The LM Math fonts are available in OTF Math format. As such they are usable with unicode-math and ConTeXt Mk IV. So you can finally use LM when using Xe/LuaTeX + unicode-math or ConTeXt (as LM + STIX Math just looks horrible). Presumably they also added additional symbols as Unicode defines lots of math symbols that aren't available in the CM math fonts.
As I read the announcement, you can't use the fonts without an OTF capable TeX engine. So with pdflatex, you have to continue to use the old fonts anyway (see the comments for a qualification of this statement).
(Improved answer thanks to Bruno's help on his code)
I've implemented some of the things I mentioned in my earlier answer, but I felt this was different enough to get a separate answer.
Once again, tex.sx provided me with a couple of things I needed for this. Bruno Le Floch wrote some code that rotates arguments at a random angle and helped shortening it for this answer. Martin Scharrer showed how to execute a command for every word. Thanks to both of them.
Starting at the top of the code, here's what I did to change the design:
- default font size 17 via
extarticle document class
- double line spacing
- define a command
\eldersign that inserts an elder sign, sized in relation to the current font size. You need to find an elder sign that you can use, I put in the placeholder eldersignimagefile. I recommend using a PNG image or some other format providing background transparency.
- change the default font to Teen Spirit – you can use any font you like, there certainly are better ones on the Internet. Use them with XeLaTeX and
fontspec, as I described in my other answer. (I haven't tested Bruno's and Martin's code with XeLaTeX though.) With a different font, you might want to choose a different font size and different rotation angles.
- remove page number
- free parchment background image that I found at http://www.alfredom.com/art/free-6.htm, here named
backgroundimagefile
- centered everything
- changed the text color to
MidnightBlue (svgnames color scheme)
Whenever you want to typeset text crazily, you have to pass it as an argument to \cthulhu. For an elder sign, just use \eldersign. You might want to adapt your image to suit the text color.
DISCLAIMER
This is just hacked together and you will very likely run into problems once you start using it more extensively. Take it as inspiration. It was fun for me putting it together. Feel free to make suggestions on how to improve this.
\documentclass[17pt]{extarticle}% This is a document class providing more font size options
\usepackage[svgnames]{xcolor}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{emerald}% font package
\usepackage[doublespacing]{setspace}% line spacing
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{wallpaper}
% thanks to Bruno Le Floch: https://tex.stackexchange.com/q/9331/4012
% and in his comments to https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/29458/4012
\usepackage{rotating}
\usepackage[first=-6,last=6]{lcg}% you can play around with these values
\makeatletter
\newcommand{\globalrand}{\rand\global\cr@nd\cr@nd}
\makeatother
\newcommand{\randomrotation}[1]{\globalrand\turnbox{\value{rand}}{#1}\phantom{#1}}
% thanks to Martin Scharrer: https://tex.stackexchange.com/q/11598/4012
\makeatletter
\def\cthulhu#1{%
\@cthulhu#1 \@empty
}
\def\@cthulhu#1 #2{%
\randomrotation{#1}\space
\ifx #2\@empty\else
\expandafter\@cthulhu
\fi
#2%
}
\makeatother
% ----------
\newcommand{\eldersign}{\raisebox{-.5\height}{\includegraphics[height=3ex]{eldersignimagefile}}}
\renewcommand*{\rmdefault}{fts}
\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}\CenterWallPaper{}{backgroundimagefile}
\centering% that madman wouldn't justify his writings
\color{MidnightBlue}% my pick for "looks like ink"
\cthulhu{Hello, I am crazy. I am a Cthulhu worshipping gibbering madman, unhinged by
the horrors I have witnessed. I am a Cthulhu worshipping gibbering madman, unhinged by
the horrors I have witnessed. I am a Cthulhu worshipping gibbering madman, unhinged by
the horrors I have witnessed. I am a Cthulhu worshipping gibbering madman, unhinged by
the horrors I have witnessed. I am a Cthulhu worshipping gibbering madman, unhinged by
the horrors I have witnessed.} \eldersign
\end{document}
On the other points you mentioned: I don't think Dropcaps would look good here; they convey something of a plannedness which wouldn't be in the style of my madman. As for font size changes and random word spacing, I don't know how to do that automarandomly.
Best Answer
Thankfully NSF proposal guidelines are quite minimal. I use
articleclass withgeometryto set the margins andtitlesecto make all the headings smaller. . I do use XeLaTeX though, to avoid any issue with fonts. Since Fastlane has extensive PDF generation and checking facilities it might actually be able to check for fonts, but I've never tried.