[TxMt] Re: Simple markdown to book workflow?

[jiho]

On 2008-October-04  , at 02:16 , Gerd Knops wrote:
> Thanks everybody for the help, it is much appreciated!
>
> Using markdown to Latex (memoir) conversion gets me most of the way.
>
> One problem I have that I can't seem to figure out is that when I set
> \geometry{a5paper} the book is formatted for A5, but the physical
> paper size still seems to be Letter. How can I fix that?


This is actually a feature of the memoir class. The thinking behind it  
is that, whatever your page size is, you will probably print it on a  
stock paper, which has a standard size (A4, letter etc.) and them cut  
(trim) it (if you add the options showtrims to the document class, you  
should see those trim marks). This is why the stock size and the page  
size are separated in memoir. You can set them easily without  
resorting to the geometry package, with commands that are specific to  
the memoir class. Check the chapter "Laying out the page" (section II,  
p 49) of the memoir manual (meman.pdf) for the commands. It also gives  
more details on the dimensions of the page and how to make them  
harmonious (A5 is probably not the best idea because the height to  
width ratio might make the text look awkward). My advice: take a book  
with a similar purpose that you find enjoyable to read and well laid  
out and copy the dimensions.

This is for example what I used in a recent document, based on several  
published books with margin notes:

\usepackage{calc}             % easy calculations

% Page size
\settrimmedsize{246mm}{172mm}{*}    % size of final page  : h w ratio

% Stock paper size = A4
\setstocksize{297mm}{210mm}         % size of paper sheet : h w

% Trims (i.e. cuts) = set interior edge of the page to be the actual  
edge of the stock and center vertically
\settrims{0.5\stockheight-0.5\paperheight}{\stockwidth- 
\paperwidth}           % portions to trim from : top edge

% Set margins and compute size of text block
% NB: \textheight is set to an integer number of lines by  
\checkandfixthelayout below
\settypeblocksize{197mm}{100mm}{*}  % block: height width ratio
\setlrmargins{32mm}{*}{*}           % horiz margins : spine edge ratio
\setulmargins{69pt}{*}{*}           % vertical margins : upper lower  
ratio

% Margin notes
\setmarginnotes{3.8mm}{31mm}{5mm}   % margin notes: separation width  
push
%  separation: horiz space between text and note
%  width: max width of note
%  push: min space between notes

\checkandfixthelayout[nearest]
% nearest = chose the integral number of lines nearest to the  
specified textheight and use this as the textheight

I hope that helps.

JiHO
---
http://jo.irisson.free.fr/