# Page layout & budgets

Use word/page budgets to monitor length, then the Page layout workbench to inspect actual rendered pages and supported float adjustments. These are complementary tools: a shorter source is not necessarily a shorter PDF.

## Set a page budget

Click the word/page count in the status bar. Configure each applicable limit separately:

| Segment | What it measures |
| --- | --- |
| Before references | Content before the bibliography, often the venue's body limit. |
| References | The bibliography segment. |
| Appendix | Appendix/supplementary pages detected in the document. |
| Whole document | Every PDF page. |

An empty limit means unlimited. Segments sharing a boundary page both count that page. Headings and source structure help locate boundaries; if a segment cannot be identified, the app reports it as unverified/not found rather than declaring compliance.

Measurements come from the last compiled PDF. Compile after edits before trusting them. A selected submission venue can override corresponding budget segments for its selected document; clearing that target restores the original limits.

## Understand word estimates

The workspace word counter follows common includes and excludes the preamble, math, tables, verbatim and markup such as labels/citation keys. Per-section counts help decide where to cut or expand. Custom macros and unusual structures can affect estimates.

A venue may count abstract words differently. Use its actual instructions and inspect the submitted document; a local estimate is not an authoritative portal count.

When over budget, identify which segment exceeds its limit. Prefer targeted editorial changes. Do not disguise overflow by shrinking fonts, margins or bibliography style against the venue's requirements.

## Inspect rendered pages

Open **Write → Page layout** or the PDF toolbar's page-layout control. The PDF entry selects the page being read. **Compile & inspect** saves current edits and builds the selected main document.

Use the page map to select a preview. **Open space** highlights broad empty bands. Visual footprint measures coarse ink occupancy, including text and graphics; it is not an exact whitespace percentage or a font/margin compliance certificate. Intentional gaps can be highlighted too.

Read compiler warnings beside the preview. Overfull/underfull boxes and float messages can point to source locations. Unlabelled floats may require **Show all pages** because labelled output provides more reliable page mapping.

## Adjust a figure or table

1. Select a supported float in the workbench.
2. Choose a conventional placement preference. For a single normally sized graphic, adjust width where offered.
3. **Review adjustment** shows the exact source before and after.
4. **Apply & compare** creates a named version, changes the source, recompiles and displays original/current PDFs.
5. Inspect legibility, neighboring floats, page count and budget status.

Float placement is a request to LaTeX, not a guaranteed coordinate. Generic controls intentionally avoid rewriting complex multi-image layouts, explicit physical sizes, custom `H` positioning or height/scale combinations. Follow the source link for those cases.

The workbench preserves templates, margins, fonts and global spacing. Supported width changes range from 25–100% of the existing line/text/column width basis. A smaller figure can fit while becoming unreadable, so check axis labels and captions.

## Undo and compare accurately

**Undo adjustment** restores the latest changed file only if it still exactly matches the applied state, then recompiles. If newer changes exist, use the named checkpoint in Versions to inspect a safe recovery.

A failed compile retains the adjustment and its undo controls. The old PDF is marked as needing refresh. Side-by-side comparison pairs pages by number; reflow may move a paragraph to another page, so it is not a semantic or pixel-aligned diff.

Inspection is bounded to PDFs up to 20 MB and 80 pages, up to 100 source files under 1 MB each, and the first 300 supported floats. Session previews/quick-undo may disappear after restart, while named versions persist.

Related: [compilation](builds-pdf.md), [submission rehearsal](submission.md), [LaTeX floats](latex-advanced.md#figures-and-float-placement).