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(texinfo)Printed Books

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Printed Books
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  A Texinfo file can be formatted and typeset as a printed book or
manual.  To do this, you need TeX, a powerful, sophisticated typesetting
program written by Donald Knuth.(1) (Note: Printed Books-Footnote-1)

  A Texinfo-based book is similar to any other typeset, printed work: it
can have a title page, copyright page, table of contents, and preface,
as well as chapters, numbered or unnumbered sections and subsections,
page headers, cross references, footnotes, and indices.

  You can use Texinfo to write a book without ever having the intention
of converting it into online information.  You can use Texinfo for
writing a printed novel, and even to write a printed memo, although
this latter application is not recommended since electronic mail is so
much easier.

  TeX is a general purpose typesetting program.  Texinfo provides a
file `texinfo.tex' that contains information (definitions or "macros")
that TeX uses when it typesets a Texinfo file.  (`texinfo.tex' tells
TeX how to convert the Texinfo @-commands to TeX commands, which TeX
can then process to create the typeset document.)  `texinfo.tex'
contains the specifications for printing a document.  You can get the
latest version of `texinfo.tex' from
`ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/texinfo.tex'.

  Most often, documents are printed on 8.5 inch by 11 inch pages (216mm
by 280mm; this is the default size), but you can also print for 7 inch
by 9.25 inch pages (178mm by 235mm; the `@smallbook' size) or on A4 or
A5 size paper (`@afourpaper', `@afivepaper').  (Note: Printing "Small"
Books.  Also, see Note: Printing on A4 Paper.)

  By changing the parameters in `texinfo.tex', you can change the size
of the printed document.  In addition, you can change the style in
which the printed document is formatted; for example, you can change the
sizes and fonts used, the amount of indentation for each paragraph, the
degree to which words are hyphenated, and the like.  By changing the
specifications, you can make a book look dignified, old and serious, or
light-hearted, young and cheery.

  TeX is freely distributable.  It is written in a superset of Pascal
called WEB and can be compiled either in Pascal or (by using a
conversion program that comes with the TeX distribution) in C.  (Note:
TeX Mode, for information about TeX.)

  TeX is very powerful and has a great many features.  Because a
Texinfo file must be able to present information both on a
character-only terminal in Info form and in a typeset book, the
formatting commands that Texinfo supports are necessarily limited.

  To get a copy of TeX, see Note: How to Obtain TeX.