# TexLive Headers and Footers

**Page headers and footers** contain running titles, page numbers, and author names. The `fancyhdr` package provides flexible control over them.

```latex
\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\pagestyle{fancy}

\lhead{Left Header}
\chead{Center Header}
\rhead{Right Header}

\lfoot{Left Footer}
\cfoot{\thepage}        % page number
\rfoot{Right Footer}

\begin{document}
% Page content
\end{document}
```

`\lhead`, `\chead`, `\rhead` set left, center, and right headers. `\lfoot`, `\cfoot`, `\rfoot` set footers. `\thepage` inserts the current page number automatically.

**Page styles** control where headers/footers appear:

```latex
\pagestyle{fancy}       % enable fancy headers/footers
\pagestyle{plain}       % just page number in footer (default)
\pagestyle{empty}       % no headers or footers
\pagestyle{headings}    % section titles in header
```

**First page different** from others (e.g., no header on title page):

```latex
\fancypagestyle{plain}{
  \fancyhf{}             % clear all fields
  \cfoot{\thepage}       % only page number in footer
}

\begin{document}
\maketitle               % uses plain style automatically

\pagestyle{fancy}        % subsequent pages use fancy

Your content...
\end{document}
```

**Horizontal lines** above/below headers and footers:

```latex
\renewcommand{\headrulewidth}{0.4pt}  % thin line under header
\renewcommand{\footrulewidth}{0.4pt}  % thin line above footer
```

Set to `0pt` to remove the line.

**Section titles in headers:**

```latex
\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\pagestyle{fancy}

\rhead{\thesection. \leftmark}  % current section title
\cfoot{\thepage}
```

`\leftmark` contains the current section title (or chapter title in books). This is updated automatically as you move through sections.

**Clearing fields:**

```latex
\fancyhf{}               % clear all headers and footers
\cfoot{\thepage}         % then set only what you want
```

`\fancyhf{}` clears everything; then set individual fields.

**Different headers for odd/even pages** (for double-sided documents):

```latex
\lhead[\textrm{Even Page}]{\textrm{Odd Page}}  % [even] {odd}
```

This is useful for book formatting where even pages have one style, odd pages another.

**Margins and spacing:** Adjust header/footer distances from the page edge with lengths like `\headheight`, `\headsep`, `\footskip`. Usually defaults are fine, but if you get warnings, increase these:

```latex
\setlength{\headheight}{15pt}
\setlength{\headsep}{0.5in}
```