# [OS X TeX] Minion Pro / Bickham Pro

Thu May 3 00:19:57 EDT 2012

This is a short followup.

Following Michael's example, and looking for the pattern in the FD files, I figured out how to enable medium weight Minion Pro swash in addition to the medium weight normal and italic fonts:

\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage[fullfamily,lf]{MinionPro}
\usepackage{MnSymbol}
\DeclareFontShape{T1}{MinionPro-LF}{mb}{n}{
<-> MinionPro-Medium-lf-t1
}{}
\DeclareFontShape{T1}{MinionPro-LF}{mb}{it}{
<-> MinionPro-MediumIt-lf-t1
}{}
\DeclareFontShape{T1}{MinionPro-LF}{mb}{sw}{
<-> MinionPro-MediumIt-lf-swash-t1
}{}

Now \textsw{ } and \swshape work with the medium weight font series.

The semibold version of Bickham Pro script is generally too heavy to use with normal weight Minion, but I have found a good use for it. Define \newcommand{\scr}[1]{\mathscr{#1}}.

I use a lot of expressions like $\bigvee_{\scr{X} \in \xyz} \scr{X} …$ and $\phi_{_{\scriptstyle{\scr{X}}}}$ (designating the trivial automorphism of the object \scr{X}) where the characters are coming out in \scriptstyle size and the fine lines of most normal weight script fonts get a little faint. So, I defined

\newcommand{\scrs}[1]{\mathbscr{#1}} (where \mathbscr points to the semibold version)

and use \scrs instead of \scr in those two types of situations. It works beautifully. In those subscript type situations the script characters no longer look too heavy, are more legible, and work better than the normal weight situation.

I think I'm finally about done with this odyssey of document redesign of which only the font aspect has been visible here. It's been well worth it.

Richard Séguin