[NTG-context] Why is the textarea not centered by default?

[Pablo Rodriguez]

On 11/5/20 11:28 AM, Sylvain Hubert wrote:
> Dear List,
>
>     \starttext \showframe \showsetups \stoptext
>
> This minimal example without further configuration shows that the
> default value for backspace, textwidth and paperwidth are 2.5cm, 15cm,
> 21cm resp., which means that the textarea is horizontally 0.5cm off the
> center by default, and one can indeed see a clear extra margin on the
> right side.

Hi Sylvain,

you can avoid this with the following code (althought the "height"
option is probably not needed):

  \setuplayout[width=middle, height=middle]

> This seems weird but I'm no expert of typesetting, so does anyone know
> why it has been set like that?

I’m not expert on typesetting, but I read somewhere (too long ago to be
able to remember when) that printed papers should have wider outer
margins to put your fingers on it.

See the following the output from:

  \setuppagenumbering[alternative=doublesided]
  \starttext \showframe \showsetups \stoptext

Just in case it helps,

Pablo
--
http://www.ousia.tk