[texhax] pound-sterlings

[Gary Knott]

Dear Tex-haxer,

I have a .tex file  ( 150 pages - a linear algebra text)
which latex's fine. When I use xdvi, the text is okay -
in particular the word "define" looks okay!

But, when I prepare a .ps file for both converting to a .pdf file,
also for printing [with the command: dvips -Ppdf -o book.ps book]
and then execute [lpr book.ps] all the "fi"'s in my text print
as pound-sterlings on my hp4 Postscript laser printer - so
"define" comes out as "deLne" (where L=pound-sterling)!!!!

If I use the commands:
  dvips -o book.ps book; lpr book.ps
(i.e. I leave out the type-1 font request -Ppdf)
then "fi"'s print okay!

Is this a bug in dvips?  What can I do to get
a proper .pdf file, given that the "fi"'s in the .ps
file are likely wrong, and type-1 fonts are needed
to get a .pdf file which is both screen and printer
acceptable.

Thanks for your help,
-- 
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P.S, I sent a request for help about printing braces
in a c-program printing package.  I never got a response -
not suprising because it was a messy problem - but it turned
out to be the issue that latex2e doesn't handle \tt in math mode
any more.  This is really a big problem.  If 2-letter fonts did work
like they used to, almost all old latex2.09 files would work with a
documentclass 2e preamble.  (I have not had success getting so-called
"compatiblity" mode to work on any of my latex docs.

It is okay to have all the new font stuff, but what was the
reason for disabling the old 2-letter font controls?

And, is there a way to define \tt so it works in both
math and L-R modes in terms if latex2e commands?