\textfont is used to define the 16 families of fonts used for math-mode typesetting. I apologise - I misread the original post and didn't notice that it was capital lambda which was wanted - in which case it is \textfont0 which should be set (to the same value as the current font), not \textfont1 (for Plain TeX - i.e. Computer Modern). So for, example, for a title instead of just saying:
\font\title=cmr17 \title Here's my title with a wrongly-sized $\Lambda$ \bye you say: \font\title=cmr17 \title\textfont0=\title Here's my title with a correctly-sized $\Lamba$ \bye \textfont, \scriptfont and \scriptscriptfont should be set every time you change font if (and only if!) you also want math mode to typeset correctly - I believe that LaTeX's NFSS handles it all automatically. These primitives and \mathchar are explained on pp.153-155 of The TeXbook (since \Lambda is \mathchar"7003). plain.tex is also a good example (just search for \textfont)... but the specifics of font families certainly do warrant the double-dangerous-bend signs in the manual :o) The other option if you don't want to have math mode available in something like a title is to disable it completely - in which case just say \textfont0=\nullfont and so on and you'll get an error message if you try to use math mode (which IMO is better than getting a character which is the wrong size as that may slip through proofreading...). Choosing to set \textfont or just to rip the character directly out of the font is just a matter of portability (or taste!). Personally, I prefer to use Plain's macros over ripping characters as it's potentially more portable if you subsequently change the font to another Plain TeX compatible font (as a Plain TeX compatible set of fonts will define \Lambda to work with that font but won't necessary put the symbol at slot "03 in its roman font). David > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Don Simons > Sent: 15 March 2009 00:14 > To: 'Werner Icking Music Archive' > Subject: Re: [TeX-Music] Length of title > > Sorry, I don't understand this at all. PMX doesn't set \textfont1 because > the author of PMX never saw any need for it, not to mention that he doesn't > have any idea what it does. In any event, the example I posted (which I > think crossed your message in the ether) seems to work, at least for an > italic lambda. The question in my mind is what font gives a non-italic upper > case lambda. > > --Don > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: [email protected] > >[mailto:[email protected]] > >On Behalf Of David Allsopp > >Sent: Saturday, March 14, 2009 4:59 PM > >To: 'Werner Icking Music Archive' > >Subject: Re: [TeX-Music] Length of title > > > >> That works! > >> What about the size of the \Lambda? :/ > > > >Have you (or pmx) set \textfont1 for the font of the title to the > >appropriate version of the cmmi font (issuing a font command only > >changes > >the default setting font - you have to update utility fonts for math > >mode to > >work as well)? You need \textfont1 to be the correct size of the math > >italic > >version of Computer Modern for the lamba to match... see p.430 of The > >TeXbook for details of math italic and Appendix B for examples of its > >use... > > > > > >David > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > >[email protected] mailing list > >If you want to unsubscribe or look at the archives, go to > >http://mailman.nfit.au.dk/mailman/listinfo/icking-music-archive.org-tex- > >music > > > _______________________________________________ > [email protected] mailing list > If you want to unsubscribe or look at the archives, go to > http://mailman.nfit.au.dk/mailman/listinfo/icking-music-archive.org-tex-musi c _______________________________________________ [email protected] mailing list If you want to unsubscribe or look at the archives, go to http://mailman.nfit.au.dk/mailman/listinfo/icking-music-archive.org-tex-music
