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I want to add an exact amount of space between type area and a section:

\documentclass{scrbook}

\KOMAoptions{fontsize=10pt, paper=14cm:21cm, DIV=calc, pagesize=auto, BCOR=5mm,     twoside=true, titlepage=true}

\usepackage{lmodern}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}

% shows frames of type area (good for debugging)
\usepackage{showframe}

\begin{document}

%\vspace*{-\topskip}  % removes \topskip space
\vspace*{0em}  % space amout is 0em for testing purpose; remove or comment to get absolutely no space
\section{Test}

\end{document}

I think the command \vspace*{0em} expands the section’s glue, right? If I remove \vspace*{0em} the section is on the top of the type area. Somehow \vspace*{0em} should do the same thing. The background is that I want to add an exact space between type area and section, but it’s always to much space. Any idea to fix this?

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6
  • Inserting \vspace* necessarily inserts space (regardless of where it's issued) while \vspace is a little less invasive (see Adding vertical space at the start of a page). Once you insert \vspace*{0em}, you already have "something" at the top of the page, followed by the regular \section top skip...
    – Werner ♦
    Jul 13, 2012 at 22:46
  • 1
    If you replace your \vspace*{0em} by \hbox{} (an empty box) you can see the same effect. This happens because \section inserts a vertical space at its top (which is discarded by tex if it is the first vertical material in a page, which is not the case after inserting \hbox or \vspace*). So the question should be "How can I remove the vertical space that the next command will insert?". I don't know the answer for this one.
    – JLDiaz
    Jul 13, 2012 at 22:52
  • @Werner I know that already, but how does this help?
    – Ronny
    Jul 14, 2012 at 0:03
  • @JLDiaz Yes, noticed this by replacing \vspace*{0em} with \null. Seems to have something to do with the definition of \section: \newcommand{\subsection}{\@startsection{subsection}{1}{\z@}{-0.2ex}{2.3ex \@plus.2ex} .... Like you wrote: How to force LaTeX not to add extra space as there is no object before \section?
    – Ronny
    Jul 14, 2012 at 0:10
  • Please accept that there is an object before \section if you insert one with \null or \vspace*. This might be an argument from a technical POV, but you won't be able to change anything about that.
    – Stephan Lehmke
    Jul 14, 2012 at 6:48

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

My own not perfectly working solution is:

\documentclass{scrbook}

\KOMAoptions{fontsize=10pt, paper=14cm:21cm, DIV=calc, pagesize=auto, BCOR=5mm, twoside=true, titlepage=true}

\usepackage{lmodern}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
% shows frames of type area (good for debugging)
\usepackage{showframe}

\makeatletter
% change definition of \section; remove space before
\renewcommand{\section}{\@startsection{section}{1}{\z@}%
  {-0.01ex}%
  {2.3ex \@plus.2ex}%
  {\ifnum \scr@compatibility>\@nameuse{scr@[email protected]}\relax
    \setlength{\parfillskip}{\z@ plus 1fil}\fi
    \raggedsection\normalfont\sectfont\nobreak\size@section}%
}
\makeatother


\begin{document}

\vspace*{-\topskip}
\section{Test}

Test

\end{document}

The code redefines the \section command in the way that the space before is set to -0.01ex (must be a negative number to avoid paragraph indention). There is only a little bit space left. Remove or comment out \vspace*{-\topskip} to see test this.

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1
  • Does any one know where the little extra space comes from?
    – Ronny
    Jul 14, 2012 at 11:34

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