Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!xanth!mcnc!rti!h-three!jimi
From: jimi@h-three.UUCP (jimi)
Newsgroups: comp.text
Subject: Re: Small Caps Usage
Summary: it's a matter of individual (publication) style
Keywords: small-caps, typesetting
Message-ID: <667@h-three.UUCP>
Date: 6 Apr 89 20:49:30 GMT
References: <2370@cps3xx.UUCP>
Organization: h-three Systems, Research Triangle Park,  NC
Lines: 56

In article <2370@cps3xx.UUCP>, smithda@cpsvax.cps.msu.edu (J. Daniel Smith) writes:
> Does anyone have a set of rules about when something should be set in
> "small-caps"?  As I was reading through _Time_ this week, I noticed
> small caps being used several times.  However, I couldn't figure out
> the method to their madness, because they didn't set every word that
> was in all capital letters in small-caps.  Any pointers?  Good
> references on the subject?

Most publications have their own rules in their stylebooks that set
forth the use of small caps.

This isn't a rule, but I agree with the thoughts:

	Small caps often substitute for caps in abbreviations
	where regular caps used throughout the text would be
	overly assertive and therefore distracting ([e.g.,]
	in the abbreviations A.M., P.M., B.C., A.D., NASA,
	AFL/CIO, ILGWU). Because they are about the same
	height as the lowercase letters, small caps contribute
	to the uniformity of the page, making it quieter and
	easier to read.

	from _Phototypesetting: A Design Manual_, James Craig,
	1978, Watson-Gupthill Publications, New York, NY.

I looked at the _Chicago Manual of Style_, 13th ed., which prefers
small caps for some, but not all, abbreviations. Specifically, A.M.
and P.M. and A.D. and B.C. should be set in small caps, but not 
others. It rules the number N should be set in small caps when set
roman, full cap in italics ("there are no italic small caps").
Column headings in tables are to be set in small caps or mixed case.
Small caps are suggested in chapter titles after an initial full cap.

One software house we worked with set all software names in small
caps, e.g., UNIX, AWK, TROFF, MM, LEX, etc. Hardware identifiers,
e.g., XYZ 2300, were set in full caps. 

In our publications, we usually set any string of capitals >=3 letters
in small caps for the reasons set forth in the quote above, unless
they are outside the body of text, e.g, table titles.

In prose small caps are often used decoratively, for example to set
the first few words of the first line of a paragraph that starts
with a drop cap.

People who aren't interested in ditroff may wish to press 'n' now.

Debates about what small caps really are belong to another discussion,
but, if true small caps are unavailable, in text type we use the quick
and dirty \s-1STRING\s0 troff construct. In display type, we use
various combinations of the \H and \s escapes to create the illusion
of true small caps, which are the same weight as full caps in the same
font.
-- 
Jim Ingram	          uunet!h-three!jimi | jimi%h-three@uunet.uu.net
h-three Systems Corporation   P.O. Box 12557 RTP NC 27709   919 549 8334