Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!linac!att!ucbvax!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rls!randy
From: randy@rls.UUCP (Randall L. Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.text.tex
Subject: Help with TeX page formatting (modified repost).
Message-ID: <10710@rls.UUCP>
Date: 2 Apr 91 21:07:02 GMT
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 63

(Please forgive this modified repeat.  I lost my feed temporarily
 but still cannot read posts to this newsgroup.  Please e-mail.)

I wish to use nearly all the whitespace on a page in a document.  That
means, about 1/4" white space on the top, bottom, right and left of the
page.  TeX forces some page spacing which I have been unable to exert
control over. 

		+---------------+		+---------------+
		| xxxxxxxxxxxxx |		|		|
		| xxxxxxxxxxxxx |		|   xxxxxxxxx	|
		| xxxxxxxxxxxxx |		|   xxxxxxxxx	|
     do this;	| xxxxxxxxxxxxx |   not this;	|   xxxxxxxxx	|
		| xxxxxxxxxxxxx |		|   xxxxxxxxx	|
		| xxxxxxxxxxxxx |		|   xxxxxxxxx	|
		| xxxxxxxxxxxxx |		|		|
		+---------------+		+---------------+

Using the command "\topskip 1 in", TeX actually does this, but places the
last 1" of text on the next page maintaining the margins as in the right
hand diagram above!!

I have rtfm, both some local tutorials and Knuths TeXbook.  My suspicions
are some manipulations of the "glue" are in order, but it's all magic to me.

Realizing it *may* involve the dvi driver, I feel obligated to mention I
was using TeX on a 24 pin dot matrix printer and it was adequate, but now
have stepped up to a HP Deskjet 500.  The document came out on the 24 pin
printer just fine, but now has these restricted page orientations.  I am
using the dvidjet driver now.  The header to this text is;

% Documentation ...
%
\batchmode
\nopagenumbers
\parindent=0pt
\hsize 8.5in
\vsize 11.0in
\parskip=0pt
\font\eightit=cmssqi8 scaled \magstep 0		% 8 point slanted sans-serif
\font\tenslit=cmbxsl10 scaled \magstep 0	% 10 point slanted bold
\magnification=\magstephalf
\topskip 1in

\line{\bf blah, blah, blah \hfil right_blah}

etc...

If you need to see the whole document (2 pages), I can e-mail it to you. 
It's my resume, and it doesn't belong in this newsgroup.  Besides, it's
embarrasing.:-}  Post to this newsgroup or e-mail, any help would be
appreciated. 

Cheers!

- randy

Usenet: randy@rls.uucp 
Bangpath: ...<backbone>!osu-cis!rls!randy
Internet: rls!randy@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
%CC-I-ANACRONISM, The operator is an obsolete form and may not be portable.