The author showcases their preferred LaTeX font setup for academic papers, emphasizing readability and aesthetics. They recommend the Libertinus font family for its comprehensive coverage and modern feel, substituting it for LaTeX's default Computer Modern. For monospace text, they suggest Fira Code, highlighting its ligatures for enhanced code clarity. The setup also includes improved math fonts using the unicode-math package, specifically Latin Modern Math. Finally, microtype is employed for subtle text adjustments to further refine the document's appearance. The author provides configuration examples and emphasizes the ease of implementation for this modern and visually appealing LaTeX font setup.
Luís Fernandes's November 21, 2022, blog post, "My favourite fonts to use with LaTeX (2022)," details his preferred font selections for crafting visually appealing and typographically sound documents within the LaTeX typesetting system. He begins by emphasizing the crucial role of typography in enhancing readability and establishing a document's overall aesthetic. Fernandes then clarifies his focus on Computer Modern as the foundational font family, serving as a solid baseline due to its widespread availability, compatibility, and reputable design.
The post meticulously outlines several distinct font configurations, each serving a specific purpose or preference. First, he introduces the "Latin Modern" family, an updated rendition of Computer Modern that rectifies known shortcomings while retaining its classic character. Next, he explores the "TeX Gyre" collection, a set of fonts meticulously designed to emulate popular choices like Times, Helvetica, Courier, and Palatino, offering a familiar feel within the LaTeX ecosystem. Fernandes highlights the utility of these fonts for producing documents with a more traditional or widely accepted typographic appearance.
Furthermore, he discusses the use of system fonts, emphasizing the advantages of leveraging operating system fonts like Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Arial directly within LaTeX documents. This, he explains, is beneficial for situations requiring specific fonts typically not readily available within the TeX environment. The method for integrating system fonts is meticulously described, ensuring clarity for readers interested in implementing this approach.
The post also delves into the intricacies of utilizing OpenType fonts with XeLaTeX and LuaLaTeX, modern LaTeX engines known for their advanced font handling capabilities. Fernandes underscores the expanded typographic opportunities these engines provide, opening doors to a wider array of font choices, especially contemporary designs. He specifically mentions EB Garamond, Noto, and Fira Sans as illustrative examples of high-quality OpenType fonts readily usable with XeLaTeX and LuaLaTeX. He then provides clear instructions, complete with code examples, on how to incorporate these fonts within a document.
Fernandes goes on to address the practical aspect of choosing fonts for specific document elements, like body text, headings, code listings, and mathematical content. He recommends fonts based on their legibility, clarity, and aesthetic appropriateness for each context. This section gives practical guidance for achieving a balanced and harmonious typographical structure.
Finally, the post concludes with a reflection on the evolving nature of font preferences and the continuous search for optimal typography in LaTeX. Fernandes acknowledges the subjective nature of font selection and encourages readers to explore various options to discover what best suits their individual tastes and the specific requirements of their documents. He ends by inviting readers to share their own favoured font configurations, fostering a sense of community and ongoing discussion around LaTeX typography.
Summary of Comments ( 48 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44011686
The Hacker News comments discuss font recommendations beyond the article's suggestions, including Charter, Alegreya, and Bookerly. Several users debate the merits of different fonts for readability and aesthetics, with some emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between serif and sans-serif fonts for body text and headings. Practical considerations are also discussed, like font availability and licensing, particularly regarding open-source options. Some commenters suggest tools and techniques for managing fonts within LaTeX, while others offer alternative font pairings. The discussion also touches on the complexities of font rendering and the challenges of achieving consistent results across different platforms and output formats.
The Hacker News post titled "My favourite fonts to use with LaTeX (2022)" linking to an article about LaTeX fonts has generated several comments discussing various aspects of font selection and usage within LaTeX.
One commenter highlights the enduring popularity and readability of Computer Modern, the default font family for LaTeX, suggesting that its familiarity contributes to its widespread use. They also mention the book "Computers & Typesetting" by Donald Knuth, which details the creation of Computer Modern. Another commenter concurs with the sentiment regarding Computer Modern, emphasizing its legibility and the substantial effort Knuth invested in its design.
The discussion then shifts towards the challenges of using system fonts with LaTeX, with one user pointing out potential issues with XeLaTeX and font discovery. They mention the need for configuration and the possibility of encountering problems related to font name variations. A subsequent comment elaborates on this, suggesting that using
fontspecwith XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX simplifies the process of utilizing system fonts, making it easier to specify font features like small caps or old-style numerals.Another commenter questions the necessity of explicitly loading fonts if the goal is to use system fonts. This prompts a response explaining that using
fontspecprovides greater control over font features and simplifies font selection compared to relying on system font defaults. This commenter also provides a snippet of code illustrating the use offontspecto select the system font "Times New Roman".Further discussion revolves around specific font choices and their suitability for different contexts. One commenter mentions their preference for Libertinus Serif as a replacement for Times New Roman, praising its open-source nature and overall quality. Another user expresses their fondness for the EB Garamond font, particularly for its aesthetic qualities in print.
A few comments also touch upon the complexities of font licensing and the importance of selecting fonts that are appropriately licensed for the intended use case. One comment specifically mentions the potential issues with using certain fonts commercially.
Finally, the topic of optimizing PDF size is briefly addressed, with one commenter mentioning the
optimize-pdfutility for reducing file sizes, which can be particularly helpful when dealing with large documents or presentations containing embedded fonts.