Multicol defines a multicols environment which typesets text in multiple columns (up to a maximum of 10), and (by default) balances the end of each column at the end of the environment. The package enables you to switch between any (permitted) number of columns at will: there is no imposed "clear page" operation, as there is in unadorned LaTeX at a switch between \onecolumn and \twocolumn sections. The multicolumn environment can also be used inside a box, thus allowing multicolumned insets in text.

Multicol patches the output routine, and may clash with other packages that do the same (e.g., longtable); furthermore, there is no provision for single column floats inside a multicolumn environment, so figures and tables must be coded in-line (using, for example, the H modifier of the float package).

The package is part of the tools bundle in the LaTeX required distribution.