Avoiding empty space at the bottom of a scrlttr2 letter

Question

Per How to avoid empty space at the end of a page when using scrlttr2? I tried adding the options suggested to scrlttr2, but at least in the following example, it doesn't seem to work. I get a big block of empty space at the bottom of the first page. Does anyone know why?

\documentclass[12pt,headheight=30pt,headinclude,firstfoot=false,
               enlargefirstpage=true,foldmarks=false,foldmarks=blmtP,
               fromalign=center,fromphone,fromemail,version=last,            
               backaddress=false, subject=titled]{scrlttr2}
\usepackage{scrpage2}
\pagestyle{scrheadings}
\rohead{\jobname.tex\hspace{0.5cm}\today}

\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{fouriernc}
\begin{document}
\setkomavar{fromname}{Xxxxxxxxxx Xx Xxxxx}
\setkomavar{fromaddress}{Xxxxx Xxxxxx xxx Xxxxx\\ xx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxx\\ Xxxxxx xxxxxx}
\setkomavar{fromphone}{xxxxxxxx}
\setkomavar{fromemail}{xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx}
\setkomavar{signature}{(\usekomavar{fromname})}
\setkomavar{subject}{xxxxx}
\setkomavar{date}{\today}
\setkomavar{firsthead}{%

  \parbox{\linewidth}{\centering
    \textbf{\jobname.tex}\\
    {\fontfamily{pzc}\selectfont
    \hspace{\textwidth}
    \usekomavar{fromname}\\
    \usekomavar{fromaddress}\\
    \usekomavar*{phoneseparator}\usekomavar{phoneseparator}\usekomavar{fromphone}\\
    \usekomavar*{emailseparator}\usekomavar{emailseparator}\usekomavar{fromemail}
    }
  }%
}

\makeatletter
\@addtoplength{firstheadvpos}{30pt}
\@addtoplength{toaddrvpos}{40pt}
\@addtoplength{sigbeforevskip}{20pt}
\@setplength{sigindent}{0.5\linewidth}
\makeatother

\def\today{30th April, 2015}
\begin{letter}{
Xxx Xxxxxx Xxxx Xx Xx Xxxxxx\\
Xxxxx Xxxxxx\\
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxx\\
Xxx Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx\\
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx xxx xxx\\
}

\opening{xxxxxxxxx,}

X xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx xx Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxx X
xxx xxxxxxxx xx Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx xxxx xxx Xxxxxxxxx xxxx xx xxxxxx xxx
xx xxxx xx xxxxxxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
xx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxxxx xx xxxx

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx X xxxxxxxx xxxx xxx xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxx X xxx xxxxxxxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxx
xxxx xx xxxxxx X xxx xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxx x xxxxxxxx xxx xxxx xxxxx xx x
Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx xx
xxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxx xxxxx xx xxxx

Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xx xxx xxxxxxxxxx
xxx xxxxxxxx xx xx xx xxxx xxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxx xx xxxx xxxxxxx X xxxx
xx xxx xx xxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxx

Xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxx xx xx xxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xx xxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxxx xxx xxx Xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxx
xxx xxxxxxxxxx xxx xxx xxxx xxxxxxxxx xx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xx xxx
xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx xx xxxxxx xx
xxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxx Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xx xxx Xxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxx X xxxxx xxxx xx xxxxx xx xxxx xxxx xxx xxxxx Xxxxxxxx
xxx xxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxxx

\closing{Yours Sincerely,\\ Xxx Xxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx}

\cc{
Xxx Xx Xxxxxxx Xx Xxxxxxxxx\\
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx xXxxxxxx\\
Xxxxxxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxx\\
Xxx Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx Xxxxx\\
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx xxx xxx}

\end{letter}
\end{document}

Answer 1

Let's add the showframe package to your preamble and see what the output looks like:

It's clear that there is enough space, as the text block has a big empty section at the bottom of the first page. However, looking at the content on page 2, we see a single sentence followed by the "closing" (specified by \closing).

The \closing issues a \nobreak to avoid the closing breaking from the letter text preceding it. And, to avoid any widows, the last paragraph's last line is carried with the closing to a subsequent page, as the closing itself won't fit in the remaining space on page 1.

How to get rid of that? That really depends on what you're willing to concede... Removing the \nobreak will still leave a large gap, but that can be achieved via an etoolbox patch. Other options include adjustments to the margins, rewording, or avoiding scrlttr2 altogether for something like article that gives you the freedom to change things to suit your needs.

The best solution I've found seems to be stretching out the text a bit. For example, adding

\usepackage{setspace}
\setstretch{1.25}

to your preamble reveals

Of course, fiddling with "the perfect" spacing factor could help. I would also suggest keeping the spacing consistent. That is, don't use one spacing here, another there, and another elsewhere.