Rotating chapter number in label

Question

I am using blocks on the side of the page to show the chapter number. I am using the example described on this forum (here). However, I would like to turn the chapter numbers by 90 degrees. I tried the angle option at several places, but nothing worked. Here is my MWE:

\documentclass[twoside,openright,numbers=endperiod,titlepage,headinclude,
                footinclude=false,cleardoublepage=empty,abstractoff,
                BCOR=5mm,b5paper,fontsize=11pt, american,
                ]{scrreprt}

\usepackage{tikzpagenodes}
\usepackage{totcount}


%makes blocks with chapter number on the side of the page
\newif\ifMaterial
\newlength\LabelSize
\setlength\LabelSize{2.5cm}
\AtBeginDocument{%
\regtotcounter{chapter}
\setlength\LabelSize{\dimexpr\textheight/\totvalue{chapter}\relax}
\ifdim\LabelSize>2.5cm\relax
  \global\setlength\LabelSize{2.5cm}
\fi
}
\newcommand\AddLabels{%
\Materialtrue%
\AddEverypageHook{%
\ifMaterial%
\ifodd\value{page} %
 \backgroundsetup{
  angle=90,
  position={current page.east|-current page text area.north  east},
  vshift= 10pt,
  hshift=-\thechapter*\LabelSize,
  contents={%
  \tikz\node[fill=gray!50,anchor=west,text width=\LabelSize,
    align=center,text height=15pt,text depth=10pt,font=\large\sffamily] {\thechapter};
  }%
 }
 \else
 \backgroundsetup{
  angle=90,
  position={current page.west|-current page text area.north west},
  vshift=-10pt,
  hshift=-\thechapter*\LabelSize,
  contents={%
  \tikz\node[fill=gray!50,anchor=west,text width=\LabelSize,
    align=center,text height=15pt,text depth=10pt,font=\large\sffamily] {\thechapter};
  }%
 }
 \fi
 \BgMaterial%
\else\relax\fi}%
}
\newcommand\RemoveLabels{\Materialfalse}

\begin{document}

\include{Chapters/Introduction}
\cleardoublepage

\end{document}

Answer 1

I was not able to compile your Minimal Working Example. But I took it from here.

You were right, to rotate the chapter number, you have to play with the angle option. But you also have to change its position (with the two options vshift and hshift).

\documentclass[openany,english]{scrbook}
\usepackage[contents={},opacity=1,scale=1,color=black]{background}
\usepackage[a6paper]{geometry}% just for the example
\usepackage{tikzpagenodes}
\usepackage{totcount}
\usepackage{lipsum}% just to generate text for the example
\usepackage{babel}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}

\newif\ifMaterial

\newlength\LabelSize
\setlength\LabelSize{2.5cm}

\AtBeginDocument{%
\regtotcounter{chapter}
\setlength\LabelSize{\dimexpr\textheight/\totvalue{chapter}\relax}
\ifdim\LabelSize>2.5cm\relax
  \global\setlength\LabelSize{2.5cm}
\fi
}

\newcommand\AddLabels{%
\Materialtrue%
\AddEverypageHook{%
\ifMaterial%
\ifodd\value{page} %
 \backgroundsetup{
  angle=-90,
  position={current page.east|-current page text area.north east},
  vshift=-15pt,
  hshift=\thechapter*\LabelSize,
  contents={%
  \tikz\node[fill=gray!30,anchor=west,text width=\LabelSize,
    align=center,text height=15pt,text depth=10pt,font=\large\sffamily] {\thechapter};
  }%
 }
 \else
 \backgroundsetup{
  angle=-90,
  position={current page.west|-current page text area.north west},
  vshift=15pt,
  hshift=\thechapter*\LabelSize,
  contents={%
  \tikz\node[fill=gray!30,anchor=west,text width=\LabelSize,
    align=center,text height=15pt,text depth=10pt,font=\large\sffamily] {\thechapter};
  }%
 }
 \fi
 \BgMaterial%
\else\relax\fi}%
}

\newcommand\RemoveLabels{\Materialfalse}

\begin{document}

\chapter{Test Chapter One}
\AddLabels
\lipsum[1-2]
\chapter{Test Chapter Two}
\lipsum[1-2]
\chapter{Test Chapter Three}
\lipsum[1-2]
\chapter{Test Chapter Four}
\lipsum[1-2]
\chapter{Test Chapter Five}
\RemoveLabels
\lipsum[1-2]

\end{document}

Answer 2

I do not really understand how the chapter numbers should be rotated. But here is a suggestion using package scrlayer-scrpage to define a new pair of layer page styles.

\documentclass[
    twoside,open=right,
    numbers=endperiod,
    titlepage,
    headinclude,
    abstract=off,
    BCOR=5mm,
    a6paper,
    american,
]{scrreprt}
\usepackage{babel}

\newlength\LabelSize
\setlength\LabelSize{2.5cm}
\newcommand\LabelWidth{25pt}
\newcommand\Angle{90}% change the angle here

\usepackage{totcount}
\AtBeginDocument{%
    \regtotcounter{chapter}
    \setlength\LabelSize{\dimexpr\textheight/\totvalue{chapter}\relax}
    \ifdim\LabelSize>2.5cm\relax
        \global\setlength\LabelSize{2.5cm}
    \fi
}

\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{rotating}
\usepackage{scrlayer-scrpage}
\clearpairofpagestyles
\ofoot*{\pagemark}

\DeclareNewLayer[
    background,
    oddpage,
    textarea,
    width=\LabelWidth,
    height=\LabelSize,
    hoffset=\dimexpr\paperwidth-\LabelWidth\relax,
    addvoffset=\dimexpr-\LabelSize+\LabelSize*\value{chapter}\relax,
    mode=picture,
    contents={%
        \putLL{\textcolor{lightgray}{\rule{\layerwidth}{\layerheight}}}%
        \putC{\makebox[0pt]{\rotatebox[origin=c]{\Angle}{\raisebox{-.5\height}{%
            \Large\bfseries\sffamily\thechapter
        }}}}%
    }
]{chapnumbox.odd}
\DeclareNewLayer[
    clone=chapnumbox.odd,
    evenpage,
    hoffset=0pt
]{chapnumbox.even}

\DeclareNewPageStyleByLayers
    [onselect={\DeclarePageStyleAlias{plain}{plain.chapnumbox}}]
    {chapnumbox}{chapnumbox.odd,chapnumbox.even}
\DeclareNewPageStyleByLayers
    {plain.chapnumbox}{chapnumbox.odd,chapnumbox.even}

\AddToLayerPageStyleOptions{scrheadings}
    {onselect={\DeclarePageStyleAlias{plain}{plain.scrheadings}}}

\ForEachLayerOfPageStyle{scrheadings}
    {\AddLayersToPageStyle{chapnumbox}{#1}}
\ForEachLayerOfPageStyle{plain.scrheadings}
    {\AddLayersToPageStyle{plain.chapnumbox}{#1}}

\usepackage{lipsum}% just to generate text for the example
\begin{document}

\tableofcontents
\clearpage
\pagestyle{chapnumbox}
\chapter{Chapter One}
\lipsum
\chapter{Chapter Two}
\lipsum
\chapter{Chapter Three}
\lipsum
\chapter{Chapter Four}
\lipsum
\chapter{Chapter Five}
\lipsum
\clearpage
\pagestyle{scrheadings}
\addchap{Test Chapter without Number}
\lipsum[1-2]
\end{document}

Result:

and with

\newcommand\Angle{-90}

or with

\newcommand\Angle{0}

Answer 3

To make your MWE working, you need to add \usepackage[contents={},opacity=1,scale=1,color=black]{background} to your preamble.

In your document, you have to add \AddLabels to activate the code.

This is the complete MWE

\documentclass[twoside,openright,numbers=endperiod,titlepage,headinclude,
                footinclude=false,cleardoublepage=empty,abstractoff,
                BCOR=5mm,b5paper,fontsize=11pt, american,
                ]{scrreprt}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage[contents={},opacity=1,scale=1,color=black]{background}

\usepackage{tikzpagenodes}
\usepackage{totcount}


%makes blocks with chapter number on the side of the page
\newif\ifMaterial
\newlength\LabelSize
\setlength\LabelSize{2.5cm}
\AtBeginDocument{%
\regtotcounter{chapter}
\setlength\LabelSize{\dimexpr\textheight/\totvalue{chapter}\relax}
\ifdim\LabelSize>2.5cm\relax
  \global\setlength\LabelSize{2.5cm}
\fi
}
\newcommand\AddLabels{%
\Materialtrue%
\AddEverypageHook{%
\ifMaterial%
\ifodd\value{page} %
 \backgroundsetup{
   angle=90,
  position={current page.east|-current page text area.north  east},
  vshift=10pt,
  hshift=-\thechapter*\LabelSize,
  contents={%
  \tikz\node[fill=gray!50,anchor=west,text width=\LabelSize,
    align=center,text height=15pt,text depth=10pt,font=\large\sffamily] {\thechapter};
  }%
 }
 \else
 \backgroundsetup{
  angle=90,
  position={current page.west|-current page text area.north west},
  vshift=-10pt,
  hshift=-\thechapter*\LabelSize,
  contents={%
  \tikz\node[fill=gray!50,anchor=west,text width=\LabelSize,
    align=center,text height=15pt,text depth=10pt,font=\large\sffamily] {\thechapter};
  }%
 }
 \fi
 \BgMaterial%
\else\relax\fi}%
}
\newcommand\RemoveLabels{\Materialfalse}

\begin{document}

\AddLabels
\chapter{First Chapter}
\lipsum[1-2]
\lipsum[1-3]
\cleardoublepage
\chapte{Second Chapter}
\lipsum[1-3]

\end{document}