[texhax] Job applications in LaTeX

[Philip TAYLOR (Webmaster, Ret'd)]

Steve Murgaski wrote:

> Hi.  I'm very new to LaTeX, having just started working with it a few weeks ago.  So please be patient with some very basic questions.
>  
> I made a resume/CV using Andrew McNabb's really interesting template at http://www.mcnabbs.org/andrew/linux/latexres/  I've converted a resume I made with that to pdf, and am really happy with it.
>  
> Now, of course, I need to make a cover letter.  I'd like my cover letter to have a similar font and formatting to the resume I made from McNabb's template.  How can I do this?  How do I change the default font for my document?
>  
> I have made some sample letters using the built-in "letter" document class, and scrlttr2, but I don't understand how to control the font beyond [10/11/12pt] in the initial setting of the document class.  What else can I do to change the standard font of my letter?
>  
> Pointers to useful documents/tutorials would be good also.  I've found a lot of quite advanced treatises about fonts, but nothing that just spells out for me how to set a default font for my document and start writing.
>  
> Thanks.  I really look forward to understanding LaTeX someday, and maybe even variants of it.

Well.  Others far better qualified than I will guide you through
the intricacies of using anything other than Computer Modern, but
I can at least offer a little help --

Looking at the PDF, I see the following fonts used :

o CMSY10 (Computer Modern Symbol 10pt)
o F27 (no idea)
o Helvetica (classic sans-serif)
o URW Palladio Light Bold
o URW Palladio Light Italic
o URW Palladio Light Roman

Looking at the source, I see he selects these using

o \fontfamily{phv} \selectfont
o \fontfamily{ppl} \selectfont

If you therefore copy the basic preamble of his source document,
and insert those font commands at appropriate points, that will
get you started.  But probably using XeTeX and native fonts will
be the modern way that more informed commentators will recommend.

Philip Taylor