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I have the following LaTeX-document:

\documentclass[a4paper,11pt]{article}
\usepackage[utf8x]{inputenc}
\usepackage[ngerman]{babel}

\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}

\title{Sample}
\author{Litb}

\begin{document}

\maketitle

\begin{abstract}
 This is a report about my praxis phase at the company foo bar which I enjoyed.
\end{abstract}

\end{document}

Much to my frustration, compiling with pdflatex creates a document with Bitmap-fonts. The reader's font-list shows that it uses Type3 fonts.

If I remove the fontenc loading, then I get a PDF using vector-fonts, but I heard that I should keep it, for having native German Umlauts working.

Does anyone know how I can get vector fonts with T1, and why it keeps using bitmap fonts if I have that package-load line in it?

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5 Answers 5

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92

The standard Computer Modern fonts are in OT1 encoding, so when you request T1 font encoding bitmap fonts are used. Install the package cm-super to get Computer Modern fonts with T1 support.

There's no change in your document needed. Just install cm-super using the MiKTeX Package Manager or the TeX Live Manager. The package manager will update the font map files for you. Then recompile.

While this is a solution for fixing the default look, consider using a T1 supporting font, such as Latin Modern, which has been designed as successor to Computer Modern and thus is very similar but intended to be better. For the decision, this may help:

And for trying yourself, just add:

\usepackage{lmodern}
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    You could try updating the font map files by sudo updmap-sys --syncwithtrees, see linux.die.net/man/1/updmap-sys.
    – Stefan Kottwitz ♦
    Commented Aug 7, 2010 at 18:50
  • 1
    @Stefan ohh i see now. I found the cause of the issue: The updmap's config file was were broken - apparently there was an entry of a mapfile "ams-bsr-interpolated.map" that wasn't existing at all. I first tried to run updmap --syncwithtrees but then i found i need to use updmap-sys since it was the global configfile that was broken. Now it works like a charm, and with the latin-modern fonts, all fonts referenced in my other files are vector fonts.
    – Johannes Schaub - litb
    Commented Aug 7, 2010 at 18:57
  • Haha yes the problem was with the map files. Thanks again :) Finally i can use the microtype package =)
    – Johannes Schaub - litb
    Commented Aug 7, 2010 at 18:58
  • I compiled a simple document with the lmodern package. If i open the pdf in illustrator and look at the font, its all LMRoman10 Regular, LMMathItalic10 Bold, LMMathSymbols10 Regular - so i wonder if thats really is vector fonts? as of why are the font size included in the font ?
    – Poul K. Sørensen
    Commented Jun 29, 2012 at 14:17
20

The default fonts for T1 are bitmaps, as has been mentioned, and the most straightforward solution is to use cm-super, like Stefan said. Alternatively, you could use the Latin Modern fonts (package lmodern). It is based on Computer Modern and supports a lot of languages written in the Latin alphabet.

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  • Using latin-modern fonts work nicely. I wonder what's up with cm-super not working on my system. I have installed it (i have a couple of cm-super files on my system including /usr/share/texmf-dist/fonts/enc/dvips/cm-super/cm-super-t1.enc. I have no idea what could be wrong
    – Johannes Schaub - litb
    Commented Aug 7, 2010 at 18:19
  • That's not the font, it's an encoding file. And since it's not straightforward to know which font file is the default, you're really better off with Latin Modern.
    – Arthur Reutenauer
    Commented Aug 7, 2010 at 18:42
  • Ohh i see now. I guess i will use latin modern in my future files. It looks sweet :)
    – Johannes Schaub - litb
    Commented Aug 7, 2010 at 19:00
3

Use

\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{ae,aecompl}

Both cm-super and lmodern used look worse than the real type 1 Computer Modern fonts (depending on your PDF viewer, zoom level, etc.). The ae package is an ugly kludge, but at least it looks ok, and you will get vectors instead of bitmaps. Copy-paste is another story...

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    Could you give an example where lmodern looks worse than computer modern?
    – Mateus Araújo
    Commented Sep 28, 2010 at 15:52
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    Well, compiling the text now produces identical output, except by the positioning of the umlauts ¨; where lmodern and CM agree and ae do not.
    – Mateus Araújo
    Commented Oct 6, 2010 at 2:10
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    What are these "real type 1 Computer Modern fonts" you speak of? Computer Modern was originally done in METAFONT, which apparently cannot be accurately rendered in Type 1 outlines. According to MetaFog: Converting METAFONT Shapes to Contours, this is because the METAFONT outlines would have to be described using sopmething like a 6th degree polynomial whereas Type1 only uses 3rd degree polynomials
    – SamB
    Commented Nov 30, 2010 at 4:02
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    @SamB: See ams.org/publications/type1-fonts – yes, they are reimplementations of the original CM fonts, but they are very high-quality reimplementations, with proper hinting.
    – Jukka Suomela
    Commented Nov 30, 2010 at 9:52
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    On my system, the output produced by ae is slightly worse kerning-wise than that produced by default (with cm-super installed) (which is virtually identical to lmodern).
    – ShreevatsaR
    Commented May 2, 2011 at 14:32
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As for explicitly setting fontenc, I usually just set an inputenc, and write away. On TeXlive 2008 and 2009, this has been doing exactly what I expect so far; and I use both Swedish and German umlauts.

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If you do not want to change the font (e.g. defined by a template).

Install cm-super as written earlier: (do not edit the tex-file) MikTeX cm-super

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  • Fyi, no \usepackage{lmodern} needed if cm-super is installed
    – user236748
    Commented Feb 25, 2022 at 0:04

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