BXnewfont Package

LaTeX: Enhanced \newfont command

This package provides a new command \newfontx. It is similar to the old (and deprecated) command \newfont in function, but is more compatible with NFSS. In particular, one can safely change font size after invoking a font command defined by \newfontx. The new command will be useful to users who know much of the old 'newfont commandbut are unfamiliar with the detail of NFSS.

System requirement

• TeX format: LaTeX.
  • TeX engine: Anything.
  • Dependent packages: None.

Installation

• *.sty → $TEXMF/tex/latex/BXnewfont

License

This package is distributed under the MIT License.

The bxnewfont Package

Package Loading

\usepackage[<option>]{bxdvidriver}

Available options:

• newfont: Makes \newfont an alias of newfontx.

Usage

• \newfontx\CMD[<encoding>]{<tfm-name><at-clause>}: Defines \CMD to be a “font command” (pseudo-fontdef token). Here the format of the mandatory argument is exactly same as that of \newfont (<at-clause> can be empty). The optional argument specifies the NFSS encoding name (such as T1) of the TFM to be used, and defaults to the current font encoding. (If you don’t know what it means, then you probably need not care about this argument.)

When the defined `\CMD` command is invoked, the current font will
changes to what is specified by the argument, just as the original
`\newfont`. But unlike `\newfont`, it does not break consistency
of LaTeX NFSS. Specifically, NFSS is set at the following state:

  - The family is what was auto-generated for `\CMD`.
  - The series is `m` and the shape is `n`.
  - The encoding and size are what was specified by the arguments
    of `\newfontx`.

It means that further use of “LaTeX’s font commands” will
probably result in what you will expect. In particular, font size
can be safely changed. The use of `\itshape` has no effect ---
of course, because LaTeX does not know the TFM name of the italic
counterpart --- and no unfavorable effect either.

• \newfontx*\CMD[<encoding>]{<tfm-name>}: Same as the \newfontx, except that “font commands” defined by \newfontx* does not fix font size (note the absence of <at-clause>). Namely, invoking \CMD does not change the current font size. This variant surely diverges from the original \newfont, but will be more useful.

Revision History

• Version 0.2b ‹2017/05/01›
  • Change the rule for automatic quoting. Namely, names which are judged as illegal by mktextfm should be quoted.
  • Version 0.2a ‹2016/08/08›
    • Now “TFM” names can contain spaces with suitable quoting. This enables one to specify OpenType fonts on Unicode engines.
      • An experimental command \newfontjascale is added.
  • Version 0.2 ‹2016/03/27›
    • The first public version.

Takayuki YATO (aka. "ZR") http://zrbabbler.sp.land.to/