Fonts for Wawa Thanks

[Jeffrey Kopp]

On Thu, 7 Feb 2002 19:25:18 -0600, "Alan H. Hartley"
<ahartley at D.UMN.EDU> wrote:

>Sorry, Jeff, I didn't read carefully, and took it as em- and en-dash.
>And, no, Word 2000 doesn't have em- and en-space search & replace
>either. (What are they for, anyway?)
>
>Alan

Well, for ordinary word processing, zilch.  They are probably only
there to reassure old-timers and make Word seem more like a real
desktop publishing program.  But for fussy former word processors
like myself or for poor self-publishers who attempt their own layout
and typesetting, they can be useful. 

They are a little wider and much wider than a regular space.  The
terms "en" and "em" only imply the width of an "n" or an "m"; an em
is the width in points of the type size, and an en is half an em.
They were vital in indenting lead type.  Now we use our tab keys, and
Word just squishes in some space depending on where the stop is set.
(Typically a computer printer is told by the word processing program
in inch-fraction units or millimeters where each word begins,
and--unless instructed otherwise--the printer does the spacing of
adjacent characters by itself, as it has been already told the width
of all the characters in the font.)

In Word en and em spaces have the same property as what Word calls a
"nonbreaking space" (shift-ctrl-space; in the WP biz we called them
"hard" spaces) in that they hold their width despite being in a
justified line--while an ordinary space will shrink a little or
spread a lot to fully justify the text of a line--but they will break
at the end of a line (wrap), while a hard space won't.  

Real old printers, typesetters, writer/editors (and maybe artists,
after a couple drinks) will remember when lines of type were measured
in ems (particularly large type, when figuring headlines and
cutlines) or picas.   There was also some obscure measurement used in
newspapers called "agate" and also a size called "agate type."

(Curiously, one of the first references to float up on Google when I
went looking for the specific details just now was
http://www.dtic.mil/armylink/post30/post30-16.pdf , an Army Public
Affairs Dept. newsletter intended for reference by the staff of
various Army newspapers.  See page 3.  The Army never forgets.)

Since Adobe PostScript was introduced, the size of a point on desktop
computers has been conveniently rounded to 1/72", although a
US/English type point remains technically 1/72.27", and many of those
who do real printing and typesetting today still use the precise
traditional figure.  http://css.nu/articles/typograph1-en.html

My father was an artist and we still have some rulers kicking around
here with these odd old measurements on them.  (The artifact I keep
by my scanner says, "Paul O. Giesey Adcrafters, Complete Conventional
and Photographic Typographical Service, 120 NW 9th Ave, Portland,
Oregon. telephone CA 6-3943."   It must date to 1960.)  In my high
school's brand-new Vocational Skills Center print shop, beside our
expensive process camera and modern photo-offset equipment, we also
had a real (perfectly maintained but still dangerous) letterpress,
complete with its own retired-printer instructor.  I learned how to
hand-set a "sick" of lead type and how to break it down without
having to look at the type box or "bruise" the fragile impression
faces of the relatively soft metal by careless handling.  So I have
some understanding of the historical reasons for these arcane
standards via the evolution from hand-set "stick" type through
Linotype ("hot type") to film type ("cold type") and now digital type
(bits)--but really only a vague one.

(Ah, lead.  That's what is referred to in "leading," as in the extra
space between lines--it used to be little thin strips of lead--and
why it's not pronounced "leeding.")

Since all of us with a copy of Word and a LaserJet or a
better-quality DeskJet who are considering self-publishing something
are potentially self-typesetters as well, these details could matter
to some.  A few years ago something along the lines of Ventura
Publisher or Adobe PageMaker was required to do a proper job, but
being a stubborn former WP operator (we're all stubborn), I figure I
can get by with Word, and I think many others might do well by it,
too.

Next time:  Why do newswriters still put -30- at the end of their
stories to indicate, "Nothing more"?  (Hint:  It has to do with the
old wire-telegraph American Morse code.)

Regards,

Jeff