[Tex/LaTex] packages times(-itsc), txfonts, newtxtext/newtxmath, and mathptmx: relation and interactions

comparisonfontsnewtxtimes

I am always using the packages times (actually: times-itsc from here in order to get italic small-caps) and txfonts. I use txfonts for the \coloneqq (:=) symbol. My loading order has traditionally and habitually been times-itsc -> amsmath -> textcomp -> upgreek -> txfonts. (I'm mentioning the middle three here just in case it matters for the answer; of course I'm loading many more packages around and in between.)

I recently heard about the newtxtext/newtxmath package. Is the idea that I, simplifying somewhat, just replace txfonts with it, and that's it?
Just now I notice that newtxtext is for text and that txfonts was already for much more than just some extra symbols (I originally included this in my package repertoire simply for the \coloneqq symbol). Should I in my current setup or with newtxtext and/or newtxmath in place of txfonts get rid of any packages? How do times(-itsc) and txfonts/newtx... interact or overlap? For example, do times and txfonts partially override each other? What is the precise effect of me loading first times-itsc and then txfonts?
And how does mathptmx compare to the above?
Any caveats regarding package loading order, especially with respect to amsmath?

(This question is quite general, so general answers will be fine.)

UPDATE: New insights:

mathptmx supersedes times.
- The superscript numbers are larger than those of times and too large for my taste, though this is probably a feature by design.
newtxtext/newtxmath supersede (in combination) txfonts. With newtxtext/newtxmath, I get:
- larger subscript numbers
- smaller, thicker, and lower-placed footnote numbers
Italic small caps were previously only offered by times-itsc; now newtxtext offers them too. (Thanks, Michael Sharpe!)

Best Answer

I just modified newtxtext to add italic small caps. I haven't sent it to CTAN yet but newtx.tds.zip may be downloaded from

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3825336/TeX/index.html

Instructions for manual installation are given in the README.

Michael

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] How to use mathptmx and txfonts combined

The fonts of the mathptmx and txfonts packages are both derived from Times Roman. If you prefer the text fonts of the latter package but like the math fonts of the former package, you can type

\usepackage{txfonts}
\renewcommand{\rmdefault}{ptm}

in the preamble. The second instruction tells LaTeX to load the ptm text font. (For comparison, the corresponding instruction in the txfonts package is \renewcommand{\rmdefault}{txr}.) This way, you'll also get access to the monospaced fonts that come with the txfonts package; I personally find them very pleasing (as well as compatible with Times-like roman fonts).

How to go about retaining certain parts of the math-fonts part of the mathptmx package is not really possible to determine because you don't provide an explicit list of which parts of the mathptmx package you prefer over those provided by the txfonts package. The former package provides the following mathfont-related instructions:

\DeclareSymbolFont{operators}   {OT1}{ztmcm}{m}{n}
\DeclareSymbolFont{letters}     {OML}{ztmcm}{m}{it}
\DeclareSymbolFont{symbols}     {OMS}{ztmcm}{m}{n}
\DeclareSymbolFont{largesymbols}{OMX}{ztmcm}{m}{n}
\DeclareSymbolFont{bold}        {OT1}{ptm}{bx}{n}
\DeclareSymbolFont{italic}      {OT1}{ptm}{m}{it}
\@ifundefined{mathbf}{}{\DeclareMathAlphabet{\mathbf}{OT1}{ptm}{bx}{n}}
\@ifundefined{mathit}{}{\DeclareMathAlphabet{\mathit}{OT1}{ptm}{m}{it}}
\DeclareMathSymbol{\omicron}{0}{operators}{`\o}

whereas the latter package sets:

\DeclareSymbolFont{operators}{OT1}{txr}{m}{n}
\SetSymbolFont{operators}{bold}{OT1}{txr}{bx}{n}
\def\operator@font{\mathgroup\symoperators}
\DeclareSymbolFont{italic}{OT1}{txr}{m}{it}
\SetSymbolFont{italic}{bold}{OT1}{txr}{bx}{it}
\DeclareSymbolFontAlphabet{\mathrm}{operators}
\DeclareMathAlphabet{\mathbf}{OT1}{txr}{bx}{n}
\DeclareMathAlphabet{\mathit}{OT1}{txr}{m}{it}
\SetMathAlphabet{\mathit}{bold}{OT1}{txr}{bx}{it}
\DeclareSymbolFont{letters}{OML}{txmi}{m}{it}
\SetSymbolFont{letters}{bold}{OML}{txmi}{bx}{it}
\DeclareFontSubstitution{OML}{txmi}{m}{it}
\DeclareSymbolFont{lettersA}{U}{txmia}{m}{it}
\SetSymbolFont{lettersA}{bold}{U}{txmia}{bx}{it}
\DeclareFontSubstitution{U}{txmia}{m}{it}
\DeclareSymbolFontAlphabet{\mathfrak}{lettersA}
\DeclareSymbolFont{symbols}{OMS}{txsy}{m}{n}
\SetSymbolFont{symbols}{bold}{OMS}{txsy}{bx}{n}
\DeclareFontSubstitution{OMS}{txsy}{m}{n}

I trust it won't be too hard to figure out how to mix-and-match the various combinations.

[Tex/LaTex] going on with all these Times clones

Fonts and LaTeX is always complicated, also because of the (even more complicated) intellectual property laws surrounding fonts.

There are quite a lot of Times packages, most of which are ancient. The more recent packages are tgtermes and newtx. The latter has a focus on small improvements and providing great maths support. The TeX gyre project is focused on providing great quality Type1 and (mainly) OpenType fonts.

Packages

mathptmx, times and nimbus. These files come from psfonts. An older package providing several postscript fonts for use in LaTeX. My understanding is that mathptmx provides the URW Nimbus Roman font with added maths support. times and nimbus are similar, but do not have maths support.
newtxtext and newtxmath are improved versions of the TX Fonts, which are versions of Nimbus Roman. They also have good maths support.
tgtermes provides TeX Gyre Termes, the result of a project to provide high quality fonts. It's based on URW Nimbus Roman, which was donated to the project.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[Tex/LaTex] How to use mathptmx and txfonts combined

[Tex/LaTex] going on with all these Times clones

Packages

Further reading

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