[Tex/LaTex] Set background image without tikz

backgroundsgraphics

I'm creating a 100-pages-long procedurally generated document in which every page has a different background. The background picture is not procedurally generated, but it's loaded from a directory.

Up to now I used tikz for that, but as explained here I encountered some issue with the fact that the document needs several runs to get everything right. Sadly recently the document became so big that the background picture won't ever come out in the right position.

So, I'm looking for a way to set a background image without using tikz, since I believe that the issue is entirely caused by it: I have an other picture in the page, loaded with the usual \includegraphics command, and it always comes out in the right position.

Best Answer

See if this can fulfill your needs, note that there are other options, but most of them rely on TikZ internally.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{eso-pic,graphicx}
\usepackage[top=2cm, bottom=2cm, outer=0cm, inner=0cm]{geometry}
\newcommand{\background}[1]{%
\AddToShipoutPictureBG*{\includegraphics[width=\paperwidth,height=\paperheight]{#1}}
}
\begin{document}
Text here normally ...
\background{example-image-A}
\clearpage

text on next page ...
\background{example-image-B}
\clearpage

and text on third page ...
\background{example-image-C}
\end{document}

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] How to set size of pdf page in pixels and put a background image

I downloaded the PNG of your self answer and did

file QXom4.png

getting the answer

QXom4.png: PNG image data, 600 x 399, 8-bit colormap, non-interlaced

Then I created the following file:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[margin=0pt,paperheight=399bp,paperwidth=600bp]{geometry}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\parindent=0pt
\pagestyle{empty}
\begin{document}
\includegraphics{QXom4.png}
\end{document}

This produced a PDF file with no margin whatsoever.

However, the simpler

\documentclass{standalone}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\begin{document}
\includegraphics{QXom4.png}
\end{document}

did the same, because standalone automatically clips the PDF to the dimension of its contents.

The default value of 1px is equal to 1bp. Well, 1px is 65782 scaled points, while 1bp is 65781 scaled points (1pt = 65536 scaled points, the difference is negligible). It's not recommended to use it (if you don't set it in your document with \pdfpxdimen), because it can be changed at format creation.

[Tex/LaTex] Problem putting tikzpicture as background for all pages with background package

You can insert your background picture using eso-pic rather then background, to add command (picture) which can be shipped out at every new page you can use \AddToShipoutPictureBG{code_for_your_picture}

\documentclass[12pt]{article}

% Paper size and margins
\usepackage{geometry}
\geometry{paper=letterpaper,margin=2cm}

% Colors
\usepackage[dvipsnames]{xcolor}

% Tikz package and libraries
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{tikzmark}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}

\usepackage{eso-pic}

% Figure definitions
\tikzset{
  ballSet/.pic = {
    \begin{scope}[shading=ball,opacity=0.25]
      \shade[ball color=red] ($(0, 2.25)$) circle (1.5cm);
      \shade[ball color=green] ($(2.25, 0)$) circle (1.5cm);
      \shade[ball color=blue] ($(0, -2.25)$) circle (1.5cm);
      \shade[ball color=yellow] ($(-2.25, 0)$) circle (1.5cm);
    \end{scope}
  },
  margin/.pic = {
    \coordinate (ballA) at ($(current page.north west) + (1.5, -1.5)$);
    \coordinate (ballB) at ($(current page.north east) + (-1.5, -1.5)$);
    \coordinate (ballC) at ($(current page.south east) + (-1.5, 1.5)$);
    \coordinate (ballD) at ($(current page.south west) + (1.5, 1.5)$);

    \draw[color=Brown!50!white, line width=1mm, dash pattern=on 25pt off 5pt on 3pt off 5pt, double distance=1mm] (ballA) rectangle (ballC);

    \begin{scope}[shading=ball]
      \foreach \pos / \col in {(ballA)/red,(ballB)/green,(ballC)/blue,(ballD)/yellow}
        \shade[ball color=\col] \pos circle (0.4cm);
    \end{scope}
  },
  firstPage/.pic = {
    \path (current page.center) pic {margin};
    \path ($(current page.center) + (4.65,-7.75)$) pic {ballSet};
  }
}

% Command to insert margin
\newcommand{\Margin}{%
  \begin{tikzpicture}[remember picture,overlay,x=1cm,y=1cm]
    \path (current page.center) pic {margin};
  \end{tikzpicture}%
}

\AddToShipoutPictureBG{\Margin}

\begin{document}
  Hello world!
\end{document}

Output with xelatex

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] How to set size of pdf page in pixels and put a background image

[Tex/LaTex] Problem putting tikzpicture as background for all pages with background package

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