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I use a custom Beamer theme for my presentations. In my presentations I'd like to use blocks (\begin{block}…\end{block}). These blocks are rendered slightly too wide to fit into my theme. Is there a way how I can set the default width of blocks, e.g. to .9\textwidth?

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3 Answers 3

Reset to default
28

If you do not require a new block environment with customizable width, but simply want to change the width of the original block environments, add the following to your preamble:

\addtobeamertemplate{block begin}{%
  \setlength{\textwidth}{0.9\textwidth}%
}{}

\addtobeamertemplate{block alerted begin}{%
  \setlength{\textwidth}{0.9\textwidth}%
}{}

\addtobeamertemplate{block example begin}{%
  \setlength{\textwidth}{0.9\textwidth}%
}{}
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  • 11
    Is there a way to do this but to make the block centered? For me it sticks to the left of the page.
    – mrbrich
    Commented Aug 26, 2014 at 14:31
  • @mrbrich, try wrapping your block in a minipage environment, as suggested on tex.stackexchange.com/a/180462/12065. As a matter of fact, once you have your block in a minipage, it will take the size of that minipage, so you can control block size there instead of using this answer.
    – Waldir Leoncio
    Commented Jun 16, 2017 at 12:38
43

You could define your own block environment with an optional parameter for its width and provide a default value such as .9\textwidth.

Here's an example:

\documentclass{beamer}
\usetheme{Warsaw}
\usepackage[english]{babel}

\newenvironment<>{varblock}[2][.9\textwidth]{%
  \setlength{\textwidth}{#1}
  \begin{actionenv}#3%
    \def\insertblocktitle{#2}%
    \par%
    \usebeamertemplate{block begin}}
  {\par%
    \usebeamertemplate{block end}%
  \end{actionenv}}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}
\begin{block}{Standard}
  Normal block
\end{block}
\begin{varblock}[4cm]{New block}
  Variable width, here 4cm
\end{varblock}
\begin{varblock}{New block}
  If no width was given, .9\textbackslash textwidth will be used
\end{varblock}
\end{frame}

\end{document}

variable blocks example

I posted this example here in 2008.

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  • 1
    (+1) I initially provided a link to this thread. Definitively better that you answered yourself.
    – chl
    Commented Mar 3, 2011 at 12:56
  • @chl: thanks for the link! I noticed your comment right after posting. I just remembered that earlier thread. In addition to the older post I took the chance to create and post a screenshot.
    – Stefan Kottwitz ♦
    Commented Mar 3, 2011 at 13:12
  • Thanks for your answer! I'll definitely remember it for when I need something like this. However, the answer which I accepted does exactly what I desired right now.
    – tobyS
    Commented Mar 3, 2011 at 14:18
  • 6
    For the sake of completeness, in order to center the shortened block, one has to surround it with \begin{cenetr}\begin{minipage}{block_width}<shortened block> \end{minipage}\end{center}
    – Dror
    Commented Jan 27, 2012 at 9:38
  • 1
    I wonder, what is the purpose of <>in \newenvironment<>{varblock}[2][.9\textwidth]{...}?
    – Gilles Bonnet
    Commented Sep 27, 2017 at 9:35
2

Using the code from Stefan Kottwitz and doing minor changes, I have this in my preamble.

% Variable width block
\newenvironment<>{varblock}[2][0.9\textwidth]{%
    \setlength{\textwidth}{#1}%
    \setlength{\linewidth}{\textwidth}% required to itemize respect the width of block
  \begin{actionenv}#3%
    \def\insertblocktitle{#2}%
    \par%
    \usebeamertemplate{block begin}}
  {\par%
  \usebeamertemplate{block end}%
  \end{actionenv}}

% Variable width example block
\newenvironment<>{varexampleblock}[2][0.9\textwidth]{%
    \setlength{\textwidth}{#1}%
    \setlength{\linewidth}{\textwidth}%
  \begin{actionenv}#3%
    \def\insertblocktitle{#2}%
    \par%
    \setbeamercolor{local structure}{parent=example text}%
    \usebeamertemplate{block example begin}}
  {\par%
  \usebeamertemplate{block example end}%
    \end{actionenv}}

% Variable width alert block
\newenvironment<>{varalertblock}[2][0.9\textwidth]{%
    \setlength{\textwidth}{#1}%
    \setlength{\linewidth}{\textwidth}%
  \begin{actionenv}#3%
    \def\insertblocktitle{#2}%
    \par%
    \setbeamercolor{local structure}{parent=alerted text}%
    \usebeamertemplate{block alerted begin}}
  {\par%
  \usebeamertemplate{block alerted end}%
    \end{actionenv}}
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