Memoir Headings

Question

What is the best way to customize the headings at the top of each page in a memoir document? For example, if I want just the page number at the top of every left page, and just the chapter title (say, in italics) at the top of every right page? What if I don't want any header on left pages, but just the page number as a footer in the corner?

Answer 1

As Werner comments, the best way to customize the headers/footers when using memoir is to use the features provided by the class itself.

In the following code I created a customized page style to produce your first layout: page number at the top (I chose at the left) of even-numbered pages and chapter title in italics at the top (I chose at the right) of odd-numbered pages; since I didn't make any special provision for the plain style, the first page of every chapter will retain the default plain style:

\documentclass{memoir}
\usepackage{lipsum}

\nouppercaseheads
\makepagestyle{mystyle}
\makeevenhead{mystyle}{\thepage}{}{}
\makeoddhead{mystyle}{}{}{\itshape\leftmark}
\makeevenfoot{mystyle}{}{}{}
\makeoddfoot{mystyle}{}{}{}
\makepsmarks{mystyle}{%
  \createmark{chapter}{left}{nonumber}{}{}}

\pagestyle{mystyle}

\begin{document}
\chapter{Test Chapter}
\lipsum[1]
\section{Test Section}
\lipsum[1-20]
\end{document}

Here are the modifications required in the comments; the headers/footers will now extend to the space reserved for marginal notes; the plain style has also been redefined to match the layout for other pages:

\documentclass{memoir}
\usepackage{lipsum}

\nouppercaseheads
\makepagestyle{mystyle} 
\setlength{\headwidth}{\dimexpr\textwidth+\marginparsep+\marginparwidth\relax}
\makerunningwidth{mystyle}{\headwidth}
\makeevenhead{mystyle}{\itshape\leftmark}{}{} 
\makeoddhead{mystyle}{}{}{\itshape\leftmark} 
\makeevenfoot{mystyle}{\thepage}{}{} 
\makeoddfoot{mystyle}{}{}{\thepage} 
\makeatletter
\makepsmarks{mystyle}{%
  \createmark{chapter}{left}{shownumber}{\@chapapp\ }{.\ }}
\makeatother

\makepagestyle{plain}
\makerunningwidth{plain}{\headwidth}
\makeevenfoot{plain}{\thepage}{}{}
\makeoddfoot{plain}{}{}{\thepage}

\pagestyle{mystyle}

\begin{document}
\chapter{Test Chapter}
\lipsum[1]
\section{Test Section}
\lipsum[1-20]
\end{document}