Re: [Groff] Typesetting dashes

[Peter Schaffter]

On Thu, Nov 21, 2013, James K. Lowden wrote:
> While I'm in the neighborhood, I wonder if commas in numbers get
> special treatment?  Reading over my document, the number 34,800 looked
> bad; the comma was squished over by the eight.  The effect was
> especially noticable when the comma trails a 7.  To correct, 
> 
>       .ds xterm \s-1\fH\&xterm\f[]\s+1
>       .ds comma \h'-5M',\h'7M'
> 
>       38\*[comma]400 bits per second

Two things:

1.  Why aren't you using the ever-so-handy '.fzoom' for your
    Helvetica?

2.  Do your numbers have to line up?  If so, make sure kerning's
    disabled.  That solves the comma problem.

Generally, unless numerals have to line up, it's a good idea to kern
them with the same eye one uses for text.  Nothing screams shoddy
faster than someone's business card where the telephone number
hasn't been kerned: too much space around 1's, gaping diagonal hole
between 74, no correction for parentheses around area codes, etc.

-- 
Peter Schaffter
http://www.schaffter.ca