LaTeX forum ⇒ Graphics, Figures & Tables ⇒ wide figures in 1st page for two column documents

[abhijit8]

I want to place figures on the front page of a two column document, something like http://frank.dellaert.com/pubs/Dellaert10iros.pdf and this(pdf).

The figure* allows to include images spread across full width of two column documents. But it has some limitations. Only top(t) placement works, and does not appear on the same page where they are defined. I found stfloats package, which solves the top placement restriction, but it still demands to be defined 1 page prior.

Any suggestions on how to solve this?

[localghost]

I see two approaches which only differ in the caption for the image right beneath the title.

1. For the first document with caption.
   

   \documentclass[11pt,a4paper,english]{article}
   \usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
   \usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
   \usepackage{babel}
   \usepackage[font=small,labelfont=bf,tableposition=top]{caption}
   \usepackage{multicol}
   \usepackage{blindtext}
   
   \title{Two column document with figure underneath title}
   \author{abhijit8}
   
   \begin{document}
     \maketitle
     \noindent
     \begin{minipage}{\textwidth}
       \centering\noindent
       \rule{0.75\linewidth}{0.5\linewidth}
       \captionof{figure}{\blindtext}
     \end{minipage}
   
     \begin{multicols}{2}
       \blinddocument
     \end{multicols}
   \end{document}

2. For the second document without caption.
   

   \documentclass[11pt,a4paper,english]{article}
   \usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
   \usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
   \usepackage{babel}
   \usepackage[font=small,labelfont=bf,tableposition=top]{caption}
   \usepackage{multicol}
   \usepackage{blindtext}
   
   \title{Two column document with image underneath title\\ \normalsize Approach 1}
   \author{abhijit8}
   
   \begin{document}
     \maketitle
     \noindent
     \begin{minipage}{\textwidth}
       \centering\noindent
       \rule{0.9\linewidth}{0.2\linewidth}
     \end{minipage}
   
     \begin{multicols}{2}
       \blinddocument
     \end{multicols}
   \end{document}

   
   For this case there is a second solution.
   

   \documentclass[11pt,a4paper,twocolumn,english]{article}
   \usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
   \usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
   \usepackage{babel}
   \usepackage[font=small,labelfont=bf,tableposition=top]{caption}
   \usepackage{blindtext}
   
   \title{Two column document with image underneath title\\ \normalsize Approach 2}
   \author{abhijit8}
   \date{\rule{0.9\linewidth}{0.2\linewidth}}
   
   \begin{document}
     \maketitle
   
     \blinddocument
   \end{document}

The rest depends on the used document class.

Note that the blindtext package is only loaded for creating dummy text thus is not part of the solution.


Best regards and welcome to the board
Thorsten

[abhijit8]

Thanks a lot for the solutions. Is there a way to do away with the multiciols environment, since i need to use floats like figures. I tried /twocolumn instead of \begin{multicols}{2}, but it forces a new page.

I have found an another solution, by the use of \begin{strip}..\end{strip} environment, included in the cuted package.

\documentclass[11pt,a4paper,two column,english]{article}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage[font=small,labelfont=bf,tableposition=top]{caption}
\usepackage{blindtext}
\usepackage{cuted}

\title{Two column document with figure underneath title}
\author{abhijit8}

\begin{document}
\maketitle
\noindent

\begin{strip}
\centering\noindent
\rule{0.75\linewidth}{0.5\linewidth}
\captionof{figure}{\blindtext}
\end{strip}

\blinddocument
\end{document}

[localghost]

I can't really follow. You can use floats (starred versions) as usual within the multicols environment. As you already discovered on your own, the \twocolumn switch is no option.

[abhijit8]

Sorry for the confusion. I was trying to say that I am not able to use standard figure/table (non-starred) in the multicols environment. I get an error:

./new.tex:0:Floats and marginpars not allowed inside `multicols'environment!.

Is there a way to use the standard floats inside multicols environment?
Otherwise, I am now able to get the desired output with the strip environment.

[localghost]

[…] I was trying to say that I am not able to use standard figure/table (non-starred) in the multicols environment. […] Is there a way to use the standard floats inside multicols environment? […]

Perhaps you should be more precise about what you are after. The unstarred versions can't be used here. But if we are talking about figures and tables within one column of a multicolumn environment, you can use an approach that works with the caption package.

\documentclass[11pt,a4paper,twocolumn,english]{article}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage[font=small,labelfont=bf,tableposition=top]{caption}
\usepackage{blindtext}
\usepackage{cuted}

\title{Two column document with figure underneath title}
\author{abhijit8}

\begin{document}
  \maketitle

  \begin{strip}
    \centering\noindent
    \rule{0.75\linewidth}{0.5\linewidth}
    \captionof{figure}{\blindtext}
  \end{strip}

  \blindtext[2]

  \medskip
  \noindent
  \begin{minipage}{\linewidth}
    \centering
    \rule{0.75\linewidth}{0.5\linewidth}
    \captionof{figure}{The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog}
  \end{minipage}

  \medskip
  \blindtext[4]
\end{document}

And thanks for bringing the very useful cuted package to my attention. It could be the solution to some older discussions about related problems here.