Margins – Solving the Empty Margin Issue Inside the Text Body with Geometry Package

Question

I am trying to mimic a common textbook/study guide typesetting where every page's body (not header nor footer) have a "Notes" area on the outside margin. I have been looking at geometry, but it is non-native to have the header be text + margin. I copied the "includeall" layout in the geometry package documentation in the section "Body Size", and then a modification of that showing what I am looking for. The red text "Notes" would be great to include at the top of every page, but I can probably do that as part of the header as a floating text box, if necessary.

Answer 1

You can use package fancyhdr:

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage[includemp]{geometry}

\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\pagestyle{fancy}
\fancypagestyle{plain}{\fancyhead{}}
\fancyheadoffset[LE,RO]{\dimexpr\marginparsep+\marginparwidth\relax}
\fancyfootoffset[LE,RO]{\dimexpr\marginparsep+\marginparwidth\relax}
\renewcommand{\footrulewidth}{\headrulewidth}% to show the width of footer

\usepackage{lipsum}% dummy text
\begin{document}
\chapter{Foo}
\lipsum
\lipsum[1]\marginpar{\raggedright\lipsum[2]}
\lipsum
\end{document}

Or you could use package scrlayer-scrpage:

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage[includemp]{geometry}

\usepackage[
  headwidth=textwithmarginpar,
  headsepline,plainheadsepline,% to show the width of header
  footwidth=textwithmarginpar,
  footsepline,plainfootsepline% to show the width of footer
]{scrlayer-scrpage}

\usepackage{lipsum}% dummy text

\begin{document}
\chapter{Foo}
\lipsum
\lipsum[1]\marginpar{\raggedright\lipsum[2]}
\lipsum
\end{document}

Then you could add layers for the margin pars:

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage[includemp]{geometry}

\usepackage[
  headwidth=textwithmarginpar,
  headsepline,plainheadsepline,% to show the width of header
  footwidth=textwithmarginpar,
  footsepline,plainfootsepline% to show the width of footer
]{scrlayer-scrpage}

\DeclareNewLayer[
  oddpage,
  background,
  textarea,
  addhoffset=\dimexpr\textwidth+\marginparsep,
  width=\marginparwidth,
  mode=picture,
  contents=\putUL{\raisebox{\dp\strutbox}{Notes:}}%
    % draw marginpar border:
    \putLL{\line(1,0){\LenToUnit{\layerwidth}}}%
    \putLR{\line(0,1){\LenToUnit{\layerheight}}}%
    \putUR{\line(-1,0){\LenToUnit{\layerwidth}}}%
    \putUL{\line(0,-1){\LenToUnit{\layerheight}}}%
]{odd.marginpar}

\DeclareNewLayer[
  evenpage,
  background,
  textarea,
  addhoffset=\dimexpr-\marginparsep-\marginparwidth,
  width=\marginparwidth,
  mode=picture,
  contents=\putUL{\raisebox{\dp\strutbox}{Notes:}}%
    % draw margin par border:
    \putLL{\line(1,0){\LenToUnit{\layerwidth}}}%
    \putLR{\line(0,1){\LenToUnit{\layerheight}}}%
    \putUR{\line(-1,0){\LenToUnit{\layerwidth}}}%
    \putUL{\line(0,-1){\LenToUnit{\layerheight}}}%
]{even.marginpar}
\AddLayersToPageStyle{scrheadings}{odd.marginpar,even.marginpar}
\AddLayersToPageStyle{plain.scrheadings}{odd.marginpar,even.marginpar}

\usepackage{lipsum}% dummy text
\begin{document}
\chapter{Foo}
\lipsum
\lipsum[1]\marginpar{\raggedright\lipsum[2]}
\lipsum
\end{document}