MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Script for converting ePUB to PDF using Prince

Trouhel · 08-09-2012, 05:46 AM

What you call "optically justified text" is but a feature in a set of typographic techniques. It's on Prince's roadmap, but they still have quite a way to go before doing high-quality typography. This said, it certainly is a state of the art software on other matters, but not on that particular point.

So, why not go with what already exists and is a long time proven solution: LaTeX (using pdfTeX as engine) does what it calls "microtypography" (cf. wikipedia on the subject, as a start). I don't no how far it goes with using True and Open Type fonts natively (the SIL XeTeX engine cannot use the microtype package): that's why ConTeXt (using the LuaTeX engine), is to me, besides being much more user friendly, one of the best solution (integration ofLuaTeX into LaTeX is on ongoing process, but, from what I've seen so far, it looks like not yet ready for non-expert end users).

Of course, InDesign does that, and a lot more, but it's a different ball game.

With LaTeX+microtype or ConTeXt, you'll get protrusion (which manages hanging punctuation) and expansion (using Hermann Zapf's HZ algorithm, as InDesign does), and actually some more goodies with LaTeX, such as kerning adjustment, etc. You can read the ConTeXt manual on typography, from p.33, or the documentation for the LaTeX microtype package, if you want to know more.

Now, to be effective, microtypography must be done on a font face par font face basis, because settings that will work for one may lead to a disaster with another. It might even have to be done on a face+script basis, when using different scripts.

So, it always comes back to the same story when it comes to printing quality, in the free open source world that is, and it spells TeX, there's no way around. Now, the choice of one or the other macro-package and PDF engine must be carefully made depending on your own needs (fonts, scripts, typographic features are some of the points that must be given attention).

Don't listen to the "high learning curve" talk and give it a try: getting started is easier than it looks like at first glance.

08-09-2012, 05:46 AM	#24
Trouhel Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: none	What you call "optically justified text" is but a feature in a set of typographic techniques. It's on Prince's roadmap, but they still have quite a way to go before doing high-quality typography. This said, it certainly is a state of the art software on other matters, but not on that particular point. So, why not go with what already exists and is a long time proven solution: LaTeX (using pdfTeX as engine) does what it calls "microtypography" (cf. wikipedia on the subject, as a start). I don't no how far it goes with using True and Open Type fonts natively (the SIL XeTeX engine cannot use the microtype package): that's why ConTeXt (using the LuaTeX engine), is to me, besides being much more user friendly, one of the best solution (integration ofLuaTeX into LaTeX is on ongoing process, but, from what I've seen so far, it looks like not yet ready for non-expert end users). Of course, InDesign does that, and a lot more, but it's a different ball game. With LaTeX+microtype or ConTeXt, you'll get protrusion (which manages hanging punctuation) and expansion (using Hermann Zapf's HZ algorithm, as InDesign does), and actually some more goodies with LaTeX, such as kerning adjustment, etc. You can read the ConTeXt manual on typography, from p.33, or the documentation for the LaTeX microtype package, if you want to know more. Now, to be effective, microtypography must be done on a font face par font face basis, because settings that will work for one may lead to a disaster with another. It might even have to be done on a face+script basis, when using different scripts. So, it always comes back to the same story when it comes to printing quality, in the free open source world that is, and it spells TeX, there's no way around. Now, the choice of one or the other macro-package and PDF engine must be carefully made depending on your own needs (fonts, scripts, typographic features are some of the points that must be given attention). Don't listen to the "high learning curve" talk and give it a try: getting started is easier than it looks like at first glance.