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How to change space between main text and footnote, so text goes with the line of footnote

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  • 5
    Please provide a minimal working example (MWE) starting with \documentclass{...} and ending with \end{document} We are more likely to be able to help you.
    – sk8forether
    May 22, 2017 at 18:42
  • 3
    @Bonnie Why are you suddenly deleting so many of your questions? That's not fair to the people who put effort in answering your questions.
    – samcarter_is_at_topanswers.xyz
    May 26, 2017 at 16:26

1 Answer 1

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You have to modify the \skip\footins length. You can use addtolength to add a rubber length or setlength to set one.

A couple of examples:

\documentclass{article}
\addtolength{\skip\footins}{2pc plus 5pt}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
a\footnote{test}
\lipsum
\end{document}

enter image description here

\documentclass{article}
\setlength{\skip\footins}{1.2pc plus 5pt minus 2pt}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
a\footnote{test}
\lipsum
\end{document}

enter image description here

\documentclass{article}
\setlength{\skip\footins}{6pt}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
a\footnote{test} b\footnote{test2}
\lipsum
\end{document}

enter image description here

Just for reference, here is the normal case:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
a\footnote{test}
\lipsum
\end{document}

enter image description here

There are other lengths involved in the footnotes styling/creation. E.g. you could also change the footnotesep length (which is a rigid and not rubber length), and this will change the amount of space placed at the beginning of each footnote. This will change also the distance between the first footnote and the text/footnote rule:

\documentclass{article}
\setlength{\footnotesep}{2pc}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
a\footnote{test} b\footnote{test2}
\lipsum
\end{document}

enter image description here

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  • May I suggest that you elaborate on the fact that it is \skip\footins and not \footnoteSEP (if you understand what I mean)?
    – GuM
    May 22, 2017 at 18:47
  • @GustavoMezzetti yep
    – Moriambar
    May 22, 2017 at 18:47
  • In particular, in order to get what the OP asks for, you should say something along the lines of \begingroup \footnotesize \global \skip\footins = \baselineskip \endgroup (beware: I did not test this!).
    – GuM
    May 22, 2017 at 18:51
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    @Bonnie: You didn’t make that explicit in your question: I suggest that you edit it. Anyway, I’m afraid that is much harder to achieve, since it entails modifying LaTeX’s output routine; I don’t remember, off the top of my head, if there are any packages that provide what you are asking for.
    – GuM
    May 22, 2017 at 19:16
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    @Viesturs a rubber length is one that can be increased or decreased by LaTeX within certain limits, in order to fit more items onto a page or to avoid large white spaces.
    – Liam Baker
    Dec 3, 2019 at 19:10

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