Copyright 2007 TeX Users Group. You may freely use, modify and/or distribute this file. ============================================================================== Which Font Set to Use with Y&Y TeX? (choices.txt) ============================================================================== The Y&Y TeX System makes it possible to use any of over 20,000 text fonts now available in Adobe Type 1 (a.k.a `PostScript') format, as well as several thousand in TrueType format. However, there are not many math fonts, and TeX itself makes *very* special demands on math fonts, so presently there are only three coherent font sets that include math fonts usable with TeX. [This is no longer true, of course. See http://tug.org/fonts. --karl, 2006] Which to choose? (1) Computer Modern. -------------------- The Computer Modern (CM) font set was designed by Donald E. Knuth, and used in his `TeX book.' This is a large font set (75 `fonts' - about 30 distinct faces) with wide coverage. CM is unique in providing for `optical scaling' --- each face is represented by several font files for different design sizes (as opposed to a single set of shapes that are linearly scaled). Advantage: (i) Portability of TeX DVI files. Many TeX systems are restricted to using CM, and many users on systems that are not so restricted still use CM. So at the moment this may be the best choice if portability of documents is paramount, particularly if you plan to exchange DVI files instead of TeX source files. Disadvantages: (i) Overuse. Some publishers and authors are getting tired of CM since it has been used so much in technical books and papers. (ii) Also, CM is rather thin and spindly, something that may not be apparent on a `write black' laser printer at 300 dpi, but becomes obvious on a high resolution image setter, and even more so on a `direct to plate' systems. Note: The Y&Y CM TeX System also includes the `extra LaTeX + SliTeX' fonts. If you use the LaTeX `picture environment' to draw simple figures then you will need the `line' and `circle' fonts that are in this `add on' font set. Note: The Y&Y CM TeX package also includes the AMS (American Mathematical Society) fonts in Adobe Type 1 format. (TM) TeX is a trademark of the American Mathematical Society (2) Lucida Bright + Lucida New Math ----------------------------------- Lucida (R) Bright + Lucida New Math (LB+LNM) is a coordinated font set designed for use with TeX. The text fonts in this set are used in the Scientific American (USA edition), and also now in the `Notices of the AMS' (American Mathematical Society). Advantages: It doesn't look like CM! (i) Lucida Bright is a bit `heavier' than CM, which makes it look `darker' on the page, and not `spindly' on image setters. (ii) Lucida Bright has a larger x-height, which makes it somewhat easier to read than more compact faces. (iii) The Lucida New Math fonts are designed to work well with the text faces, forming a `super family' of fonts. Disadvantages: It doesn't look like CM! (i) When used at the same point size, Lucida Bright tends to eat up a few more pages than CM, since on average the characters are wider. The plain TeX and LaTeX 2.09 `style files' are set up to partially compensate for this by using the fonts at a somewhat reduced point size (9.5 instead of 10pt). (ii) Different sizes of the same face are obtained by linear scaling. This can make subscripts and subsubscripts appear too small if the traditional 10pt, 7pt, 5pt scale of CM is used (which is appropriate for `optically scaled' faces). Again, the `style files' are set up to compensate for this using less aggressive scaling for subscripts and subsubscripts. Note: The Y&Y LB+LNM TeX System also includes the Lucida Bright Expert font set. This complements the basic LB+LNM fonts with smallcaps, bold math, seriffed typewiter fonts, and more. Together with the LB+LNM font set, there are 40 distinct faces (compared to about 30 in CM). (R) Lucida is a registered trademark of Bigelow & Holmes, Inc. (3a) MathTime + Times, Helvetica, and Courier -------------------------------------------- Times-Roman has been heavily used in mathematical monographs (other than those using CM anyway!). MathTime provides complementary math fonts that work with TeX. Advantages: (i) Times-Roman is compact. A publisher can reduce the page count by 5% - 10% using Times compared to other faces. (ii) Times, Helvetica, and Courier are resident on most PostScript (PS) devices and so need not be included in a PS file, reducing the size of the PS file (only the math fonts themselves need be included). Disadvantages: This is a small font set. (i) It lacks bold math fonts (although you can use bold upright variable names, of course), (ii) It lacks smallcaps; (iii) there is no Calligraphic face. Noter: If you add MathTime Plus (see below) you get bold math, upright Greek and a Script face. Note: Matched smallcaps fonts are available from Adobe in the `Times Smallcaps and Old Style Figures' package. Note: Additional math alphabets (blackboard bold, Fraktur, and Script) are available from Adobe in the `Math Pi' font set. The style files supplied with MathTime include convenient links to Adobe Math Pi. (TM) MathTime is a trademark of Publish or Perish, Inc. (3b) MathTime + MathTime Plus + Times, Helvetica, and Courier ------------------------------------------------------------- This is the same as the above with the addition of MathTime Plus, a set of twelve fonts that complement MathTime 1.1, with bold (and `heavy') math fonts, upright Greek, and the brand new MathScript.