \smash{\parbox{\textwidth}{...}} — John Kormylo, Aug 30 '16 at 02:19
The \newgeometry macro of the geometry package can be used to revise the page layout of the current and subsequent pages mid-stream in the document. — Steven B. Segletes, Aug 30 '16 at 02:50
@cfr True, which excludes the approach if one must accomplish the feat on the fly rather than examine the final unadjusted output and adjust to that constraint. — Steven B. Segletes, Aug 30 '16 at 02:54
Perhaps \enlargethispage as described in the answer at http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/140924/change-textwidth-and-textheight-in-mid-environment — Steven B. Segletes, Aug 30 '16 at 02:57

score 7 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:35

7

Here's an example of \enlargethispage{}, as employed at Change \textwidth and \textheight in mid-environment. Note that I couple it with \thispagestyle{empty}, or else the extension overwrites the page number.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
\lipsum[2-17]\enlargethispage{1in}\thispagestyle{empty}
\lipsum[18]
\end{document}

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:35

Community

1

answered Aug 30 '16 at 03:02

Steven B. Segletes

237,551

You might want to omit the empty page. We know there's nothing in the bottom margin, but there might be stuff in the top one. – cfr Aug 30 '16 at 03:05
@cfr There is no empty page. However, I displayed pages 2 and 3 adjacently in order to emphasize the effect of the final-page extension. – Steven B. Segletes Aug 30 '16 at 03:10
I meant that \pagestyle{empty} will destroy any header and is not needed if there is nothing in the bottom margin, as stated in the question. – cfr Aug 30 '16 at 03:15
@cfr I see. I used \thispagestyle, as opposed to \pagestyle, but the point is, I guess, the same. I'm not sure how to conditionally remove the page number, based on the final page length that actually presents itself. – Steven B. Segletes Aug 30 '16 at 03:17
If there is nothing in the bottom margin anyway, why do you need to do anything? Sure, if the document was different, this might be an issue. But if the document is as described, it isn't. – cfr Aug 30 '16 at 03:22
@cfr, without the \thispagestyle{empty}, a page number "3" appears under (as in overwritten by) the text at the originally planned location. – Steven B. Segletes Aug 30 '16 at 03:25
That's the problem with not having an MWE. We don't have the code for the bottom-margin-free version described in the question. – cfr Aug 30 '16 at 09:23
1

A variation of this worked perfect for me. I just put the \enlargethispage command in my \sig command which I used via \AtEndDocument. I just made sure I added enough to the bottom margin to fit the entire signature, by finding the minimum body size inducing a new page and verifying that the last line of the body landed on that new page. – Kyle Aug 30 '16 at 19:25

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 30 '16 at 09:05

2

I'd use \AtEndDocument to force the extra text on to the last page, something like

\documentclass{article}

\pagestyle{headings}
\newcounter{z}

\AtEndDocument{\par\enlargethispage{\textheight}%
something

thanks

signed: The Author}
\begin{document}

\def\z{\stepcounter{z}\roman{z}, \ifnum\value{z}<1400 \expandafter\z\fi}
\z
\end{document}

answered Aug 30 '16 at 09:05

David Carlisle

757,742

+1 This looks like a viable alternative, but a different approach already worked out. – Kyle Aug 30 '16 at 19:28

Write into bottom margin rather than break page

2 Answers2