Is there a way to prevent fancyhdr from correcting the size of headheight?

Question

There are many questions on here about fancyhdr and headheight, but they're mainly about what's going on with changing headheights (for example: Fancyhdr sets wrong headheight).

My question is, is there a way that I can prevent fancyhdr from auto-adjusting the headheight on subsequent pages.

I have a first page which has a larger header than all subsequent pages. I have tried various things, such as \newgeometry on the first page and \restoregeometry on subsequent pages, and some things with \afterpage, but with no success. I believe that these have not worked because there is a longtable that starts on the first page and extends into subsequent pages. I also cannot force a page break because the contents of this longtable are variable, in that it may or may not actually overflow to the next page.

Is there a way to simply allow the first page's header to overflow and then keep my pre-defined head height for other pages moving forward?

Thanks for your help! MWE posted below.

\documentclass[letterpaper,8pt]{extarticle}
\usepackage{geometry}
\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\usepackage{longtable}

\geometry{
    portrait,
    left=0.7in,
    right=0.7in,
    bottom=1in,
    top=0.5in,
    headheight=120pt,
    includeheadfoot
}

\fancypagestyle{firstpage}{
    \fancyhf{} 
    \fancyhead[L]{\Huge{1 \\ 2 \\ 3 \\ 4 \\ 5 \\ 6 \\ 7}}
    \fancyfoot[C]{\small plshelpme}
}

\fancypagestyle{otherpage}{
    \fancyhf{}
    \fancyhead[L]{\Huge{1 \\ 2 \\ 3 \\ 4 \\ 5}}
}

\pagestyle{otherpage}
\begin{document}
\small
\thispagestyle{firstpage}
\hfill\break
\begin{center}
\begin{longtable}{|c|c|c|c|}
\caption{A simple longtable example}\\
\hline
\textbf{First entry} & \textbf{Second entry} & \textbf{Third entry} &                 
\textbf{Fourth entry} \\
\hline
\endfirsthead
\multicolumn{4}{c}%
{\tablename\ \thetable\ -- \textit{Continued from previous page}} \\
\hline
\textbf{First entry} & \textbf{Second entry} & \textbf{Third entry} &                                 
\textbf{Fourth entry} \\
\hline
\endhead
\hline \multicolumn{4}{r}{\textit{Continued on next page}} \\
\endfoot
\hline
\endlastfoot
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
\end{longtable}
\end{center}
\end{document}

Welcome to TeX.SX! You could \smash the contents. – Skillmon Aug 21 '18 at 20:49 — Skillmon, Aug 21 '18 at 20:49
@Skillmon Thank you! \smash does exactly what I need! – sshah Aug 21 '18 at 21:09 — sshah, Aug 21 '18 at 21:09

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 21 '18 at 20:53

Hide the height of the large header:

\documentclass[letterpaper,8pt]{extarticle}
\usepackage{geometry}
\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\usepackage{longtable}

\geometry{
    portrait,
    left=0.7in,
    right=0.7in,
    bottom=1in,
    top=0.5in,
    headheight=120pt,
    includeheadfoot
}

\fancypagestyle{firstpage}{
    \fancyhf{}
    \fancyhead[L]{\Huge \strut\smash{\parbox[b]{\linewidth}{1 \\ 2 \\ 3 \\ 4 \\ 5 \\ 6 \\ 7}}}
    \fancyfoot[C]{\small plshelpme}
}

\fancypagestyle{otherpage}{
    \fancyhf{}
    \fancyhead[L]{\Huge{1 \\ 2 \\ 3 \\ 4 \\ 5}}
}

\pagestyle{otherpage}
\begin{document}
\small
\thispagestyle{firstpage}
blub
\newpage
bllb

\end{document}

Thanks Ulrike! As you and Skillmon said, \smash lets me hide the actual dimensions from fancyhdr. — sshah, Aug 21 '18 at 21:11

Is there a way to prevent fancyhdr from correcting the size of headheight?

1 Answers1