Re: fontsize in math

[Hans Hagen <pragma@wxs.nl>]

At 02:14 PM 3/5/2003 +0100, you wrote:
>Hi Hans,
>
>I encountered an issue in fontsizing in math mode that I do not understand.
>Searched the manual but couldn't find (or missed) the clue.
>
>Using the green presentation style but changed to a somewhat larger 
>fontsize by adding:
>\setupbodyfont[lbr, sans, 17.3pt]       % lucidabright
>
>typesetting the following text:
>{abc$abc$abc} --- {\tfx abc$abc$abc} --- {\tfx abc}{$\tfx abc$}{\tfx abc}
>
>In the first the abc's have the same size.
>In the second the math part has kept its size, the other two are smaller.
>In the third the math part is now so small is doesn't match in size as it 
>did in the first.
>
>I would have thought the math would vary in accordance with the \tfx.
>However, within $'s the font does not follow the outside \tfx, while 
>inside a different size seems to be chosen. I am baffled.
>Can you point in the right direction? Thanks.

The x and xx sizes are meant for text purposes, like text super and 
subscripts and pseudo kaps; opposite to a-d sizes that are meant for heads 
and so; as a result, x and xx are fast, a-d are slower due to the fact that 
math is synchronzied (can be turned on/off)

When you want to switch to a smaller/larger bodyfont, you should use

\smallbodyfont == \switchtobodyfont[smallbodyfont]
\bigbodyfont   == ...

This will switch the whole thing (kee pin mind that for math also the two 
smaller super/sub sizes have to be set up). When using typescripts (i.e. 
namespaces font sets with global file resolving) the penalty in terms of 
time is small.

So:

   use \smallbidyfont instead of \tfx in your case

btw, in the third example the second tfx is actually a tfxx, so {text \tfx 
text \tfx text} makes the last one real small; as said, the main reason for 
the x sizes in in super/sub scripts and pseudo kaps (we use those a lot in 
educ docs and these commands also obey the font style)

Hans
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