Files in this directory

Name	Date	Size		Description
README	2006-05-29	1 Kbyte	download	Shown below
description.pdf	2006-05-29	25 Kbyte	download
description.tex	2006-05-29	1 Kbyte	download
shade.mf	2006-05-29	1 Kbyte	download
shade.tex	2006-05-29	2 Kbyte	download

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Contents of the README file

A `frequently asked question' is that for possibilites to produce
shaded boxes.

Since the answers usually (just as recently) point either to PostScript
\special's and PiCTeX it seems that a `simpler' and easier to use version
is not readily available --- though I did not check this.

A small and simple approach to shaded boxes is the use of a special font
providing shaded rectangles, and some macros which automatically compose the
desired box from these characters.

Since, of course, the finest shading can be achieved by using single pixels
for the pattern, the best shading pattern is *device dependent*.
Furthermore, one generally defined shading pattern would imply the danger,
that - because of rounding errors - at the boundaries (between two of the
characters) `lines' would occur, and that the pattern would not look completely
uniform.  Consequently, since different fonts are to be used for different
printers, the dvi file is *device dependent* in this sense, too, though the
code - both for the macros and for the metafont description - is device
independent.

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