I am automating the creation of books using ConTeXt with a graphic design graduate student at the Rhode Island School of Design. The book cover is created using MetaPost inside a ConTeXt source file. The graphic designer tells me it is very common to specify the interletter spacing, or tracking, and in fact, he considers this capability to be essential. I understand that these, so called, microtypography capabilities are present in pdfTeX fully, but only partially present in LuaTeX (protrusion and expansion), although tracking can be set in a way using \kerncharacters[0.5] in LuaTeX. However, the quality of the typesetting produced by LuaTeX is completely inadequate, while the quality of the typesetting produced by pdfTeX is very good. Am I miss-understanding the differences in capability between pdfTeX and LuaTeX in this regard? Relevant examples follow and PDFs are attached. I processed the following ConTeXt source file using MKII: This is pdfTeX, Version 3.1415926-1.40.10 (Web2C 2009) (format=cont-en 2011.8.13) ConTeXt ver: 2011.05.18 18:04 MKII fmt: 2011.8.13 int: english/english ===== START MKII EXAMPLE ===== \pdfminorversion=5 \definepapersize[LG1][width=9.3in,height=6.87in] \definepapersize[LP1][width=9.55in,height=7.12in] \setuppapersize[LG1][LP1] \setuplayout[location=middle,marking=off] \setuppagenumber[state=stop] \startMPenvironment \usetypescript[modern][ec] \switchtotypeface[modern][7.0pt] \setupinterlinespace \def\stretchedspacefactor{4} \def\stretchedspaceamount{0.25em} \stopMPenvironment \startuniqueMPgraphic{cover} cover_paper_width := 9.55in; cover_paper_height := 7.12in; left_margin := 0.347222222222in; top_margin := 0.347222222222in; bottom_margin := 0.347222222222in; draw (0, 0)--(cover_paper_width, cover_paper_height) withpen pencircle scaled 1bp withcolor white; picture labelText; labelText := btex {\vbox{\hsize 2.38888888889in \baselineskip 10.5pt T\hskip 0.25em\stretchednormalcase{HIS BOOK CONTAINS 988 TWEETS POSTED TO TWITTER BY LADYGAGA FROM MARCH 27, 2008 TO AUGUST 5, 2011. IT WAS PUBLISHED ON DEMAND ON AUGUST 14, 2011}}} etex; labeloffset := 0bp; label.lrt(labelText, (left_margin, cover_paper_height - top_margin)); \stopuniqueMPgraphic \defineoverlay[cover][\uniqueMPgraphic{cover}] \starttext \title{} \setupbackgrounds[paper][background={cover}] \stoptext ===== STOP MKII EXAMPLE ===== I processed the following ConTeXt source file using MKIV: this is luatex, version beta-0.70.1-2011051908 (rev 4277) ConTeXt ver: 2011.05.18 18:04 MKIV fmt: 2011.7.13 int: english/english ===== START MKVI EXAMPLE ===== \pdfminorversion=5 \definepapersize[LG1][width=9.24in,height=6.87in] \definepapersize[LP1][width=9.49in,height=7.12in] \setuppapersize[LG1][LP1] \setuplayout[location=middle,marking=off] \setuppagenumber[state=stop] \definefont[LabelFont][Serif sa 0.583] \startuniqueMPgraphic{cover} cover_paper_width := 9.49in; cover_paper_height := 7.12in; left_margin := 0.347222222222in; top_margin := 0.347222222222in; bottom_margin := 0.347222222222in; draw (0, 0)--(cover_paper_width, cover_paper_height) withpen pencircle scaled 1bp withcolor white; picture labelText; labelText := btex {\vbox{\hsize 2.38888888889in \baselineskip 10.5pt \LabelFont {\kerncharacters[0.5] THIS BOOK CONTAINS 988 TWEETS POSTED TO TWITTER BY LADYGAGA FROM MARCH 27, 2008 TO AUGUST 5, 2011. IT WAS PUBLISHED ON DEMAND ON AUGUST 14, 2011}}} etex; labeloffset := 0bp; label.lrt(labelText, (left_margin, cover_paper_height - top_margin)); \stopuniqueMPgraphic \defineoverlay[cover][\uniqueMPgraphic{cover}] \starttext \title{} \setupbackgrounds[paper][background={cover}] \stoptext ===== STOP MKVI EXAMPLE ===== The MKII PDF The MKIV PDF
Am 16.08.2011 um 02:22 schrieb Raymond LeClair:
I am automating the creation of books using ConTeXt with a graphic design graduate student at the Rhode Island School of Design.
The book cover is created using MetaPost inside a ConTeXt source file.
The graphic designer tells me it is very common to specify the interletter spacing, or tracking, and in fact, he considers this capability to be essential.
I understand that these, so called, microtypography capabilities are present in pdfTeX fully, but only partially present in LuaTeX (protrusion and expansion), although tracking can be set in a way using \kerncharacters[0.5] in LuaTeX.
However, the quality of the typesetting produced by LuaTeX is completely inadequate, while the quality of the typesetting produced by pdfTeX is very good.
Am I miss-understanding the differences in capability between pdfTeX and LuaTeX in this regard?
To place elements on a fixed position on the page you can use layers. It’s also important to disable kerning, ligatures etc. \definepapersize[LG1][width=9.24in,height=6.87in] \definepapersize[LP1][width=9.49in,height=7.12in] \setuppapersize[LG1][LP1] \setuplayout[location=middle,marking=off] \setuppagenumber[state=stop] %\definefont[LabelFont][Serif sa 0.583] \definefont[LabelFont][Serif*none at 7pt] \definelayer[cover] \starttext \startlayout[page] \startstandardmakeup \setlayerframed [cover] [x=0.3472in, y=0.3472in] [frame=off, width=2.6in, align={right,broad}, foregroundstyle=LabelFont] {\setupinterlinespace[line=10.5pt] \setuptolerance[space]% \kerncharacters[0.25] THIS BOOK CONTAINS 988 TWEETS POSTED TO TWITTER BY LADYGAGA FROM MARCH 27, 2008 TO AUGUST 5, 2011. IT WAS PUBLISHED ON DEMAND ON AUGUST 14, 2011\par} \placelayer[cover] \stopstandardmakeup \stoplayout \stoptext Wolfgang
On 16-8-2011 2:22, Raymond LeClair wrote:
The graphic designer tells me it is very common to specify the interletter spacing, or tracking, and in fact, he considers this capability to be essential.
intercharacter spacing is ok for titling but for running text ... maybe common but not that good (after all it spoils the font design)
I understand that these, so called, microtypography capabilities are present in pdfTeX fully, but only partially present in LuaTeX (protrusion and expansion), although tracking can be set in a way using \kerncharacters[0.5] in LuaTeX.
pdftex has some inter character kerning features but they are considered to be experimental and in context they are supported (see hand-ini.mkii) but I must admit that I never used it and have forgotten how to enable it
However, the quality of the typesetting produced by LuaTeX is completely inadequate, while the quality of the typesetting produced by pdfTeX is very good.
nu clue (yet) but i might as well remove the old mechanism from mkiv as we have better ways
Am I miss-understanding the differences in capability between pdfTeX and LuaTeX in this regard?
yes, see example below (somewhat changed so you might want to wikify it as example (it will confuse mojca's number of hits filters as 'twitter' and 'ladygaga' might lead to false google lookups). \definepapersize[LG1][width=9.24in,height=6.87in] \definepapersize[LP1][width=9.49in,height=7.12in] \setuppapersize[LG1][LP1] \setuplayout[location=middle,marking=off] \definefont[LabelFont][Serif sa 0.583] \definecharacterkerning [mykerning] [factor=.5] \startbuffer THIS BOOK CONTAINS 988 TWEETS POSTED TO TWITTER BY LADYGAGA FROM MARCH 27, 2008 TO AUGUST 5, 2011. IT WAS PUBLISHED ON DEMAND ON AUGUST 14, 2011 \stopbuffer \startsetups covertext \framed [ width=2.38888888889in, align=normal, frame=off, offset=0pt, foregroundstyle=\LabelFont ] { \baselineskip10.5pt \setcharacterkerning[mykerning] \getbuffer \par } \stopsetups \startuniqueMPgraphic{cover} StartPage ; left_margin := 0.347222222222in ; top_margin := 0.347222222222in ; draw textext.lrt("\setups[covertext]") shifted ulcorner Page shifted (left_margin,-top_margin) ; StopPage ; \stopuniqueMPgraphic \defineoverlay[cover][\uniqueMPgraphic{cover}] \definelayer [page] [width=\paperwidth, height=\paperheight] \showframe \starttext % variant one: \setupbackgrounds [paper] [background={cover}] \startstandardmakeup\stopstandardmakeup \page \setupbackgrounds [paper] [background=] % variant two: \setlayer [page] [preset=lefttop, offset=0.347222222222in] {\setups[covertext]} \setuplayout [page] \tightlayer[page] \page \setuplayout \stoptext Hans ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands tel: 038 477 53 69 | voip: 087 875 68 74 | www.pragma-ade.com | www.pragma-pod.nl -----------------------------------------------------------------
best disable the regular kerning: \starttext \definedfont[Serif*none] % no kerning \hsize 2.38888888889in \kerncharacters[0.125] THIS BOOK CONTAINS 988 TWEETS POSTED TO TWITTER BY LADYGAGA FROM MARCH 27, 2008 TO AUGUST 5, 2011. IT WAS PUBLISHED ON DEMAND ON AUGUST 14, 2011 \kerncharacters[0.250] THIS BOOK CONTAINS 988 TWEETS POSTED TO TWITTER BY LADYGAGA FROM MARCH 27, 2008 TO AUGUST 5, 2011. IT WAS PUBLISHED ON DEMAND ON AUGUST 14, 2011 \stoptext ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands tel: 038 477 53 69 | voip: 087 875 68 74 | www.pragma-ade.com | www.pragma-pod.nl -----------------------------------------------------------------
On 16-8-2011 10:37, Hans Hagen wrote:
best disable the regular kerning:
\starttext
\definedfont[Serif*none] % no kerning
\hsize 2.38888888889in \kerncharacters[0.125] THIS BOOK CONTAINS 988 TWEETS POSTED TO TWITTER BY LADYGAGA FROM MARCH 27, 2008 TO AUGUST 5, 2011. IT WAS PUBLISHED ON DEMAND ON AUGUST 14, 2011
\kerncharacters[0.250] THIS BOOK CONTAINS 988 TWEETS POSTED TO TWITTER BY LADYGAGA FROM MARCH 27, 2008 TO AUGUST 5, 2011. IT WAS PUBLISHED ON DEMAND ON AUGUST 14, 2011
\stoptext
node mode fonts supported in next beta ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands tel: 038 477 53 69 | voip: 087 875 68 74 | www.pragma-ade.com | www.pragma-pod.nl -----------------------------------------------------------------
participants (3)
-
Hans Hagen -
Raymond LeClair -
Wolfgang Schuster