General ⇒ Left clear page before new chapter

[ylva]

I have a quite basic problem I cannot seem to find the answer to. I just started writing my PhD thesis using the book document class (two sided). A new chapter always starts on the right page, exactly like I want it to. I would like the left page to always be empty whenever I start a new chapter. However, when the previous chapter ends on the left page, this is not the case right now. Can anyone give me any advice on how to achieve this? Be advised that I use 1 main .tex file with the preamble etc, but that I write the chapters in separate files which I combine using \include{chapter}.

Thanks in advance!

[Johannes_B]

Be advised that I use 1 main .tex file with the preamble etc, but that I write the chapters in separate files which I combine using \include{chapter}.

It would be much easier for you and us, if you would put information like that into a minimal working example. That limits the code to the problem at hand.

To the point, \include{<filename>} issues a \clearpage (cleardoublepage), meaning all floats are output and a new page is started. In a book class, this page is a right page (odd pagenumber) by default. Saying this, if the former chapter end on an odd (right, recto) page, a blank left page is inserted.
But if the former chapter ends on a left (even, verso) page, there is no reason to clear a right and a left page again. Can you be more specific, on what you are trying to achieve?

[ylva]

Due to the \include{chapter} I use, I don't know how to give you a minimal working example.

Indeed, when the previous chapter ends on a right page, a blank left page is inserted to make sure that the new chapter starts on a right page. What I want to do is exactly what you say. If the previous chapter ends on a left page, I want to insert one blank right and one blank left page. This didn't look an exotic request to me at first, but apparently it is…

[Johannes_B]

Usually, the things many people want to have are implemented by the core or a package. Having a complete blank/empty page in there seems odd to me.

But you can do it with a little hack:

Code: Select all

\documentclass{book}
\usepackage{blindtext}
\usepackage{showframe}
\begin{document}
\chapter{The first}
\blindtext[6]
\clearpage\null
\chapter{The Second}
\end{document}

<- This is a minimal working example (Please follow the link).
Advantage: You can click on open in Writelatex and see the output.

[ylva]

I know and I'm usually satisfied with the standard features. However, for my thesis, it is better to let each new chapter start the way I described since each chapter is quite independent of each other. It would make more sense that way.

I tried with inserting \clearpage\null before the \includechaper{} and that seems to work so thank you for that. Now, I need to find out how I remove the header on those clear pages, but I will look into that myself first.

[Johannes_B]

emptypage