# Vector font for suetterlin

I want to use the old German "Kurrentschrift" in equations. In LaTeX, this is already integrated in the package suetterl:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{suetterl}

\begin{document}

\textsuetterlin{A}

\end{document}


BUT this isn't a vector font, and now I'm searching for very, very long time to find a suitable vector font which implements all the letters in a similar look.

I found the way to implement other fonts with the package fontspec, but till now I didn't find a suitable font...

It would be great, if someone has a hint for a suitable font, or for LaTeX commands to use suetterlin as a vector font (but i don't think this is possible)...

You can download an opentype version from Gutenberg-Labo here. Now the simplest way to use it in text mode is loading the fontspec package and compiling with XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX. All you have to do to use it is to define a switch and a \textsuetterlin command with this code:

\newfontfamily\suetterlin{GL-Suetterlin}
\newcommand\textsuetterlin[1]{{\suetterlin #1}}


If you want to use it with pdflatex, it will be more complex. Roughly you will have to make tfms with otftotfm, type1 fonts with otftot1 (from the LCDF Type Tools) and use autoinst,fontools or fontinstto create virtual fonts (.vf), font declaration files (.fd) to use them with NFSS, .map files so that pdfLaTeX or dvips can find them, install all these files in the appropriate directories and finally refresh the FNDB (MiKTeX) or run texhash (TeX Live), and run updmap.

Edit (17/07/2018):

It seems the above link is now redirected to another site, and the font is harder to find. Here is a direct link to the new download page.

To be noted: the font has now, for some reason, a new name: GL-GermanCursive, whereas the old version is always available as GL-Suetterlin-old.

• I will use it with LuaLaTex. And your code is exactly what I have found out on my own :) So i have already a suitable font and can use this in normal text, but the problem I now have is to use the new font in a $...$-math-environment... :/ – crateane May 8 '14 at 22:19
• Then you'll have to convert it to type 1 and all the stuff (during some sabbatical year;)), the declare a new math alphabet, hoping you'll not get the 'no place for a new math alphabet message… It you want to use only a few letters in math, it will a little simpler(at leats to my eyes). Or maybe using mathspec? – Bernard May 8 '14 at 22:40
• The problem with mathspec and fontspec is in my opinion that you just can replace other font types like mathrm, mathbf etc. I want to keep them but add a new one, so I will now look at this math alphabet stuff... Converting an OTF to T1 doesn't seem so complicated till now, I already have some pfb and afm-files :) – crateane May 9 '14 at 8:18
• Fontspec also allows changing the font family. What else would you like to do? As for mathspec the main problem in my opinion is sidebearings are not too good; one has to do manual adjustments and that's a big job. I once tried it with Sabon Next LT Pro and had to go back to MinionPro for maths (both fonts match rather well, in my opinion) – Bernard May 9 '14 at 9:33
• @red_trumpet: I've found the new download page, and edited my answer. – Bernard Jul 17 '18 at 8:17

I've now a solution which is easy to use also with pdflatex. With appropriate settings, the bitmap font also looks nice.

The only disadvantage is at the moment, that the bold version with \pmb isn't really nice...

\documentclass[convert={density=10000}]{standalone}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\DeclareMathAlphabet{\mathsuet} {T1} {wesu}{bx}{sl}
\usepackage{bm}
\pdfpkmode{dpdfezzz}
\pdfpkresolution=8000
\RequirePackage{relsize}
\begin{document}
\fbox{
$\bm n n$

$\pmb{\mathlarger{\mathlarger{\mathsuet n}}}\, \mathlarger{\mathlarger{\mathsuet n}}$}
\end{document}


for a redefined version of \pmb, look here