Problems:
\hphantom introduces additional paragraph spacing (see 2nd block of non-lipsum in MWE), so I wrote my own command \myphantom which measures the length of the text passed and inserts an \hspace of the required length; unfortunately, lines that should vertically align nicely still don't in an apparently random way (see 1st block of non-lipsum in MWE; all three lines are slightly different). To illustrate the problem the actually spacing has been commented out and the text that should be used to space surrounding text inserted.
Unavailable alternatives.
"Use white" - the text is going to be offset printed; if I specify "white", white will be printed, and if the paper isn't exactly white it will be visible.
\parshape - too complicated
Is there any thing wrong with what I've done? Is there a better way? Am I missing something about how LaTeX
Please can someone help me fix this... I have a few dozen such things to typeset and I can't get the book to the printers until I can do this...
Code: Select all
\documentclass[final,twoside,openright,showtrims,10pt]{memoir} % \documentclass[final,royalvopaper,twoside,openright,showtrims,10pt]{memoir}
\usepackage{calc, wrapfig}
\usepackage{xltxtra,fontspec,xunicode} % XeTeX stuff
\usepackage{ellipsis} % better ellipsis with \dots, \textellipsis
\renewcommand{\ellipsisgap}{0.1em}
\stockroyalvo
\settrimmedsize{663.3pt}{440pt}{*}
\setlength{\trimtop}{\stockheight}
\addtolength{\trimtop}{-\paperheight} % - \paperheight
\setlength{\trimedge}{\stockwidth} % \trimedge = \stockwidth
\addtolength{\trimedge}{-\paperwidth} % - \paperwidth
\settrims{0.5\trimtop}{\trimedge}
\settypeblocksize{537pt}{344pt}{*} % {344pt}{*} %{322.6pt}{*}
\setulmargins{56pt}{*}{*}
\setlrmargins{*}{*}{1}
\setheadfoot{36pt}{51pt}
\setheaderspaces{*}{12pt}{*}
\checkandfixthelayout
\setlength{\pdfpagewidth}{\paperwidth}
\setlength{\pdfpageheight}{\paperheight}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{ellipsis}
\newenvironment{narrative}%
{\setlength{\parindent}{12pt} \setlength{\parskip}{0pt}}
{}
\newlength{\tpad}
\newlength{\hpad}
\newcommand{\myphantom}[1]{
% \settowidth{\hpad}{#1}\hspace{\hpad}
#1}
\newcommand{\lrcentrepad}[1]{
% calculate the room left remaining on a line if #1 were placed and divide it by two for assignment to left & right skip
\settowidth{\tpad}{#1}
\addtolength{\tpad}{-\textwidth}
\setlength{\tpad}{0.5\tpad}
\setlength{\tpad}{-1\tpad}
}
\begin{document}
\begin{narrative}
ILLUSTRATION OF HORIZONTAL WORD PLACEMENT PROBLEMS \par\par\par % why aren't these \par's having any effect?
\lipsum[1]\par
\lrcentrepad{He's wise\dots{}.~He's old!~He is a stranger.~A traveller?~He is a fool!}
{\vspace{6pt}\centering{}He's~wise\dots{}.~\myphantom{He's~old!~He~is~a~stranger.~A~traveller?}~He~is~a~fool!\par\vspace{6pt}}
{\centering{}\myphantom{He's~wise\dots{}.}~He's~old!~\myphantom{He~is~a~stranger.}~A~traveller?~\myphantom{He~is~a~fool!}\par\vspace{6pt}}
{\centering{}\myphantom{He's~wise\dots{}.~He's~old!~}He~is~a~stranger.~\myphantom{A~traveller?~He~is~a~fool!}\par\vspace{6pt}}
\lipsum[2]
\lrcentrepad{He's wise\dots{}.~He's old!~He is a stranger.~A traveller?~He is a fool!}
{\vspace{6pt}\centering{}He's~wise\dots{}.~\hphantom{He's~old!~He~is~a~stranger.~A~traveller?}~He~is~a~fool!\par\vspace{6pt}}
{\centering{}\hphantom{He's~wise\dots{}.}~He's~old!~\hphantom{He~is~a~stranger.}~A~traveller?~\hphantom{He~is~a~fool!}\par\vspace{6pt}}
{\centering{}\hphantom{He's~wise\dots{}.~He's~old!~}He~is~a~stranger.~\hphantom{A~traveller?~He~is~a~fool!}\par\vspace{6pt}}
\lipsum[3] \par
\newpage
ILLUSTRATION OF CENTERING AND LEFT/RIGHTSKIP PROBLEMS \par \par
{\leftskip=36pt\rightskip=36pt \lipsum[4] \par} %this is appropriately narrowed
{\centering \lipsum[5] \par}% this is appropriately centered
{\centering \leftskip=36pt\rightskip=36pt \lipsum[6]\par}%centering and left/rightskip don't work together?
\begin{center}% doesn't make any different if I use an environment
\leftskip=36pt\rightskip=36pt \lipsum[7]\par
\end{center}
\setlength{\hpad}{36pt}
\begin{center}% not a problem with the way I was setting left/rightskip
\setlength{\leftskip}{\hpad} \setlength{\rightskip}{\hpad}\lipsum[8]\par
\end{center}
\end{narrative}
\end{document}