Re: [help-texinfo] changing font size in hardcopy

[Laurence Finston]

On Sat, 19 Mar 2005, Karl Berry wrote:

>     What's the difficulty?
>
> The dimensions are not fixed constants.
>
> I wonder if something like  \hsize = 1 true \hsize  works.  I doubt it.

\dimen0=1 true \hsize
! Illegal unit of measure (pt inserted).
<to be read again>
                   \hsize
<*> \dimen0=1 true \hsize

?

I was thinking of something like
`\hsize=8.5 true in'.  In reality, I suppose it would have to be something
like:

\ifletter
\hsize=8.5 true in
\vsize=11 true in
\else
\ifdina4
\hsize=210 true mm
\vsize=297 true mm
[etc.]
\fi
\fi

>
>     don't see anything wrong with the method you describe.
>
> Patching texinfo.tex is fine for a one-time project, but ultimately it's
> exceedingly painful, since there are new versions all the time.

I just meant the way you set the fonts.  Perhaps it would work to have a
couple of files containing font settings.  These could then be included as
alternatives by `texinfo.tex'.  I did something similar with `plain.tex'
because I like to use 12pt fonts, and it wasn't that difficult.  I do
have to review what Knuth writes about font families every so often,
because I don't often do tricky things with fonts nowadays (not that
choosing larger ones is particularly tricky).

I'll give it a try myself, and if the results seem like they could be
useful to you, I'll send them to you.

Laurence