Endfirsthead

Endfirsthead is a macro used in the LaTeX longtable package to mark the boundary between the first page header of a multi-page table and the header that repeats on subsequent pages. In a longtable, the header area can be split into two parts: content that appears on the first page, and content that will be repeated at the top of each following page. The content placed before the command endfirsthead constitutes the first head, while the content between endfirsthead and endhead forms the header for all subsequent pages.

The purpose of endfirsthead is to enable different presentation for the table’s initial page compared with its continuation pages. After endfirsthead, the repeated header may include the column names and any formatting that should appear on every page after the first, often accompanied by notes such as “continued from previous page.” The endhead command then ends the repeated header section. Together with related commands like endfoot and endlastfoot, endfirsthead helps manage the table’s captions, headers, and footers across page breaks.

Typical usage within a longtable environment involves placing the first-page header before endfirsthead and placing the header for subsequent pages between endfirsthead and endhead. This structure allows longtables to maintain readable headers on each page of a multi-page table, while preserving a distinct initial header when the table begins.

Endfirsthead is a feature of the longtable package and is not used outside of that context. Its correct use ensures consistent and clear presentation of large tables that span multiple pages.