Margin note in two column report

Question

I'm writing a two column report. I want to insert a symbol (a large exclamation mark) in the margin, corresponding to an area of text, at various points in the report. I always want the mark to appear in the outer margin nearest to the current column. For example, any marks in the first column should appear in the left margin; any notes in the right column should appear in the right margin; regardless of which page we're on.

I've played with using marginnote and marginpar to achieve this. But both of those vary the margin that the note is in, so that the note is in the outer column of a two-page spread. I've played with overriding this:

\usepackage{marginnote}
\makeatletter
\let\oldmarginnote\marginnote
\renewcommand*{\marginnote}[1]{%
   \begingroup%
   \ifodd\value{page}
     \if@firstcolumn\reversemarginpar\fi
   \else
     \if@firstcolumn\else\reversemarginpar\fi
   \fi
   \oldmarginnote{#1}%
   \endgroup%
}
\makeatother

But that didn't seem to completely work either. It seems as though if there is only one column filled on a two-column page (because there isn't enough text to fill the second column), the mark appears on the wrong side.

Answer 1

Perhaps your only problem is the width of the margin column:

\documentclass[twocolumn]{report}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage[marginparwidth=2cm]{geometry}
\begin{document}
\chapter{Chapter Title}
\section{Section Title}
\lipsum[1]\\
\marginpar{Tanto per vedere se è giusto.}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota1}}\lipsum[3]
\marginpar{Nota2}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota2}} \lipsum[4-8]
\marginpar{Nota3}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota3}} \lipsum[9]
\marginpar{{\Huge \textbf{!}}}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota4}} \lipsum[9]
\end{document}

Also \marginline command from package scrextend could be useful:

\documentclass[twocolumn]{report}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage[marginparwidth=2cm]{geometry}
\usepackage{scrextend}
\begin{document}
\chapter{Chapter Title}
\section{Section Title}
\lipsum[1]

\leavevmode\marginline{Tanto per vedere se è giusto.}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota1}}
\lipsum[3]
\marginline{Nota2}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota2}} \lipsum[4-8]
\marginline{Nota3}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota3}} \lipsum[9]
\marginline{{\Huge \textbf{!}}}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota4}} \lipsum[9]
\end{document}

Both commands also work with option twoside:

\documentclass[twoside,twocolumn]{report}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage[marginparwidth=2cm,left=2.5cm,right=3.75cm]{geometry}
\usepackage{scrextend}
\begin{document}
\chapter{Chapter Title}
\section{Section Title}
\lipsum[1]

\leavevmode\marginline{Tanto per vedere se è giusto.}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota1}}
\lipsum[3]
\marginpar{Nota2}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota2}} \lipsum[4-8]
\marginline{Nota3}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota3}} \lipsum[9]
\marginpar{{\Huge \textbf{!}}}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota4}} \lipsum[9]
\end{document}

Answer 2

Following the first suggestion of Jasper comment you can try this (I have put some controls on insertions point):

\documentclass[twocolumn]{memoir}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\settrimmedsize{11in}{210mm}{*}
\setlength{\trimtop}{0pt}
\setlength{\trimedge}{\stockwidth}
\addtolength{\trimedge}{-\paperwidth}
\settypeblocksize{7.75in}{33pc}{*}
\setulmargins{4cm}{*}{*}
\setlrmargins{1.25in}{*}{*}
\setmarginnotes{17pt}{51pt}{\onelineskip}
\setheadfoot{\onelineskip}{2\onelineskip}
\setheaderspaces{*}{2\onelineskip}{*}
\checkandfixthelayout

\begin{document}
    \chapter{Chapter Title}
    \section{Section Title}
    \lipsum[1]\\
    \marginpar{Tanto per vedere se è giusto.}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota1}}\lipsum[3]
    \marginpar{Nota2}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota2}} \lipsum[4-8]
    \marginpar{Nota3}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota3}} \lipsum[9]
    \marginpar{ {\Huge \textbf{!}}}\textbf{{\LARGE Nota4}} \lipsum[9]
\end{document}

Output: