[Tex/LaTex] How to get Libertine Initials to work with lettrine

drop-capfontslettrinelibertine

I don't succeed with Libertine Initials and can't find any post on this.

I would like to get Libertine Initials to work with the package lettrine. However, I don't get the desired result using this MWE:

% arara: lualatex
\documentclass[ngerman]{article}

\usepackage[final]{microtype}
\usepackage{luatextra}
\defaultfontfeatures{%
    ,Ligatures={TeX}
    ,Scale=MatchLowercase
}
\setmainfont[Mapping=tex-text]{Linux Libertine O} 
%\setsansfont[Mapping=tex−text]{Linux Biolinum O}%
\newfontfamily\lettrinefont{Linux Libertine Initials O}
%\newfontfamily\lettrinefont{LinLibertineIO}
%\renewcommand{\LettrineFontHook}{\fontfamily{\lettrinefont}}
\usepackage{lettrine}
\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage{blindtext}

\begin{document}
\lettrine[lines=3, slope=-0.5em, nindent=0pt, lhang=0.35]{V}{ariablen} 
\blindtext
\end{document}

I put in all three possible solutions, I found until now. None is working.

It would be great to get some information about the use of this feature. Are there already some kerning properties set to this font? Or do I have to do everything manually?

Until now, the drop cap is set in the standard Linux Libertine. As visible in the following picture, it does not vertically align with the small caps at top nor the baseline of the third line. Is this done so by purpose?

enter image description here

Best Answer

The lines option can't always compute precisely the font scale necessary for make the initial exactly fit; you can use the loversize option:

% arara: lualatex
\documentclass[ngerman]{article}

\usepackage{fontspec}
\setmainfont[Ligatures=TeX]{Linux Libertine O}

\usepackage[final]{microtype}
\usepackage{lettrine}
\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage{blindtext}

\begin{document}

\lettrine[
  loversize=0.03,
  lines=3,
  slope=-0.5em,
  nindent=0pt,
  lhang=0.35
]{V}{ariablen}
\blindtext

\end{document}

enter image description here

This is what I get using Linux Libertine Initials:

% arara: lualatex
\documentclass[ngerman]{article}

\usepackage{fontspec}
\setmainfont[Ligatures=TeX]{Linux Libertine O}
\newfontfamily\lettrinefont{Linux Libertine Initials O}

\usepackage[final]{microtype}
\usepackage{lettrine}
\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage{blindtext}

\renewcommand{\LettrineFontHook}{\lettrinefont}

\begin{document}

\lettrine[
  loversize=0.03,lines=3,
  slope=-0.5em,
  nindent=0pt,
  lhang=0.35
]{V}{ariablen}
\blindtext

\end{document}

enter image description here

The result left me speechless. What I can say is that I'd even prefer Comic Sans to this horrible thing. Since this possibility is out of the question, I have immediately removed the example file from my machine.

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