21

I would like to print a document with text on lined paper like a notebook like http://www.highschoolmathandchess.com/2013/05/25/latex-handwriting-on-notebook-paper/

However, I would like to be able to edit the line colours. I would like to put the header/title in the blank white space. Is there a way to do the document above without using the background jpg? The document is also multiple pages.

I have looked at this question too and would like to have lines only and not a grid. Is there a latex template that makes a page look like a math notepad?

Thanks!

2
  • You can draw those lines with tikz and using \foreach.
    – user11232
    Jul 6, 2014 at 2:00
  • Welcome to TeX.SX! Please help us to help you and add a minimal working example (MWE) that illustrates your problem. It will be much easier for us to reproduce your situation and find out what the issue is when we see compilable code, starting with \documentclass{...} and ending with \end{document}.
    – cfr
    Jul 6, 2014 at 2:04

2 Answers 2

26

This is the first time I've ever succeeded in actually using the background package so caveat emptor...

This code is based on code originally posted at http://michaelgoerz.net/notes/printable-paper-with-latex-and-tikz.html. Basically, the site hosts a range of templates for creating all kinds of paper in TeX (both in US sizes and those used by everyone else). Squared, narrow-ruled, wide-ruled, Cornell, college, graph...

However, I've modified the code quite a bit for this answer so any errors are definitely mine! [In particular, any mess on account of the use of background is definitely mine as the original doesn't use that package in any way, shape or form.]

You could try something like this which combines a tikzpicture as background picture with the titling package:

\documentclass[letterpaper, 10pt]{article} % for letter size paper
% 215.9mm × 279.4mm
\usepackage{tikz, background, titling, kantlipsum, setspace}
\usepackage[left=1.5in,right=.25in,top=1.125in,bottom=.125in]{geometry}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\backgroundsetup{%
 position=current page.center,
 angle=0,
 scale=1,
 contents={%
  \begin{tikzpicture}%
    [
      normal lines/.style={gray, very thin},
      every node/.append style={black, align=center, opacity=1}
    ]
    \foreach \y in {0.71,1.41,...,25.56}
      \draw[normal lines] (0,\y) -- (8.5in,\y);
    \draw[normal lines] (1.25in,0) -- (1.25in,11in);
    \node (t) [font=\LARGE, anchor=south] at ($(0,25.56)!1/2!(8.5in,25.56)$) {\thetitle};
    \node (d) [font=\large, anchor=south west, xshift=1.5em] at (0,25.6) {\today};
    \node (p) [font=\large, anchor=south east, xshift=-1.5em] at (8.5in,25.56) {p.~\thepage};
  \end{tikzpicture}%
}}
\renewcommand{\rmdefault}{augie}

\title{My doc}
\author{Me}

\begin{document}
  \pagestyle{empty}
  \doublespacing
  \kant[1-6]

\end{document}

Lined paper for Kant?

1
  • @MichaelGorez Thanks for updating the link! When I tried originally, I couldn't find the site so it is good to know it is still there. I hope that you did not object to my building on your work here ;).
    – cfr
    Aug 16, 2015 at 18:53
24

One possibility using the background package and a \foreach loop to draw the horizontal rules:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[vmargin=3cm]{geometry}
\usepackage{tikzpagenodes}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{background}

\definecolor{notepadrule}{RGB}{217,244,244}

\backgroundsetup{
contents={%   
  \begin{tikzpicture}
    \foreach \fila in {0,...,52}
    {
      \draw [line width=1pt,color=notepadrule] 
      (current page.west|-0,-\fila*12pt) -- ++(\paperwidth,0);
    }
    \draw[overlay,red!70!black,line width=1pt]
      ([xshift=-1pt]current page text area.west|-current page.north) --  
      ([xshift=-1pt]current page text area.west|-current page.south);
  \end{tikzpicture}%
},
scale=1,
angle=0,
opacity=1
}

\begin{document}

\lipsum[1-14]

\end{document}

enter image description here

Depending on the settings used for the actual document, you might need to do some adjustments, but the idea is the same.

2
  • I actually managed to use background for this! And I did not see your answer before posting mine. I probably used it all wrong, though...
    – cfr
    Jul 6, 2014 at 3:17
  • 1
    @cfr I'm glad to see that you managed to use background; and no, you didn't use it wrong. You can suppress the line position=current page.center since that is the default position. Jul 8, 2014 at 3:19

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