141

I know about \! which creates a thin negative space but is there any native command for large negative spaces (like quad or qquad for positive spaces) ?

Improve this question
3

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
117

In text mode: \kern-1em equals "minus quad"

In math mode: \mkern-18mu equals "minus quad"

For "minus qquad" use -2em or -36mu respectively.

Improve this answer
1
  • what about negative simple space in text mode? (according to the selected font)
    – Qaher
    Dec 1, 2020 at 16:28
63

For LaTeX, horizontal spacing is achieved using \hspace{<len>} where <len> is a length (either positive or negative); TeX's equivalent to \hskip. Since \quad [\qquad] is equivalent to a horizontal skip of 1em [2em], use \hspace{-1em} [\hspace{-2em}] to obtain a negative space amount.

\kern inserts a space depending on the mode that TeX is in, and could therefore be either vertical or horizontal.

Text-based spacing can be inserted using any of the \phantom-related commands: \phantom{<stuff>}, or \hphantom{<stuff>}, for example.

Improve this answer
7
  • 17
    I would also love to use some phantom-like command but for negative space, i.e., going back in an amount given by a forward-written word. Example, I want to write math over path. Then my code should be: math \negphantom{math} path. Is it possible in an easy way? Maybe folding a phantom inside something to rotate/reflect it? But would that provide the same placement for the h's of math and path?
    – Andrestand
    Feb 11, 2014 at 9:00
  • 1
    Or maybe some way of getting the size in pt of {whichever strange code object} may print in the pdf? (like \fontcharwd..., but not for simple characters, here)
    – Andrestand
    Feb 11, 2014 at 10:04
  • 2
    My approach for my first comment is: math\begin{rotate}{180}\scalebox{-1}[-1]{p\phantom{ath}}\end{rotate}, which requires the rotating package and also graphicx. It would be nice to do with rotatebox what I do with the rotate environment, in order to avoid using both packages, but I haven't be able due to the way it rotates or keeps a fixed center.
    – Andrestand
    Feb 11, 2014 at 13:30
  • 18
    @Andrestand: Use \newcommand{\negphantom}[1]{\settowidth{\dimen0}{#1}\hspace*{-\dimen0}}.
    – Werner ♦
    Feb 11, 2014 at 15:13
  • 1
    I do not understand what you need to create the second makebox-command for @Andrestand. bla math\makebox[-\width]{path}\phantom{path} bla renders the exact same for me. Anyway, thanks a lot for the code!
    – Dominikus K.
    Dec 4, 2015 at 10:07
3

What about simply \!\! or \!\!\! ? It worked for me fine...

Improve this answer
1
  • Welcome to TeX.SE. Please note that outside of code environments the backslash `` is treated as an escape character by MarkDown, this is why none of the backslashes you typed originally showed up. I've wrapped them in code blocks so now they show.
    – Willie Wong
    Jul 23, 2021 at 3:04

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .