End page after images, images appear in new page

Question

So I'm making a progress report, and I want to include some graphs like so:

\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=6 cm]{la_cuarta.png} \\
\end{center}

All images fit in the page, life is good, I want to start a new section where I explain the conclusions and add the bibliography, besides, there's not enough space left in the page.

But then tragedy strikes because no matter what I use, be it \break \pagebreak \clearpage \doubleclearpage or anything I can find that starts a new page the result is always the same: The last graph appears in the new page while the two previous images get super separated to compensate the lack of the other and fill the page.

And yes, I am trying to end the page AFTER the graphs, I checked several times.

I even tried filling the remaining space on the page with white text but as soon as it is enough text to start another page the last graph goes to the next page too.

This has broken me, I have no idea how to fix it.

Answer 1

although this would have been a better question with a complete compilable example, it's still possible to explain what is happening.

you are probably measuring and adding the exact vertical dimensions of your graphs. however, you are inserting them using the center environment. this environment adds space at the top and the bottom of the environment, and these spaces are cumulative.

the space at the top is the total of \parskip and \parsep, which are set in the document class (which you haven't identified), and at the bottom, another \parskip.

if you have left blank lines between the center environments, each one adds yet another \parskip.

in most document classes, \parskip usually includes a bit of shrink, but if the total height of the three graphhs plus the vertical space (less allowable shrink) exceeds the specified page height, the last object (here the third graph) will be pushed to the next page.

since the measured height of just the graphs is less than the page height, and there isn't any text on the page, it is likely that enlarging the page by a small amount will allow all three figures to fit. \enlargethispage{2\baselineskip) is an amount that is likely to be enough to accommodate the extra spaces between the figures.

\enlargethispage must be present within the scope of what latex will put on the affected page, hence the suggestion to insert it between the first two graphs. \newpage following the third graph will force the page break where it is wanted, and if the amount of the enlargement was guessed well, the page will be set as you want it with the three graphs.