rulestwo-column
Simply using \twocolumn changes my document to look like this:
-----HEADER----
###### ######
###### ######
###### ######
###### ######
###### ######
###### ######
-----FOOTER----
But I'd like to make the line between two columns visible like this:
-----HEADER----
###### | ######
###### | ######
###### | ######
###### | ######
###### | ######
###### | ######
-----FOOTER----
What command will make the line visible?
multicol\columnseprule only works inside environment multicols:
\documentclass{article}%
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{multicol}
\usepackage{color}
\setlength{\columnseprule}{1pt}
\renewcommand{\columnseprulecolor}{\color{red}}
\begin{document}
\begin{multicols}{2}
\lipsum[1-5]
\end{multicols}
\end{document}
multicolThe rule can also be colorized without package multicol. Then \@outputdlbcol needs to be patched:
\documentclass[twocolumn]{article}%
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{color}
\setlength{\columnseprule}{1pt}
\newcommand{\latexcolumnseprulecolor}{\color{red}}
\usepackage{etoolbox}
\makeatletter
\patchcmd\@outputdblcol{% find
\normalcolor\vrule
}{% and replace by
\latexcolumnseprulecolor\vrule
}{% success
}{% failure
\@latex@warning{Patching \string\@outputdblcol\space failed}%
}
\makeatother
\begin{document}
\lipsum[1-5]
\end{document}
If you specify the document class option twocolumn, and if use the book document class, a default font size of 10pt, and paper size of A4 or USLetter, the entire document will be typeset in two-column mode, and also:
\sloppy will be in effect,\parindent will be 1em,\textwidth will be set to either 469pt (USLetter, ca. 6.49") or 452pt (A4paper, ca. 6.25").(The widths of the margins will depend on whether oneside or twoside is in effect.)
If you do not specify this document class option but issue the instruction \twocolumn, either in the preamble or somewhere in the body of the document, the subsequent material will be typeset in two-column mode (with a page break inserted first, if necessary), but
\sloppy will not be in effect by default,\parindent will be 15pt, and\textwidth will be set to 345pt (ca. 4.77").Oh, and the distance to the margin block is also affected by the presence or absence of the twocolumn option.
Of course, default page parameters can be overridden, e.g., via the macros and options of the geometry package.
Best Answer
Use
\setlength{\columnseprule}{0.4pt}.EDIT: Obviously, you may freely choose the thickness of the column-separating line. I suggested
0.4ptbecause standard LaTeX uses this value for rules above footnotes and aroundfboxes.