Message-ID:  <98112514204991@man.ac.uk>
Reply-To: Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project
              <LATEX-L@URZ.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE>
Date:         Wed, 25 Nov 1998 14:20:50 GMT
From: Phillip Helbig <helbig@MAN.AC.UK>
Sender: Mailing list for the LaTeX3 project
              <LATEX-L@URZ.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE>
To: Multiple recipients of list LATEX-L
              <LATEX-L@URZ.UNI-HEIDELBERG.DE>
Subject:      Re: figures and images (was "base" LaTeX)
Status: R

> >> > > - Guidelines for including graphics (psfrag???)
>
> >> >aaargh! and you expect me to translate your psfrag stuff to XML???
>
> >> Indeed.  You may need to get away from all such specialized hacks from
> >> the TeX world (and there are many when it comes to graphics) and
> >> focus on standard formats like EPS (for `vector graphics')
>
> >psfrag is an eps-patcher (allows you to match fonts between the figure
> >and the surrounding body text).
>
> I know.  Which is  much better done by using the correct fonts when creating
> the EPS file in the first place.  It is an example what I overheard Sebastian once
> call a `ghetto solution' (unless I misinterpreted what he meant by that).

I disagree here.  The beauty of PSFRAG is that one can divorce the
graphic from the .tex file.  Often, graphics are made for overheads etc
and later recycled in a .tex file.  I might only then decide what font I
want for the figure, or indeed the .cls might do it for me (perhaps
redefining times from roman to default etc).  It would be silly to
recreate the plot, which in some cases might mean a lot of effort, every
time I change fonts in my document!!!!!!!  The whole beauty of TeX/LaTeX
is macros; I don't want to hard-wire fonts into anything!

Also, most plotting programs don't (and shouldn't?) have the power of
LaTeX for labelling!  With PSFRAG, I can also make text invisible if I
want and so on.

Or I might use a plot in one paper with one notation and the same plot,
say for a semi-popular talk, with a different notation.

Long live PSFRAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


--
Phillip Helbig                          Email ......... p.helbig@jb.man.ac.uk
Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories   Tel. .... +44 1477 571 321 (ext. 297)
Jodrell Bank                            Fax ................ +44 1477 571 618
Macclesfield                            Telex ................ 36149 JODREL G
UK-Cheshire SK11 9DL                    Web ... http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/~pjh/