Re: Microtypography in ConTeXt

[Hans Hagen <pragma@wxs.nl>]

On 4/5/2016 11:51 PM, Jan Tosovsky wrote:
> On 2016-04-05 Hans Hagen wrote:
>> On 4/5/2016 10:55 PM, Jan Tosovsky wrote:
>>>
>>> according to http://texdoc.net/texmf-
>>> dist/doc/latex/microtype/microtype.pdf
>>> pdfTeX offers fine tuning of:
>>> (1) Character protrusion
>>> (2) Font expansion
>>> (3) Tracking
>>> (4) Additional kerning
>>> (5) Interword spacing
>>>
>>> AFAIK ConTeXt covers 1+2+(3?) ...
>>> Are there any plans to cover the rest?
>>
>
> My concern was based on this introduction (on title page), especially on that sentence marked with asterisks:
>
> <cite>
> Note that character protrusion requires pdfTeX (version 0.14f or later), LuaTeX, or
> XeTeX (at least version 0.9997). Font expansion works with pdfTeX (version 1.20 for
> automatic expansion) or LuaTeX. The package will by default enable protrusion and
> expansion if they can safely be assumed to work. Disabling ligatures requires pdfTeX
> (≥ 1.30) or LuaTeX,
>
> ************************************************
> while the adjustment of interword spacing
> and of kerning only works with pdfTeX (≥ 1.40).
>
> *************************************************
>
> Letterspacing is available with pdfTeX (≥ 1.40) or LuaTeX (≥ 0.62).
> </cite>

protrusion and expansion are supported at the luatex engine level but 
configuration is up to the macro packages and they can follow different 
approaches

the other things ... well, they are up to the macro package

>
>> 3 - i have no clue what tracking is
>
> As explained in that document this seems to be a synonym for letter spacing, which is IMO supported.

yes, context supports that (more than just letters)

>> 4 - neither what additional kerning is (unless you mean (usually ugly)
>> extra inter character kerning, which is supported)
>
> Rereading the description in that document there is no advanced processing behind it, so most likely just that ugly kerning, already available in ConTeXt. Just curious why not mentioned as supported on the title page.

what title page? anyway, one can kick in extra font features to deal 
with kerns (although when a font is that bad i'd use another font)

>> 5 - it being a rather core tex feature, normal interword spacing is
>> supported
>
> This seems to be a standard glue with plus/minus value. Again, curious why not mentioned as supported on the title page.

probably because it is so standard

> Are you aware of any typographic feature which is available in pdfTeXt, but not in ConTeXt?-- 

pdftex is an engine so even if something is available it has to be 
supported by macros

i don't think that there are typographical advantages of using pdftex 
over luatex (at least not with context)

Hans

-----------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
               Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
       tel: 038 477 53 69 | www.pragma-ade.com | www.pragma-pod.nl
-----------------------------------------------------------------
___________________________________________________________________________________
If your question is of interest to others as well, please add an entry to the Wiki!

maillist : ntg-context@ntg.nl / http://www.ntg.nl/mailman/listinfo/ntg-context
webpage  : http://www.pragma-ade.nl / http://tex.aanhet.net
archive  : http://foundry.supelec.fr/projects/contextrev/
wiki     : http://contextgarden.net
___________________________________________________________________________________