[auton-users] latex tricks

[Paul Komarek]

There are some tricks you can do when compiling LaTeX documents that allow
for better-looking conversions to PDF.

1) Instead of "latex foo", do "pslatex foo".

   pslatex is a shell script that wraps latex.  It is part of the tetex
   distrobution of LaTeX, which is the standard for GNU/Linux machines.
   It may be available on other platforms.

   All that the shell script does is invoke latex with a few command-line
   parameters that cause your .dvi output to specify scalable Type 1 fonts
    instead of the normal (dynamically-generated but statically-sized)
   bitmap fonts.  Thus your document's fonts will remain scalable after
   conversion from Device Independent format to PostScript or PDF format.

   pslatex has two other advantages.  The fonts are ever-so-slightly
   smaller, giving you an extra paragraph or two on an eight page
   journal paper (guess how I know this =-).  Also, the PostScript and
   PDF files produced from the .dvi files made by pslatex are usually
   smaller, making network transfers appreciably faster.

2) Instead of "latex foo", do "pdflatex foo"

   pdflatex compiles LaTeX source more-or-less directly to PDF format,
   and no .dvi files are produced.  It is a binary application with
   several interesting-looking features.  You might want to read the
   man page.

   I don't usually use pdflatex, because I like proofing my documents
   in PostScript form using gv; xdvi doesn't handle rotations of included
   eps graphics, among other deficiencies, and existing PDF viewers don't
   suit my tastes for quick-turnover previewing either.  That's why
   I know next-to-nothing about pdflatex.

-Paul Komarek