Sample text in Computer Modern

Computer Modern is the family of typefaces used by default by the typesetting program TeX. It was created by Donald Knuth with his METAFONT program, and was most recently updated in 1992. The Computer Modern typefaces are described in great detail (including full source code) in the book Computer Modern Typefaces, volume E in the Computers and Typesetting series. Image File history File links Computer_modern_sample_text. ... Image File history File links Computer_modern_sample_text. ... A Specimen of typeset fonts and languages, by William Caslon, letter founder; from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... , (IPA: ) written as TeX in plain text, is a typesetting system created by Donald Knuth. ... Donald Knuth at a reception for the Open Content Alliance. ... METAFONT is a programming language used to define vector fonts. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Computers and Typesetting is a 5-volume set of books by Donald Knuth describing the TeX and Metafont systems for Digital typography. ...

As implied by the name, Computer Modern is a modern font. Modern, or "Didone", fonts have high contrast between thick and thin elements, and their axis of "stress" or thickening is perfectly vertical. Computer Modern, specifically, is based on Monotype Modern 8a, and like its immediate model it has a large x-height relative to the length of ascenders and descenders. Currently Monotype Imaging, Inc, a typesetting and typeface design company responsible for many developments in printing technology — in particular the Monotype machine which was the first fully mechanical typesetter — and the design and production of typefaces in the 19th and 20th centuries. ... In typography, the x-height or corpus size refers to the height of the lowercase letter x in any font, which is usually the same for a, c, e, m, n, o, r, s, u, v, w, and z. ... The ascenders are the parts of the characters that lie above the midline, highlighted in red. ... The descenders are the parts of the characters that lie below the baseline, highlighted in red. ...

The most unusual characteristic of Computer Modern, however, is the fact that it is a complete type family designed with the METAFONT system. The Computer Modern source files are governed by 62 distinct parameters, controlling the widths and heights of various elements, the presence of serifs or old-style numerals, whether dots such as the dot on the "i" are square or rounded, and the degree of "superness" in the bowls of lowercase letters such as "g" and "o". Computer Modern is by no means the only METAFONT-designed typeface, but it is the most mature and widely used by far. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Hoefler Text, a contemporary font, uses text figures. ... The superellipse for n = 4, a = b = 1 approximates a chamfered square. ...

The advance of printer technology has reduced the need for software rasterizers like METAFONT. Outline fonts (to be rendered by the printer or display system) are now generally preferred. As a result, many users have now migrated to Postscript-based replacements, mostly Type 1 implementation of Computer Modern, maintained by the American Mathematical Society, or Latin Modern, instead of the original METAFONT-based Computer Modern. PostScript (PS) is a page description language and programming language used primarily in the electronic and desktop publishing areas. ... The American Mathematical Society (AMS) is dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and education, which it does with various publications and conferences as well as annual monetary awards to mathematicians. ...

External links

• Computer Modern typeface in TrueType format.
• Computer Modern Unicode fonts.
• Latin Modern fonts