Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!uwvax!rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!ron
From: ron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: Using several fonts in troff
Message-ID: <17495@topaz.rutgers.edu>
Date: 20 Jan 88 16:47:32 GMT
References: <3680031@nucsrl.UUCP>
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 15

Old troff only supports four fonts at a time (although you can
change them to whatever you want) because it is generating codes
for a C/A/T phototypesetter which only has four font positions.
A program such as vcat then converts these codes into something
else such as the raster lines for a versatec, in vcat's case.
vcat uses the .railmag file to indicate which of the vcat fonts
are mounted where.  You must also tell troff which font is mounted
so that it can get the widths correct.

If you want more fonts and generalized typesetter support then
you need ditroff (new troff) which generates a typesetter independant
pass which is processed by various output filters for various devices.
You can change fonts arbitrarily there.

-Ron