Re: stretching the caps

[Guy Worthington <guyw@multiline.com.au>]

Bill McClain wrote
> This is perhaps more of a TeX question. The typography manuals recommend
> letterspacing strings of caps and small caps. I see the \stretch macro,
> but it requires a box of predetermined size. I would like to do
> something like:
> 
> Make the string 10% wider:
> 
>    \Mystretch {BARCHESTER TOWERS} 1.10
> 
> or: Add .2pts between each character:
> 
>    \Mystretch {FRAMLEY PARSONAGE} 0.2pts
> 
> (I swear I will never letterspace lowercase letters).

If you can live with a muddle of plain, latex and context, then
consider the soul.sty package (available on CTAN).  I've included an
example below

%--------------------------------------------------
\input miniltx
\input soul.sty

\sodef\SO{}{.08em}{.4em}{1em}%
\setuplabeltext[chapter=\SO{CHAPTER} ]
\def\ChapterTitle#1#2{%
  \vbox{
    \hbox{\midaligned{#1}}
    \blank[big]
    \hbox{\midaligned{#2}}
  }
}

\setuphead
  [chapter]
  [command=\ChapterTitle,
   page=right]

\setupbodyfont[cmr,10pt]

\starttext

\chapter{\small\SO{WHO WILL BE THE NEW BISHOP?}}

In the latter days of July in the year 185--, a most important
question was for 10 days hourly asked in the cathedral city of
Barchester, and answered every hour in various ways---Who was to be
the new bishop?

...

\stoptext
%--------------------------------------------------