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Font definition files

The description of how LaTeX font attributes are turned into TeX fonts is usually kept in a font definition (.fd) file. The .fd file for family <family> in encoding <encoding> is called <encoding><family>.fd, for example ot1cmr.fd for Computer Modern Roman or t1ptm.fd for Adobe Times.

Whenever LaTeX encounters an encoding/family combination that it does not know (e.g. if the document designer says \fontfamily{ptm}\selectfont) then LaTeX attempts to load the appropriate .fd file. ``Not known'' means: there was no \DeclareFontFamily declaration issued for this encoding/family combination.

The declarations in the .fd file are responsible for telling LaTeX how to load fonts for that encoding/family combination. If the .fd file could not be found, a warning is issued and font substitutions are made.



Rainer Schoepf
Thu Jul 31 16:42:26 MEST 1997