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How can I use small caps with the CMSS font? When trying to set fontshape to "sc" I get a serif font or just no change (if I use fonthshapealone):

result of example below:
screenshot

\documentclass[11pt]{scrartcl}
\usepackage[ngerman]{babel}
\usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}


\usepackage[T1]{fontenc} 
\newcommand{\changefont}[3]{\fontfamily{#1}\fontseries{#2}\fontshape{#3}\selectfont}

\newcommand{\Ena}[1]{{\changefont{cmss}{m}{sc}#1}} %Eigennamen
\newcommand{\Enb}[1]{{\fontshape{sc}#1}} %Eigennamen


\begin{document}

\changefont{cmss}{m}{n} 
Normal Text and \Ena{Text with Small Caps} or \Enb{Text with Small Caps}

\end{document}
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As far as I know neither the cmss nor lmss family has a small caps font. – Ulrike Fischer Apr 27 '11 at 10:58
1  
Thanks for your comment! Is it unusual (or typographically "bad") to use small caps with Sans Serif fonts or what is the reason that they just don't exist? – Martin Apr 27 '11 at 11:16

1 Answer

up vote 3 down vote accepted

I think CMSS simply doesn't have smallcaps; not very many sans-serif fonts do. Somebody with the appropriate MetaFONT-Fu could probably make some, either for Computer Modern or for Latin Modern.

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1  
Is it unusual (or typographically "bad") to use small caps with Sans Serif fonts or what is the reason that they just don't exist? – Martin Apr 27 '11 at 11:15
Small caps are most often used in normal paragraph text when there are lots of initials being used, e.g. "The computer system for the WTO was supplied by IBM." Since most paragraph text is set with serif fonts, there's less of a need for sans-serif fonts with small caps. In addition, small caps are usually only provided in "professional" typefaces since the letters actually have to be redesigned and not just scaled down. There's nothing "bad" about using them, however. – beerbajay Sep 18 '12 at 19:04

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