TeXipedia

modes

Provides a comprehensive collection of Metafont mode definitions for various output devices and printing technologies.

Overview

Enables precise font rendering across different printing and display devices by managing device-specific Metafont modes. The package handles various output scenarios and device characteristics:

  • Supports multiple printing technologies with specialized mode definitions
  • Includes specific adjustments for write-white printers
  • Offers landscape mode support for devices with non-square pixels
  • Manages special output features like GF file device identification
  • Handles TFM file metadata including coding information and Xerox-specific details

Particularly valuable for users working with custom font generation or requiring precise control over font output across different devices and printing technologies.

Getting Started

The modes package is a collection of Metafont mode_def files, not a LaTeX package that you include directly in your documents. These files define various output devices for Metafont when generating fonts.

To use these mode definitions when creating fonts with Metafont, you would typically:

  1. Ensure the modes.mf file is in your Metafont's search path (usually already included in TeX distributions)
  2. Reference the desired mode when running Metafont

Example of using a specific mode when generating a font:

mf '\mode=ljfour; input cmr10'

This is primarily relevant for font developers or those needing to generate Metafont fonts for specific output devices.