I am using the fourier package to produce output (containing math) that I can insert into another document using the same (Utopia) font and have matching text styles.

But when I set the font size to 10pt, LaTeX actually gives me 9.17pt (as verified with Acrobat)! Why does this happen? How can I force the font size to the "true" value, 10 points? If I choose 12pt, I only get 11pt. The point is that it doesn't match the other document I'm inserting the LaTeX-generated PDF into.

Minimal example:


text here
  • try koma-script – Mr Komandez Nov 7 '13 at 4:28
  • A further issue is that the font size will be measured in Printer's points (72.27 points per inch), while Acrobat will report the size in PostScript points (72 points per inch), so even if one gets the font size to 10 points in (La)TeX, when one checks in Acrobat it will be 9.96 (big) points. – WillAdams Nov 7 '13 at 16:17
  • @WillAdams Yes, that's true (I noticed it), but that small difference is not a serious issue. That must be why I see 9.17 while Ulrike said fourier scales by 0.92 (not 0.917). – Szabolcs Nov 7 '13 at 16:21

I'm pretty sure it is scaled to 0.92, which would explain what you're seeing in Acrobat. (Unfortunately, I can't verify since acroread doesn't seem to have this option, which also means I can't be 100% sure that you are now getting something Adobe will call 10pt.)

If you are using the non-expert set of Adobe Utopia Regular with Fourier, you can set the scale factor manually. Here's a rather low-level example.



% from T1futs.fd
\DeclareFontFamily{T1}{futs}{\providecommand {\SetFourierSpace }{}}

% Note:
% m  = medium
% n  = normal
% b  = bold
% it = italic
% sc = small caps
% sl = slant

        <-> s * [.75] futr8t  % <-- note the explicit scale to '0.75'

   <-> s * [1.5] futri8t      % <-- regular italics scaled to '1.5'

   <-> futb8t

   <-> futbi8t

   <-> futrc8t

   <-> futbc8t

   <-> futro8t

   <-> futbo8t

\DeclareFontShape{T1}{futs}{bx}{n}{<->ssub * futs/b/n}{}
\DeclareFontShape{T1}{futs}{bx}{it}{<->ssub * futs/b/it}{}
\DeclareFontShape{T1}{futs}{bx}{sc}{<->ssub * futs/b/sc}{}
\DeclareFontShape{T1}{futs}{bx}{sl}{<->ssub * futs/b/sl}{}

\parskip  10pt
\parindent 0pt


3/4 scale for regular text. 1234567890

\emph{1.5x scale for italics. 1234567890}

\textsc{\ldots and everything else is ``scaled''}
\textbf{to ``1.0''}


I'm sure there must be a better way, but I tend to use fontspec nowadays, so I tend to recommend its use over fiddling with the complicated world of fonts....

Addendum: If you find the lines look too cramped due to the 'unscaling', you could add to your preamble:

\setstretch{1.09}%   1/.92 = 1.086956522

... and as an example, try this:

% after \begin{document}
  \begin{spacing}{1.0}% change to 1.09 to see the difference
  \fontfamily{cmr}\selectfont % Computer Modern as a point of comparison
  • 2
    Yes, fourier scales the fonts in the virtual font by 0.92. If you scale the font up you should imho also enlarge the baselineskip (e.g. with setspace). – Ulrike Fischer Nov 7 '13 at 8:54
  • @UlrikeFischer Do you know what is the reason for this? – Szabolcs Nov 7 '13 at 14:35
  • 1
    @Szabolcs the rationale is always to match some other font. (for example, if you use helvetica with times, it looks even worse than usual if it's at its natural size.) – wasteofspace Nov 7 '13 at 14:45
  • @UlrikeFischer -- Good point. Added. – jon Nov 7 '13 at 14:54
  • 1
    @Szabolcs: No I don't know the reason, but if I would have to guess I would say: to get more spaced out lines. It is easier for the package to scale down the font than to increase the baselineskip of an unknown document with an unknown class and unknown packages. – Ulrike Fischer Nov 7 '13 at 15:20

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