[NTG-context] Re: learning about the grid

[Pablo Rodriguez via ntg-context <ntg-context@ntg.nl>]

On 11/19/23 13:27, Miguel Diaz wrote:
> [...]

Hi Miguel,

I don’t use the grid. This is also the default in ConTeXt.

I’m not sure whether I’m getting your point here.

See what the difference between not enabling the grid and enabling it:

  \showframe\showgrid
  \setupwhitespace[medium]
  \starttext
    \input knuth
  \setuplayout[grid=yes]\page
    \input knuth
  \stoptext

> 1. Why are the lines printed one over the other when grid=no? how do
> profis then use context without grid?

As said, ConTeXt is \setuplayout[grid=no] by default.

As far as I can recall it, the default value is
\setupinterlinespace[line=2.85ex].

I have just discovered that with values such as line=1.3ex,
\setuplayout[grid=yes] behaves very differently than with values such as
line=2ex (and above).

I mean, lines follow the grid when the text fits. See the difference with:

  \showframe\showgrid
  \setupinterlinespace[line=1.3ex]
  \starttext
    \dorecurse{25}{asa aeo eau}
  \setuplayout[grid=yes]\page
    \dorecurse{25}{asa aeo eau}
  \stoptext

According to https://wiki.contextgarden.net/Grid_typesetting (feel free
to improve the article), a way of solving this would be to wrap your
stuff inside:

  \startlinecorrection
  ...
  \stoplinecorrection

The problem is that your interline space is too small to prevent line
collapsing.

ex is the height of the lowercase 'x'. Are you sure that your school
doesn’t require 1.3em (height of capital 'M') as interline space instead?

You can get yourself the values:

  \starttext
  \the\exheight\\
  %\the \dimexpr1.3\exheight\\
  \the\emwidth
  \stoptext

The first line will give you 1ex is about 5.7pt (with the default font
used by ConTeXt). 1.3ex would be less than 6.75pt.

The value of 1em is the value of the font size. Default for ConTeXt is
12pt, so 1em has to be 12pt.

I think it is clear now that an interline space of 1.3ex calls for line
overlapping.

That being said, I don’t know why the grid avoids collapsing them (if
the person explicitly asks for this).

> 2. Is there a document where I can read how the grid is conceived to
> work for the many options in a simple way?

See the wiki article above. The mailing list is also a way of getting help.

One suggestion, please always provide a minimal working sample (that can
be copied, pasted and compiled automatically), when you ask for help.

How minimal? Well, they cannot lack essential parts to be compiled.
Other than that, they should only contain required content to reproduce
your issue.

This minimal working sample helps the one who reads to understand what
you are dealing with.

Otherwise, it is really hard to understand which kind of issue you might
be facing (consider that no one else may read your mind or be in front
of your computer).

I hope it might help,

Pablo
___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / https://mailman.ntg.nl/mailman3/lists/ntg-context.ntg.nl
webpage  : https://www.pragma-ade.nl / https://context.aanhet.net (mirror)
archive  : https://github.com/contextgarden/context
wiki     : https://wiki.contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________