# Geometry changing vertical with \newgeometry for horizontal margin

I have a document with a defined set of margins and somewhere in the middle I need to add 1 cm to each of the side margins without changing the vertical layout. However, when I use \newgeometry to change the side margins the package also changes the value of \topmargin. For example, see this MWE:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[top=3.5cm,left=4.5cm,right=3.5cm,bottom=3.0cm]{geometry}
\begin{document}
\the\topmargin
\newgeometry{left=3.5cm,right=2.5cm}
\the\topmargin
\end{document}


It prints -9.68535pt on the first page and -13.87262pt on the second.

It looks like the package does not take the options in the preamble into account when recomputing the \newgeometry. Is this the expected behavior? Shouldn't the package “remember” the previous parameters and adjust only those necessary?

• No, it doesn't remember. – egreg Mar 20 '19 at 22:41
• @egreg Oh... So “expected (but not what I'd like) behavior” it is. Thanks :-) Do you want to add an answer or should I close as “solved in the comments”? – LaTeXer Mar 20 '19 at 22:51