HowTo_ShortenLongSubject

How to shorten a long subject from the second page in the header

Although scrlttr2 and scrletter can certainly handle a multi-line subject in the page style headings, this quickly leads to the subject moving too close to the text area or even colliding with it. Therefore, the desire to replace the automatically set subject in the page header with a shorter single-line subject from the second page onwards is quite understandable. The automatic column titles in LaTeX are usually generated by \markboth or \markright, as is the case with scrlttr2 or scrletter, where the right-hand part of the mark is used for the subject. You can therefore simply change the subject in the header from the second page onwards using \markright — preferably directly in the subject variable:

\documentclass{scrlttr2}
\usepackage[english]{babel}
\usepackage{mwe}

\setkomavar{fromname}{Peter Pan}
\setkomavar{fromaddress}{Neverland}

\setkomavar{subject}{\lipsum[4]\markright{Quisque ullamcorper placerat ipsum.}}

\pagestyle{headings}

\begin{document}
\begin{letter}{You\\There}
\opening{Dear Sir or Madam,}

\Blindtext[5]

\closing{Kind Regards,}

\end{letter}
\end{document}