Received: by nummer-3.proteosys id <01C19443.9CF4249C@nummer-3.proteosys>; Thu, 3 Jan 2002 11:44:26 +0100 Return-Path: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.9CF4249C" x-vm-v5-data: ([nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil][nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil]) X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.5 Content-class: urn:content-classes:message Subject: {1} Some random typographical thoughts Date: Thu, 27 Feb 1992 21:03:56 +0100 Message-ID: X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: From: "Rolf Lindgren" Sender: "LaTeX-L Mailing list" To: "Multiple recipients of" Reply-To: "LaTeX-L Mailing list" Status: R X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 592 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.9CF4249C Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I've used LaTeX commercially now and again, and have had some = discussions with Real Typographers about the virtues and vices of LaTeX. I won't say a lot about its virtues, they're well known (have any of = _you_ ever seen a 50-year old typographer litterally loose his speech over = LaTeX math output?), but there are flaws, so to speak, in its text handling that I haven't seen elaborated much. 1. Spacing Typographers, that is, continental European ones want glue in tables, formulas, and between words, in that order, and nowhere else, in particular, the line spacing should be constant. OK, it's possible to hack away the glue in aricle.sty, but it's not trivial. I'd rather see some means of specifying more or less exactly = how much space to go before and after a paragraph, optionally depending on whether the paragraph is more than one line long. Point is: Norwegian typography as the Real Typographers want it, forces the same line spacing throughout a document. OK, if line spacing is = 12pt, how do you treat a 16pt subject heading? By setting it with line spacing of 12 pt and adding one and a half line before and half a line after. No glue. I'd like a \@section command to have parameters for space before and after, how much space before if it occurs at the top of a page, and with the possibility of the spacing after to be overridden by the initial spacing of the subsequent paragraph. In a *perfect* world, spacing would optionally be dependent upon whether the number of lines in the paragraph is odd or even, so as to make sure that line spacing is consistent across pages. I've seen Real = Typographers bent over their documents with rules for verifying that no line of text = is typeset out of order. In LaTeX 2.09, I feel that my control of line spacing leaves a little to be desired. I'd like full control over spacing also within the standard document styles. 2. Drivers PostScript drivers come in to variants: Those which believe that there exist only 35 fonts, such as Stephan v. Bechtolsheim's dvitps, or those which believe that there exist only one language, such that Tomas = Rokicki's dvips. I'd very much like a PostScript driver that allows: - Full reencoding of a font, allowing me to specify any encoding I please, as dvitps does - The ability to compose a font from other fonts, allowing me to = add ligatures or symbols from one font into another font, as dvips does - The ability to hack of portions of letters and combining them = into single letters. I'd like to be able to hack the dot of the postscript j, and combine it with an ff ligature to make fj, ffj, etc. I don't know if it's possible to include these wishes into a driver specification. But I hope for such a beast to arrive, and I think Tomas Rokicki's dvips is closest. The dvips hack afm3tfm allows for specifying an encoding vector, but its behavior is pretty erratic. Happy if these suggestions are considered (and even happier if they already have been), Rolf Lindgren Rolf Lindgren | "The opinions expressed above are 616 Bjerke Studentheim | not necessarily those of anyone" N-0589 OSLO 5 | rolfl@hedda.uio.no ------_=_NextPart_001_01C19443.9CF4249C Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable {1} Some random typographical thoughts

I've used LaTeX commercially now and again, and have = had some discussions
with Real Typographers about the virtues and vices of = LaTeX.

I won't say a lot about its virtues, they're well = known (have any of _you_
ever seen a 50-year old typographer litterally loose = his speech over LaTeX
math output?), but there are flaws, so to speak, in = its text handling
that I haven't seen elaborated much.

1. Spacing

Typographers, that is, continental European ones want = glue in tables,
formulas, and between words, in that order, and = nowhere else, in
particular, the line spacing should be = constant.

OK, it's possible to hack away the glue in aricle.sty, = but it's not
trivial. I'd rather see some means of specifying more = or less exactly how
much space to go before and after a paragraph, = optionally depending on
whether the paragraph is more than one line = long.

Point is: Norwegian typography as the Real = Typographers want it, forces
the same line spacing throughout a document. OK, if = line spacing is 12pt,
how do you treat a 16pt subject heading? By setting = it with line spacing
of 12 pt and adding one and a half line before and = half a line after. No
glue.

I'd like a \@section command to have parameters for = space before and
after, how much space before if it occurs at the top = of a page, and with
the possibility of the spacing after to be overridden = by the initial
spacing of the subsequent paragraph.

In a *perfect* world, spacing would optionally be = dependent upon whether
the number of lines in the paragraph is odd or even, = so as to make sure
that line spacing is consistent across pages. I've = seen Real Typographers
bent over their documents with rules for verifying = that no line of text is
typeset out of order.

In LaTeX 2.09, I feel that my control of line spacing = leaves a little to
be desired. I'd like full control over spacing also = within the standard
document styles.

2. Drivers

PostScript drivers come in to variants: Those which = believe that there
exist only 35 fonts, such as Stephan v. = Bechtolsheim's dvitps, or those
which believe that there exist only one language, = such that Tomas Rokicki's
dvips.

I'd very much like a PostScript driver that = allows:

     -  Full reencoding of a = font, allowing me to specify any encoding I
        please, as = dvitps does
     -  The ability to = compose a font from other fonts, allowing me to add
        ligatures = or symbols from one font into another font, as dvips does
     -  The ability to hack = of portions of letters and combining them into
        single = letters. I'd like to be able to hack the dot of the
        postscript = j, and combine it with an ff ligature to make fj, ffj,
        etc.

I don't know if it's possible to include these wishes = into a driver
specification. But I hope for such a beast to arrive, = and I think Tomas
Rokicki's dvips is closest. The dvips hack afm3tfm = allows for specifying
an encoding vector, but its behavior is pretty = erratic.

Happy if these suggestions are considered (and even = happier if they
already have been),

Rolf Lindgren

Rolf Lindgren   =         | =       "The opinions expressed above = are
616 Bjerke Studentheim  |  =       not necessarily those of = anyone"
N-0589 OSLO 5   =         = |            = rolfl@hedda.uio.no


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