Controlling the whitespace padding around tikzpicture

Question

I'm sure this has been asked here, but I can't seem to find a simple solution. I would like to use the wrapfigure environment to place a tikzfigure on the side of my text, as follows:

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{wrapfig}
\usepackage{tikz}

\begin{document}

\lipsum[1]
\begin{wrapfigure}{r}{0pt}%
    \vspace{-1cm}% Doesn't do anything
    \begin{tikzpicture}%
    [every node/.style={inner sep=0,outer sep=0}]%There are no nodes, so doesn't do anything
        \foreach \z in {0,6,...,36}%
            \shade[ball color=blue] (0,\z pt) circle (3pt);%
    \end{tikzpicture}
\end{wrapfigure}
\lipsum[2-3]

\end{document}

which gives

The problem is that there is (IMHO) too much spacing above and below the text. When using inludegraphics I can add vspace to nudge it into place. However with tikzpicture, this doesn't work.

I found multiple questions (e.g. 1, 2) that deal with spacing around objects defined with \newcommand. Others dealt with spacing around nodes, which is not relevant here (and doesn't help anyway).

Is there a simple way to control the padding around a tikzpicture? (Closing as duplicate would be welcome)

Answer 1

Instead of using a width of 0pt, use a reasonable value like 5/6pt. And give a suitable value for the number of lines the picture will span ([4] here)

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{wrapfig}
\usepackage{tikz}

\begin{document}

\lipsum[1]

\begin{wrapfigure}[4]{r}{7pt}%
    \vspace*{-4mm}% This works now
    \begin{tikzpicture}%
    [every node/.style={inner sep=0,outer sep=0}]%There are no nodes, so doesn't do anything
        \foreach \z in {0,6,...,36}%
            \shade[ball color=blue] (0,\z pt) circle (3pt);%
    \end{tikzpicture}%
\end{wrapfigure}
\lipsum[2]


Nam dui ligula, fringilla a, euismod sodales, sollicitudin vel, wisi.
\begin{wrapfigure}[4]{r}{7pt}%
    \vspace*{-4mm}% This works now
    \begin{tikzpicture}%
    [every node/.style={inner sep=0,outer sep=0}]%There are no nodes, so doesn't do anything
        \foreach \z in {0,6,...,36}%
            \shade[ball color=blue] (0,\z pt) circle (3pt);%
    \end{tikzpicture}%
\end{wrapfigure}
Morbi
auctor lorem non justo. Nam lacus libero, pretium at, lobortis vitae, ultricies
et, tellus. Donec aliquet, tortor sed accumsan bibendum, erat ligula aliquet
magna, vitae ornare odio metus a mi. Morbi ac orci et nisl hendrerit mollis.
Suspendisse ut massa. Cras nec ante. Pellentesque a nulla. Cum sociis
natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.
Aliquam tincidunt urna. Nulla ullamcorper vestibulum turpis. Pellentesque
cursus luctus mauris.

\end{document}

You can put the picture in a box and use the width of that box like below:

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{wrapfig}
\usepackage{tikz}

\newsavebox{\mypicture}
\sbox{\mypicture}{%
    \begin{tikzpicture}%
    [every node/.style={inner sep=0,outer sep=0}]%There are no nodes, so doesn't do anything
        \foreach \z in {0,6,...,36}%
            \shade[ball color=blue] (0,\z pt) circle (3pt);%
    \end{tikzpicture}%
    }

\begin{document}

\lipsum[1]

\begin{wrapfigure}[4]{r}{\wd\mypicture}%
    \vspace*{-4mm}% This works now
    \usebox{\mypicture}
\end{wrapfigure}
\lipsum[2]


Nam dui ligula, fringilla a, euismod sodales, sollicitudin vel, wisi.
\begin{wrapfigure}[4]{r}{\wd\mypicture}%
    \vspace*{-4mm}% This works now
    \usebox{\mypicture}
\end{wrapfigure}
Morbi
auctor lorem non justo. Nam lacus libero, pretium at, lobortis vitae, ultricies
et, tellus. Donec aliquet, tortor sed accumsan bibendum, erat ligula aliquet
magna, vitae ornare odio metus a mi. Morbi ac orci et nisl hendrerit mollis.
Suspendisse ut massa. Cras nec ante. Pellentesque a nulla. Cum sociis
natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.
Aliquam tincidunt urna. Nulla ullamcorper vestibulum turpis. Pellentesque
cursus luctus mauris.

\end{document}