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(web2c.info)mf invocation

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`mf' invocation
===============

  Metafont (usually invoked as `mf') reads character definitions
specified in the Metafont programming language, and outputs the
corresponding font.  This section merely describes the options available
in the Web2c implementation.  For a complete description of the Metafont
language, see `The Metafontbook' (Note: References).

  Metafont processes its command line and determines its memory dump
(base) file in a way exactly analogous to MetaPost and TeX (Note: tex
invocation, and Note: Memory dumps).  Synopses:

     mf [OPTION]... [MFNAME[.mf]] [MF-COMMANDS]
     mf [OPTION]... \FIRST-LINE
     mf [OPTION]... &BASE ARGS

  Most commonly, a Metafont invocation looks like this:
     mf '\mode:=MODE; mag:=MAGNIFICATION; input MFNAME'

(The single quotes avoid unwanted interpretation by the shell.)

  Metafont searches the usual places for the main input file MFNAME
(Note: Supported file formats.),
extending MFNAME with `.mf' if necessary.  To see all the relevant
paths, set the environment variable `KPATHSEA_DEBUG' to `-1' before
running the program.  By default, Metafont runs an external program
named `mktexmf' to create any nonexistent Metafont source files you
input.  You can disable this at configure-time or runtime (Note: mktex
configuration.).  This is mostly for the
sake of the EC fonts, which can be generated at any size.

  Metafont writes the main GF output to the file `BASEMFNAME.NNNgf',
where NNN is the font resolution in pixels per inch, and BASEMFNAME is
the basename of MFNAME, or `mfput' if no input file was specified.  A
GF file contains bitmaps of the actual character shapes.  Usually GF
files are converted immediately to PK files with GFtoPK (Note: gftopk
invocation), since PK files contain equivalent information, but are
more compact.  (Metafont output in GF format rather than PK for only
historical reasons.)

  Metafont also usually writes a metric file in TFM format to
`BASEMFNAME.tfm'.  A TFM file contains character dimensions, kerns, and
ligatures, and spacing parameters.  TeX reads only this .tfm file, not
the GF file.

  The MODE in the example command above is a name referring to a device
definition (Note: Modes); for example, `localfont' or `ljfour'.
These device definitions must generally be precompiled into the base
file.  If you leave this out, the default is `proof' mode, as stated in
`The Metafontbook', in which Metafont outputs at a resolution of
2602dpi; this is usually not what you want.  The remedy is simply to
assign a different mode--`localfont', for example.

  The MAGNIFICATION assignment in the example command above is a
magnification factor; for example, if the device is 600dpi and you
specify `mag:=2', Metafont will produce output at 1200dpi.  Very often,
the MAGNIFICATION is an expression such as `magstep(.5)', corresponding
to a TeX "magstep", which are factors of 1.2 * sqrt(2).

  After running Metafont, you can use the font in a TeX document as
usual.  For example:
     \font\myfont = newfont
     \myfont Now I am typesetting in my new font (minimum hamburgers).

  The program accepts the following options, as well as the standard
`-help' and `-version' (Note: Common options):
`-kpathsea-debug=NUMBER'
`-ini'
`-base=BASENAME'
`-progname=STRING'
`-translate-file=TCXFILE'
     These options are common to TeX, Metafont, and MetaPost.  Note:
     Common options.

`-mktex=FILETYPE'
`-no-mktex=FILETYPE'
     Turn on or off the `mktex' script associated with FILETYPE.  The
     only value that makes sense for FILETYPE is `mf'.