# Creating a Book using memoir…I need some guidance

I am new to LaTex and I would really appreciate some guidance.

I have been asked to format a book using LaTex class memoir...and I need to use the

Garamond font size 12pt/14,5

...which I have discovered through the memoir documentation that the 14,5 is the leading, the space between lines...

"The typographers’ and printers’ term for the vertical space between the lines of normal text is leading."

This is the main instruction I have received...but how do I apply it to my book?

And the author requires a 21x14cm size book that I believe the a5paper option included in \documentclass[a5paper] should take care of it.

This is the code I have so far...

\documentclass[12pt,twoside,openany,showtrims,a5paper]{memoir}
\usepackage[brazilian]{babel} %Translates to Portuguese
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} %Recognize special characters
\usepackage{ebgaramond} % Defines garamond font
\begin{document}

\maketitle

\chapter*{Dedicatória}
\input{1dedicatoria}
\newpage

\tableofcontents*

\chapter*{Síntese}
\input{3sintese}

\chapter*{Apresentação}
\input{4apresentacao}

\chapter{Preparação}
\input{5preparacao}
.
.
.
.

\chapter*{Conclusão}
\input{26conclusao}
\end{document}


Although I have removed any unnecessary extra block of code.

My question is how to apply the main instruction I received Garamond font size 12pt/14,5.

• A warm welcome to TeX.SE! Nice MWE. If you have not already searched using the provided search box, you should do so prior to asking your question. This is one that is likely already answered. – A Feldman Apr 12 '16 at 4:32
• Thanks A Feldman! I have been doing some research... When I find the solution, I will make sure to close this topic. – Adriano Apr 13 '16 at 4:20
• If you find an answer post it, don't close the question. And just because I think there might be an already existing answer for the question does not mean that I am right. – A Feldman Apr 13 '16 at 4:30

With memoir, I believe that this is a lot simpler than you imagine. You dont need any extra packages for this, nor \fontsize commands.

\documentclass[12pt,twoside,openany,showtrims,a5paper]{memoir}


When you set the font size to 12pt, memoir sets the leading to 14.5pt, which is what you want.

From mem12.clo where this is set:

\setlength{\onelineskip}{14.5\p@}


Finally, should you ever need to adjust the leading to another value, memoir allows you to apply a factor to the leading. For example, suppose you wanted (heaven forbid!) 16pt leading. $16 / 14.5 = 1.1035$, so you would code this:

\setSingleSpace{1.1035}
\SingleSpacing


Here's an example:

\documentclass[12pt,twoside,openany,showtrims,a5paper]{memoir}
\usepackage{ebgaramond} % Defines garamond font
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
\the\baselineskip

\lipsum[4]

\setSingleSpace{1.1035}
\SingleSpacing
\the\baselineskip

\lipsum[4]

\end{document}


which gives this:

In order to make \fontsize{12}{14.5} take effect, you must also call \selectfont. If I modify your original example, you can see what I mean:

% note: default font size set to 10pt
\documentclass[10pt,twoside,openany,showtrims,a5paper]{memoir}
\usepackage[brazilian]{babel} %Translates to Portuguese
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} %Recognize special characters
\usepackage{ebgaramond} % Defines garamond font
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}

\lipsum[1]

\fontsize{12}{14.5}

\lipsum[1]

\fontsize{12}{14.5}\selectfont

\lipsum[1]

\end{document}


According to LaTeX2e: An unofficial reference manual (October 2015), the low-level font commands such as:

• \fontencoding

• \fontfamily

• \fontseries

• \fontshape

• \fontsize

• \baselinestretch and

• \linespread

do not take effect until after \selectfont is called.

There you go...

I could configure it by including the

... \package{}leading \begin{document} \leading{14,5pt}....

Although the \fontsize{12pt}{14,5pt} did not seem to work.

• You should probably use \fontsize{12}{14.5}. – Werner May 27 '16 at 17:36