How to have a figure touch the edge of the page?

Question

How can I position a figure (picture) so that it:

• is aligned on the left-hand side with the text (this is in two column page)
• touches (or exceeds) the right-hand side of the page?

An example can be found here: http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/akademie/berlin/04801.pdf (go to any page with a picture and see how the picture is placed.) Note: The example is not what I would call pretty; I think the design is hideous. None the less, I'd like to know how to accomplish this style design for pictures.

Answer 1

\documentclass[a4paper,twocolumn]{article}
\usepackage{lipsum,graphicx}
\newcommand{\mydimright}{%
  \dimexpr\paperwidth-1in-\hoffset-\oddsidemargin-
  \columnwidth-\columnsep\relax}
\newcommand{\mydimleft}{%
  \dimexpr1in+\hoffset+\oddsidemargin+\columnwidth\relax}

\begin{document}
\lipsum[1]
\begin{flushleft}
\makebox[\columnwidth][r]{%
\includegraphics[height=1cm,width=\mydimleft]{try}}
\end{flushleft}
\lipsum[1-5]
\begin{flushleft}
\makebox[\columnwidth][l]{%
\includegraphics[height=1cm,width=\mydimright]{try}}
\end{flushleft}
\end{document}

There is no immediate access to the right margin width, which has to be computed in an indirect way.

With the command \layout of the layout package, one can look at the relevant lengths. I've put also \hoffset, because some classes might change it.

Here try is the graphic file I always use for tests. I've used flushleft just in order to avoid LaTeX trying to be smart with figure placement.

-- Extended version for automatic placement in the figure environment --

Here it is, following Martin's suggestion; the command \touchmarginincludegraphics works like its sibling \includegraphics except, of course, that the keyword width should not be specified.

\documentclass[a4paper,twocolumn]{article}
\usepackage{lipsum,graphicx}

\makeatletter
\def\tmig@r{\dimexpr\paperwidth-1in-\hoffset-
  \oddsidemargin-\columnwidth-\columnsep\relax}
\def\tmig@l{\dimexpr1in+\hoffset+\oddsidemargin+\columnwidth\relax}
\newcommand{\touchmarginincludegraphics}[2][]{%
  \begingroup
  \if@firstcolumn
    \def\tmig@place{r}%
  \else
    \def\tmig@place{l}%
  \fi
  \makebox[\columnwidth][\tmig@place]{%
    \includegraphics[#1,width=\@nameuse{tmig@\tmig@place}]{#2}}
  \endgroup}
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\lipsum[1]

\begin{figure}[!h]
\touchmarginincludegraphics[height=1cm]{try}
\end{figure}

\lipsum[1-4]

\begin{figure}[!h]
\touchmarginincludegraphics[height=1cm]{try}
\end{figure}

\lipsum[2]
\end{document}