Marginnotes size

Question

I am new to LaTeX and to this site. I am setting up a book using the header I found in Why can't I get the height of my memoir typeblock right? (Luckily enough, I wanted exactly the same page size and proportions between text and margins.)

Now I have a text with plenty of sidepars, and I need to adjust the marginparsize using \setmarginnotes, because the default ones I get are really too wide.

My question is on how to determine the optimal linewidth for my margin notes. Is there a golden rule formula?

I had to edit my question because I can't use comments (too much text) and I'm not allowed to answer my own question.

\documentclass{memoir}


\setstocksize{210mm}{148.5mm}
\settrimmedsize{210mm}{148.5mm}{*}
\settypeblocksize{*}{261.46141pt}{1.41421356}
\renewcommand{\sideparfont}{\footnotesize}%

\makeatletter
\newcommand{\psize}{\f@size}
\makeatother

\setlxvchars
\newlength{\typeareaheight}\setlength{\typeareaheight}{1.41421356\lxvchars} % this factor works for all A-series paper formats ... and only for those
\newlength{\minheadsep}\setlength{\minheadsep}{.8\baselineskip} % completely arbitrary minimal \headsep
\newlength{\correctedheadsep}
\newlength{\headerheight}\setlength{\headerheight}{\baselineskip}
\newlength{\correctedtextheight}
\setlength{\correctedtextheight}{\typeareaheight}
\makeatletter
\setlength{\@tempdima}{\typeareaheight}%
\addtolength{\@tempdima}{-\headerheight}%
\addtolength{\@tempdima}{-\minheadsep}%
\divide\@tempdima \baselineskip
\@tempcnta=\@tempdima
\setlength{\correctedtextheight}{\@tempcnta\baselineskip}%
\makeatother
\setlength{\correctedheadsep}{\typeareaheight}
\addtolength{\correctedheadsep}{-\correctedtextheight}
\addtolength{\correctedheadsep}{-\headerheight}
\settypeblocksize{\correctedtextheight}{\lxvchars}{*}
\newlength{\totaltopmargin}
\setlength{\totaltopmargin}{21.9mm}
\addtolength{\totaltopmargin}{\headerheight}
\addtolength{\totaltopmargin}{\correctedheadsep}
\setulmargins{\totaltopmargin}{*}{*}
\setlrmargins{*}{*}{2}
\setheaderspaces{*}{\correctedheadsep}{*}
\checkandfixthelayout[fixed]
\sideparmargin{outer}

\usepackage{polyglossia}
\setdefaultlanguage{latin}
\usepackage{lipsum}


\begin{document}

\sidepar {Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu, pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.}     \lipsum    
\lipsum

\end{document}

This is it. I don't like the margin note width, it's too large in my opinion. What would be the right width? How do you calculate it?

Thank you, A

Answer 1

Following up on my comments, here's a suggestion, which I hope you won't find too ugly (I didn't explicitly tune the marginparwidth).

It's based on a 2:1 ratio for opposite margins, and for the textblock. In order to make it fit reasonably, I've taken an arbitrary 20% off the textblock width to start with.

And I hope you'll agree that the source is considerably simpler (IMHO):

\documentclass[a5paper]{memoir}
\setlxvchars
\settypeblocksize{*}{0.8\lxvchars}{2}
\renewcommand{\sideparfont}{\footnotesize}%
\setulmargins{*}{*}{2}
\setlrmargins{*}{*}{2}
\checkandfixthelayout[fixed]
\sideparmargin{outer}
\setmarginnotes{0.1\foremargin}{0.7\foremargin}{\onelineskip}
\usepackage{polyglossia}
\setdefaultlanguage{latin}
\usepackage{lipsum}


\begin{document}

\sidepar {Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus elit, vestibulum ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue eu neque. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem. Nulla et lectus vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor gravida placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, nunc. Praesent eget sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi dolor nulla, malesuada eu, pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget orci sit amet orci dignissim rutrum.}     \lipsum    
\lipsum

\end{document}