[texhax] A sign-change puzzle

Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells Disgusted at Royal-Tunbridge-Wells.Org
Sun Dec 10 00:53:40 CET 2006



pierre.mackay wrote:

> Can anyone suggest to me why this sign change is necessary?

I can't replicate the problem !  Here is my version of
your example, with the negative assignment to
\letterspacing commented out : with it left in, the
digits are horribly close together ; with it removed,
both letters and digits appear track-kerned by
comparable (and acceptable) amounts.

** Phil.
--------
\newdimen \letterspacing
\def\[#1]{\lsp#1\empty\psl}%
\def\lsp#1#2\psl{\ifx#1\empty
\else#1\kern\letterspacing\lsp#2\psl\fi}

\letterspacing=0.15em  % That is "track 30" in the nether world
\[THIS~IS~LETTERSPACED] % The ~ is needed because the macro
                                   % doesn't even see spaces. It is also
%useful as a
                                   % handle for adjusting interword space
%in letterspaced text
%
\kern 5 em %(some visually acceptable amount between letters and
%numerals)
%
%\letterspacing=-0.15em % set up negative value for numerals, but why???
\[12345]
\end



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