Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!uunet!jarthur!dhosek
From: dhosek@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Donald Hosek)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: TeX, Metafont, and 400 dpi NeXT printer
Message-ID: <499@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>
Date: 16 Mar 89 02:56:00 GMT
References: <1515@amelia.nas.nasa.gov> <73465UH2@PSUVM> <554@adobe.UUCP>
Reply-To: dhosek@jarthur.UUCP (Donald Hosek)
Organization: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA
Lines: 35

In article <554@adobe.UUCP> greid@adobe.COM (Glenn Reid) writes:
>You could always just scrap the Computer Modern fonts and use PostScript
>fonts?  The NeXT machine uses the Display PostScript system, which
>means you might not need tons of 400dpi bitmaps when you can use
>outline fonts instead.
>
>Perhaps this has already occurred to you and you have ruled it out for
>other reasons, but I thought I should point it out, at least.
>
>The availability of higher- and higher-resolution devices is one of the
>main arguments against bitmap fonts.  Look at all the time, space, and
>hassle they require so support a new printer (it looks like about 3
>megabytes for a single font set).  Not to mention the differences
>between write-white and write-black engines, etc., etc.
>
>Glenn Reid
>Adobe Systems

Problems with PostScript fonts include the fact that to produce usable
outlines at low resolutions (meaning 300 dpi or less; possibly even at
resolutions as high as 400 or 600 dpi), one needs proprietary PostScript
code. People aren't going to scrap CM anytime soon because (1) it's actually
a kind of nice font (2) it's more a matter of scrapping MF output in general
(3) at the present time, Lucida is the only PS font that supports the full
TeX character set (remember, the main reason many people use TeX is for the
full supply of math symbols available).

  Given a NeXT machine of my own, I would be glad to take the time to not
  only get TeX to produce PS directly, but to also get MF to do the same.
(the NeXT is currently the only system where this is feasible). THe catch
is finding someone to give me the machine.

Don Hosek

(Please respond to U33297@UICVM.UIC.EDU)