[Tex/LaTex] ClassicThesis Changing the font to computer modern

classicthesiscomputer-modernfontspixelated

I am super sorry for this question as it is very basic and probably answered many times..

I really like the ClassicThesis format a lot!
However, I am not really a big fan of the Palatino font for the body of text. I prefer computer modern or latin modern.

In the classicthesis-config.tex file, I have activated the line:

\usepackage{hfoldsty}

However, compared to the book document class the fonts are fuzzy and bitmapped:
enter image description here

Is there a way to solve this issue, do I need to change something in the preamble or install a particular package?

Best Answer

Package hfoldsty contains:

\RequirePackage[T1]{fontenc}

Then LaTeX uses the EC fonts without other font settings (8-bit version of the standard CM fonts). Install cm-super to get the vector fonts (Type 1) of the EC fonts. Bitmap fonts (PK fonts, Type 3) are resolution dependent.

Alternatively you can load the more modern LM (Latin Modern) fonts that are derived from the CM/EC fonts:

\usepackage{lmodern}

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Fatter Computer Modern

This post on a german typography board provides a possible solution for this problem. The OP also gives a snippet of Knuth's 'Digital Typography' to show that the CM was never meant to look that thin in print (as it does with modern laser printers; see third snippet).

Another workaround – although kludgy – would be to use a different optical size for standard text. If you set the text in 11pt, the default optical size is 10pt. Choosing 9pt instead will result in slightly thicker strokes but also a slightly wider letter shape.

[Tex/LaTex] How to create new font which is thicker version of Computer Modern

Some options include these (see examples below):

Use "Latin Modern" (\usepackage{lmodern}), the updated version of Computer Modern. It looks a bit less spindly on screen and print than the original, in my opinion. (Example below)
Scale "Computer Modern" as demonstrated below (thanks to this answer)
Use the font "Computer Concrete" (\usepackage{concmath}), which Knuth designed as a thicker version of Computer Modern using METAFONT.
Use a similar but thicker font. For example gfsbodoni (\usepackage[default]{gfsbodoni}) is in the same family of "modern" typefaces but perhaps has a more desirable weight.
Use METAFONT directly and adjust it to your liking. This kind of thing was the original purpose of that program.

(EDIT)

Demonstration of font scaling (#2 above):

Here is a way that you can scale the font. You ask for a smaller font size to be magnified to a larger one; since the smaller sizes have thicker strokes, you get a thicker-looking, but also wider font. You can experiment with the proportions. This example scales cmr7 up to the default 10pt.

(I didn't get the italic working yet, and I don't think the bold is scaled, but hopefully someone else can add to this.)

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}

\DeclareFontShape{T1}{cmr}{mx}{n}%
    {<->cmr7}{}
\DeclareFontShape{T1}{cmr}{mx}{it}%
    {<->cmr7}{}

\AtBeginDocument{%
    \fontseries{mx}\selectfont%
}

% to create dummy text for testing
\newcommand{\quickfox}{The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog}
\newcommand{\Fox}{The Quick Brown Fox}
\newcommand{\Dog}{The Lazy Dog}
\newcommand{\Jumps}{Jumps Over}
\usepackage{lipsum}

\begin{document}

\section{\Fox}
\quickfox?

\subsection{\Dog}
\emph{\quickfox.}

\paragraph{\Jumps}
\lipsum[1]

\end{document}

Thus, cmr7 scaled to 10pt:

enter image description here

For comparison, here is the example with lmodern and no scaling:

enter image description here

This is gfsbodoni:

enter image description here

And this is concmath (Computer Concrete) (as noted in the comments it really is in a different font family despite being derived from Computer Modern):

enter image description here

(EDIT)

Here is a very basic demonstration of how to get started modifying a Metafont. (It's my first time doing it so take this with a grain of salt.)

Find the Metafont source for Computer Modern 10pt, TEXMF-DIST/fonts/source/public/cm/crm10.mf.
COPY this file to a separate working directory where you won't mess up your TeXLive installation.
Go in and change the "thickness" and "breadth" parameters to larger values. Save the file under a new name, e.g., cmthick.mf
- e.g., line 25: thin_join#:=10/36pt#; % width of extrafine details
Compile the font with METAFONT (see texdoc metafont):
- mf '\mode=localfont; input cmthick'
- gftopk cmthick.600gf
Use the new font. Since this was just for demonstration and I don't know what I'm doing, I just did this in Plain TeX. File cmthicktest.tex:
```
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

\font\cmthick=cmthick
\cmthick

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
\bye
```
Compiled with tex cmthicktest && dvips cmthicktest && ps2pdf cmthicktest.ps I get the following:

enter image description here

This is just to show that it can be done. I don't know if this is the right way.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] Fatter Computer Modern

[Tex/LaTex] How to create new font which is thicker version of Computer Modern

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