NAME

       mftrace - convert METAFONT format fonts into Type1 outline fonts

SYNOPSIS

       mftrace [options] fontname

DESCRIPTION

       mftrace  is  a  program  that can convert a METAFONT font into a Type1 font.  It is simply
       called with the name of the font (without a `.mf' suffix) and produces a Type1  font  file
       called  either  fontname.pfa  or fontname.pfb depending on the command line options.  With
       the help of fontforge(1) it can produce other font formats too.

       For tracing the bitmap,  mftrace  either  uses  potrace(1)  or  autotrace(1)  (the  former
       preferred) if available; this can be overridden with the --autotrace and --potrace command
       line options.

OPTIONS

       This program follows the usual GNU command line syntax, with long  options  starting  with
       two dashes (`-').

       -k, --keep
              Keep all output in directory `mftrace.dir'.

       --magnification=MAG
              The  magnification  to  use for the PFA file.  The default is 1000.  The larger the
              magnification,  the  more  precise  the  PFA  file  will  be.   However,   if   the
              magnification is too large METAFONT can crash with overflow errors.

              Sadly, many MF fonts contain resolution checks

                     if dots_per_inch * design_size > 1500:

              This  check  is  susceptible to overflow errors.  Such code should be reported as a
              bug, and changed to

                     if dots_per_inch > (1500 / design_size):

       --formats=FMT1,FMT2,...
              Specify which formats to generate (default is pfa).   Choices  are:  `afm',  `pfa',
              `pfb',  `ttf', `svg'.  Note that fontforge must be installed to generate any format
              except `pfa'  or  `pfb'.   For  generating  `afm'  you  need  either  fontforge  or
              ghostscript.

       --simplify
              This passes the created Type1 font to fontforge to simplify and autohint it.

       --gffile=FILE
              Use  generic font file FILE instead of running Metafont.  (GF is the default output
              format of Metafont.)

       -I DIR, --include=DIR
              Add DIR to the current path for searching files.

       --glyphs=LIST
              Process only these glyphs.  LIST is a comma separated list of  decimal  numbers  or
              ranges, for example `1-10,50,55,90-100'.

       --tfmfile=FILE
              Use FILE for the TFM file.  (The default is to use fontname.tfm).

       -e ENC, --encoding=ENC
              Use  encoding  file  ENC.   Encoding  files  used  by  mftrace are basically in the
              GhostScript/dvips format, but you may use a special .notavail glyph name  in  order
              to  tell mftrace not to process a specific glyph.  If this option is not specified,
              mftrace tries to determine the  encoding  file  automatically,  from  the  encoding
              specified in the TFM file, the default being `tex256.enc'.

       --keep-trying
              Try  to  continue if external programs called by mftrace fail.  If METAFONT crashes
              with overflow errors, but nevertheless outputs a GF file, try to process its output
              as  is  (useful  for some buggy fonts, see above).  If potrace or autotrace fail to
              trace a specific character, first try it with a less smoothed curve,  and  if  that
              fails,    skip    the    character.     By   default,   mftrace   leaves   a   file
              `trace-bug-font-char.pbm' and stops the process with a request to file a bugreport.

       --dos-kpath
              Try to use MikTeX's version of kpsewhich.

       --potrace
              Use potrace for tracing bitmaps.  The default is to use potrace  if  it  is  found,
              otherwise to use autotrace.

       --autotrace
              Use autotrace for tracing bitmaps.

       --no-afm
              Don't read the AFM file to find font information.

       --noround
              Do  not  round  coordinates  of control points to integer values (use with --grid).
              Disabled by default.

       --grid=GRID
              Set reciprocal grid size in em units multiplied by ratio  magnification/1000.   For
              example,  `--grid 10  --magnification 1000' rounds coordinates of control points to
              1/10th of the em unit.  Useful simultaneously with the --noround  option.   Default
              GRID value is 1, i.e., round to integer.  This option is only used with potrace.

       -D,--define=SYMBOL=VALUE
              Set  the  font  info SYMBOL to the given VALUE.  For example, -DFamilyName=Foo sets
              the font family name to Foo.  mftrace tries to fill in sensible default values  for
              the `FontName', `FamilyName', `FullName' and `Weight' fields.

       -V, --verbose
              Be verbose.

       -h, --help
              Show summary of options.

       -v, --version
              Show version of program.

       -w, --warranty
              Show warranty and copyright.

COPYRIGHT

       You  may  redistribute copies of mftrace under the terms of the GNU General Public License
       <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.  There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted  by
       law.
       This  manual page is copyright © 2005,2006,2007 Julian Gilbey and is distributed under the
       GNU General Public License too.

SEE ALSO

       mf(1), autotrace(1), potrace(1), fontforge(1).

AUTHOR

       mftrace was  written  by  Han-Wen  Nienhuys  <hanwen@xs4all.nl>.   This  manual  page  was
       originally  written  by  Julian  Gilbey  <jdg@debian.org>  and  has been revised by Werner
       Lemberg <wl@gnu.org>.

                                         January 23, 2007                              MFTRACE(1)