[Tex/LaTex] Block in column has a too big margin from top

beamerspacing

I want to use a two-column layout in my slides and place a block in each of these columns. Whenever I do this, the two boxes have a bigger distance from the top than when using a single box without columns.

See these two slides:

Bug

When not looking closely, one might not recognize the difference but when switching slides it is clearly visible that the distance between the frame-title and the start of the boxes is bigger on the two-column version.

Why is this the case? I checked multiple themes, it occured with each of them.

I want the two-column version to have the same distance from the top as the one column version. I think the spacing above the two column version is to big. By inserting \hspace{-0.5cm} in each of the columns (before the \begin{block}) I can achieve what I want but this is very hacky in my opinion.

Minimal working example (generating the two slides):

\documentclass[18pt]{beamer}
\usetheme{Frankfurt}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}[t]{Frame with Columns}
 \begin{columns}[t]
   \begin{column}{0.4\textwidth}
      \begin{block}{Block 1}
        Text here
      \end{block}
    \end{column}
    \begin{column}{0.4\textwidth}
      \begin{block}{Block 2}
        More text here
      \end{block}
    \end{column}
  \end{columns}
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}[t]{Frame without Columns}
  \begin{block}{Block}
    Even more text here
  \end{block}
\end{frame}

\end{document}

Best Answer

It's a feature: a switch between vertical and horizontal mode.

Here is your MWE with a call to \leavevmode:

$example with a call to <code>\leavevmode</code>$

\documentclass[18pt]{beamer}
\usetheme{Frankfurt}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}[t]{Frame with Columns}
 \begin{columns}[t]
   \column{0.4\textwidth}
   \begin{block}{Block 1}
     Text here
   \end{block}
   \column{0.4\textwidth}
   \begin{block}{Block 2}
     More text here
   \end{block}
 \end{columns}
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}[t]{Frame without Columns}
  \leavevmode\begin{block}{Block}
    Even more text here
  \end{block}
\end{frame}

\end{document}

As suggested by percusse, to keep a minimal top margin you can use \vspace with a negative distance (here, I choose -\baselineskip):

second version

\documentclass[12pt]{beamer}
\usetheme{Frankfurt}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}[t]{Frame with Columns}

  \vspace{-\baselineskip}
  \begin{columns}[t]
    \column{0.4\textwidth}
    \begin{block}{Block 1}
      Text here
    \end{block}
    \column{0.4\textwidth}
    \begin{block}{Block 2}
      More text here
    \end{block}
  \end{columns}
\end{frame}

\begin{frame}[t]{Frame without Columns}
  \begin{block}{Block}
    Even more text here
  \end{block}
\end{frame}

\end{document}

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] align text and equations in columns in beamer

align will have \abovedisplayskip above the its top. You have to get rid of it. Plus since making it zero will bring the equation in the next line (display equation!) making

\setlength{\abovedisplayskip}{-\baselineskip}

will do the job. Further, you need to add a `\par in

{\tiny [Zvezdin, Modern Magnetooptics, IOP 1999]\par}

Code:

\documentclass{beamer}
\DeclareMathOperator{\IM}{Im}
\begin{document}
\newcommand{\highlight}[1]{\colorbox{yellow}{$\displaystyle #1$}}
\begin{frame}
    \begin{columns}
        \column[t]{0.4\textwidth}
        Transverse MO Kerr effect
        {\tiny [Zvezdin, Modern Magnetooptics, IOP 1999]\par}   %% you need a \par here
        \column[t]{0.6\textwidth}
        \setlength{\abovedisplayskip}{-\baselineskip}
        %\centering test
        \begin{align*}
        r_p(M) &= r^0_p\left(1+i\rho_p(M)\right)\\
        \rho_p(M) &=\frac{-ir_p^0\epsilon_g(M)/\epsilon_z\sin\varphi}{2(\eta^2-\sin^2\varphi)^{1/2}}\\
            [r_s(M) &= r^0_s\quad\eta =n/n_\mathrm{inc}]\\
            \delta_p &= \frac{I(M)-I_0}{I_0} = \highlight{2\IM(\rho_p)} %\quad \textcolor{red}{\textbf{\only on lossy MO materials}}
        \end{align*}\par
        \centering$\color{red}\Rightarrow$ \textcolor{red}{\textbf{only on lossy MO materials}}
    \end{columns}

\end{frame}
\end{document}

enter image description here

[Tex/LaTex] How to top align itemize in two columns in beamer

Use some \vphantoms in the itemize to the left so items on both environments have the same height:

\documentclass{beamer}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[english]{babel}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage[caption=false]{subfig}
\usepackage{braket}
\usepackage{geometry}
\usepackage{empheq}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage[backend=biber,url=false,doi=false,isbn=false,firstinits=true]{biblatex}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}{Angular Spectrum Method}{Free Space Propagation}
    A constant index medium such as free space is: 
    \begin{itemize}
        \item isotropic \pause $\Rightarrow$ diagonal permittivity, permeability tensors \pause
        \item spatially uniform \pause $\Rightarrow$ relative permittivity and permeability are constants equal to 1 \pause
        \item Source free \pause $\Rightarrow$ $\mathbf{J} = 0$, $\rho = 0$
    \end{itemize}
    \pause
    \begin{columns}[T]
    \begin{column}[T]{.5\textwidth}
        \vspace{0pt}
        \begin{itemize}
            \item<7-> Polarisation Independent!\vphantom{$ \dfrac{ \partial^2 \mathbf{E} }{ \partial t }$}
            \item<8-> Modes are plane waves\vphantom{$A_\mathbf{k} e^{ \mathbf{k} \cdot \mathbf{r} }$}
        \end{itemize}
    \end{column}
    \hfill
    \begin{column}[T]{.5\textwidth}
        \begin{itemize}
            \item<7-> $ \nabla^2 \mathbf{E} - \mu_0 \mu_r \epsilon_0 \epsilon_r \dfrac{ \partial^2 \mathbf{E} }{ \partial t } =  0 $
            \item<8-> $ E_i = \sum_\mathbf{k} A_\mathbf{k} e^{ \mathbf{k} \cdot \mathbf{r} } $
            \item<8-> $ \left( \dfrac{ 2 \pi n }{ \lambda } \right)^2 = k^2 = k_x^2 + k_y^2 + k_z^2 $
        \end{itemize}
    \end{column}
    \end{columns}
\end{frame}

\end{document}