[texhax] Centering "framed box" between two columns

[Brian Dunn]

On Tue, 30 Jan 2018 11:14:26 -0500
Jerry <jerry at seibercom.net> wrote:

> I write articles for a local newspaper. The format is one large
> heading, then two columns with a text box inserted between the two
> columns, approximately 1 inch from the start of the article text. The
> box contains my picture and name.


Here is a solution using the flowfram package.  Adjustments may be made
to the set the margins, size and location of the author frame, and size
of the title.  The most tedious requirement is that a \framebreak must
be placed in the document text at each point where the frame break
changes. In this case, four will have to be placed, and the document
must be recompiled between each change to determine where to place the
next. If the layout or text is changed, the \framebreaks must be removed
then replaced one at a time.

---

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{calc}

% Adjust margin:
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}

\usepackage{microtype}% Improves line breaks

\usepackage{lipsum}

\usepackage{flowfram}


\pagestyle{empty}


% To show the borders of the textarea and frames:
\showtypeblocktrue
\showframebboxtrue


% For the author picture:
\newlength{\authorwidth}
\setlength{\authorwidth}{2in}

\newlength{\authorheight}
\setlength{\authorheight}{15\baselineskip}

\newlength{\authorY}
\setlength{\authorY}{25\baselineskip}


% For the wider top and bottom sections of each column:
\setlength{\columnsep}{2em}

\newlength{\topbotwidth}
\setlength{\topbotwidth}{.5\textwidth-.5\columnsep}

\newlength{\topbotrightX}
\setlength{\topbotrightX}{.5\textwidth+.5\columnsep}


% For the narrower section with the picture in the middle:
\newlength{\midcolumnsep}
\setlength{\midcolumnsep}{\authorwidth+2\columnsep}

\newlength{\midwidth}
\setlength{\midwidth}{.5\textwidth-.5\midcolumnsep}

\newlength{\midrightX}
\setlength{\midrightX}{.5\textwidth+.5\midcolumnsep}


% Heights:
\newlength{\titleheight}
\setlength{\titleheight}{4\baselineskip}

\newlength{\midheight}
\setlength{\midheight}{\authorheight+2\baselineskip}

\newlength{\botheight}
\setlength{\botheight}{\authorY-\baselineskip}

\newlength{\topheight}
\setlength{\topheight}{
    \textheight-\titleheight-\authorheight-3\baselineskip-\botheight
}



% Author image:
\newstaticframe{\authorwidth}{\authorheight}
    {.5\textwidth-.5\authorwidth}{\authorY}[authorframe]

% Title:
\newstaticframe{\textwidth}{\titleheight}
    {0pt}{\textheight-\titleheight}[titleframe]

% Left colummn:
\onecolumninarea{\topbotwidth}{\topheight}
    {0pt}{\botheight+\midheight}% top

\onecolumninarea{\midwidth}{\midheight}
    {0pt}{\botheight}% mid

\onecolumninarea{\topbotwidth}{\botheight}
    {0pt}{0\baselineskip}% bot

% Right column:
\onecolumninarea{\topbotwidth}{\topheight}
    {\topbotrightX}{\botheight+\midheight}% top

\onecolumninarea{\midwidth}{\midheight}
    {\midrightX}{\botheight}% mid

\onecolumninarea{\topbotwidth}{\botheight}
    {\topbotrightX}{0\baselineskip}%bot


\begin{staticcontents*}{authorframe}
\LARGE\centering
The author
\end{staticcontents*}


% Notes:
%
% Adjust geometry margins, \titleheight, \columnsep, \authorwidth and
% \authorheight, and \authorY.
%
% A \framebreak is required at each point where the frame width changes.
% Since things move around each time one is added, the framebreaks must be
% added one at a time, front to back, and the document must be recompiled
% each time.
%
% To avoid extra horizontal space at a \framebreak,
% connect the frame break to the previous
% word, or use a percent comment at the end of the previous word and place 
% the \framebreak on the next line.


\begin{staticcontents*}{titleframe}
\LARGE\centering
The title
\end{staticcontents*}


\begin{document}

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut purus 
elit, vestibulum ut, placerat ac, adipiscing vitae, felis. Curabitur 
dictum gravida mauris. Nam arcu libero, nonummy eget, consectetuer id, 
vulputate a, magna. Donec vehicula augue eu neque. Pellentesque habitant 
morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. 
Mauris ut leo. Cras viverra metus rhoncus sem.\framebreak Nulla et lectus 
vestibulum urna fringilla ultrices. Phasellus eu tellus sit amet tortor 
gravida placerat. Integer sapien est, iaculis in, pretium quis, viverra ac, 
nunc. Praesent eget sem vel leo ultrices bibendum. Aenean faucibus. Morbi 
dolor nulla, malesuada eu, pulvinar at, mollis ac, nulla. Curabitur auctor 
semper nulla. Donec varius orci eget risus. Duis nibh mi, congue eu, 
accumsan eleifend, sagittis quis, diam. Duis eget orci sit amet orci 
dignissim rutrum.

    Nam dui ligula, fringilla a, euismod sodales, sollicitudin vel, wisi. 
Morbi auctor lorem non justo.\framebreak Nam lacus libero, pretium at, 
lobortis vitae, ultricies et, tellus. Donec aliquet, tortor sed accumsan 
bibendum, erat ligula aliquet magna, vitae ornare odio metus a mi. Morbi 
ac orci et nisl hendrerit mollis. Suspendisse ut massa. Cras nec ante. 
Pellentesque a nulla. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis 
parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Aliquam tincidunt urna. Nulla 
ullamcorper vestibulum turpis. Pellentesque cursus luctus mauris.

    Nulla malesuada porttitor diam. Donec felis erat, congue non, volutpat 
at, tincidunt tristique, libero. Vivamus viverra fermentum felis. Donec 
nonummy pellentesque ante. Phasellus adipiscing semper elit. Proin 
fermentum massa ac quam. Sed diam turpis, molestie vitae, placerat a, 
molestie nec, leo. Maecenas lacinia. Nam ipsum ligula, eleifend at, 
accumsan nec, suscipit a, ipsum. Morbi blandit ligula feugiat magna. Nunc 
eleifend consequat lorem. Sed lacinia nulla vitae enim. Pellentesque 
tincidunt purus vel magna. Integer non enim. Praesent euismod nunc eu 
purus. Donec bibendum quam in tellus. Nullam cursus pulvinar lectus. Donec 
et mi. Nam vulputate metus eu enim. Vestibulum pellentesque felis eu massa.

    Quisque ullamcorper placerat ipsum. Cras nibh. Morbi vel justo vitae 
lacus tincidunt ultrices. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer 
adipiscing elit. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Integer tempus convallis 
augue. Etiam facilisis. Nunc elementum fermentum wisi. Aenean placerat. Ut 
imperdiet, enim sed gravida sollicitudin, felis odio placerat quam, ac 
pulvinar elit purus eget enim. Nunc vitae tortor.\framebreak Proin tempus 
nibh sit amet nisl. Vivamus quis tortor vitae risus porta vehicula.

    Fusce mauris. Vestibulum luctus nibh at lectus. Sed bibendum, nulla a 
faucibus semper, leo velit ultricies tellus, ac venenatis arcu wisi vel 
nisl. Vestibulum diam. Aliquam pellentesque, augue quis sagittis posuere, 
turpis lacus congue quam, in hendrerit risus eros eget felis. Maecenas eget 
erat in sapien mattis porttitor. Vestibulum porttitor. Nulla facilisi. Sed 
a turpis eu lacus commodo facilisis. Morbi fringilla, wisi in dignissim 
interdum,\framebreak justo lectus sagittis dui, et vehicula libero dui 
cursus dui. Mauris tempor ligula sed lacus. Duis cursus enim ut augue. Cras 
ac magna. Cras nulla. Nulla egestas. Curabitur a leo. Quisque egestas wisi 
eget nunc. Nam feugiat lacus vel est. Curabitur consectetuer.

    Suspendisse vel felis. Ut lorem lorem, interdum eu, tincidunt sit amet, 
laoreet vitae, arcu. Aenean faucibus pede eu ante. Praesent enim elit, 
rutrum at, molestie non, nonummy vel, nisl. Ut lectus eros, malesuada sit 
amet, fermentum eu, sodales cursus, magna. Donec eu purus. Quisque 
vehicula, urna sed ultricies auctor, pede lorem egestas dui, et convallis 
elit erat sed nulla. Donec luctus. Curabitur et nunc. Aliquam dolor odio, 
commodo pretium, ultricies non, pharetra in, velit. Integer arcu est, 
nonummy in, fermentum faucibus, egestas vel, odio.

    Sed commodo posuere pede. Mauris ut est. Ut quis purus. Sed ac odio. 
Sed vehicula hendrerit sem. Duis non odio. Morbi ut dui. Sed accumsan risus 
eget odio. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Pellentesque non elit. Fusce 
sed justo eu urna porta tincidunt. Mauris felis odio, sollicitudin sed, 
volutpat a, ornare ac, erat. Morbi quis dolor.

\end{document}

---


-- 
Brian Dunn
BD Tech Concepts LLC
http://www.BDTechConcepts.com
bd at BDTechConcepts.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/bdtechconcepts/