CODEWITHSUNDEEP
rggplot2knitrcairo
Hugh
Hugh

Reputation: 16089

cairo_pdf uses Arial, not Helvetica

I would like to use a consistent typeface for my plots in a knitr document. Right now I am switching between cairo_pdf and pdf. The reason I am using cairo_pdf in some plots is to avoid en-dashes in certain circumstances. But when cairo_pdf is invoked on my system, I get an Arial font; whereas pdf uses Helvetica. 

\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}

<<>>=
knitr::opts_chunk$set(fig.height = 1, out.height = "1in", fig.width=1, out.width="1in")
@

<<pdf, dev='pdf'>>=
library(ggplot2)
qplot(x = 1, y = 1, geom = "blank") + 
  xlab("RQac")
@

<<cairo, dev='cairo_pdf'>>=
qplot(x = 1, y = 1, geom = "blank") + 
  xlab("RQac")
@

\end{document}

enter image description here

Ideally, I'd like to select the font (and not just Arial or Helvetica). However, I cannot install the extrafonts package. 

install.packages("extrafonts")

results in a prompt for the installation of Rttf2pt1 which fails to compile.

Warning: running command 'make --no-print-directory -f "Makefile.win"' had status 2
ERROR: compilation failed for package 'Rttf2pt1'
* removing 'C:/R/R-3.3.0/library/Rttf2pt1'

How can I use Arial font in every chunk? How can I use Helvetica in every chunk?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 753

Answers (1)

Hugh
Hugh

Reputation: 16089

The interim solution I had was to use the showtext package. The disadvantage is that I have to specify the face through a theme. However, this downside can be alleviated by using a default theme. As I am using the \usepackage{helvet} in LaTeX, this solution also ensures I am using the identical family as the body text, rather than a (very close) clone.

Using tikz appears to be a plausible solution, though is quite unwieldy. (Almost every charts required attention outside knitr.)

\documentclass[a4paper,10pt]{article}

\begin{document}

<<font_add>>=
library(showtext)
library(sysfonts)
library(knitr)
font.add("helvet", 
         regular = "C:/Program Files/MiKTeX 2.9/fonts/type1/urw/helvetic/uhvr8a.pfb", 
         bold = "C:/Program Files/MiKTeX 2.9/fonts/type1/urw/helvetic/uhvb8a.pfb", 
         italic = "C:/Program Files/MiKTeX 2.9/fonts/type1/urw/helvetic/uhvro8a.pfb")

my_pdf <- function(file, width, height){
  pdf(file = file, width = width, height = height
      # ,family = "helvet"
      )
}
@

<<>>=
knitr::opts_chunk$set(fig.height = 1, out.height = "1in", fig.width=5, out.width="5in")
@

\subsubsection*{No distinction between hyphens and negative symbols}
<<pdf, dev='pdf'>>=
library(ggplot2)
qplot(x = 1, y = 1, geom = "blank") + 
  xlab(paste0("RQac 2012-13", "\U2212", "500"))
@

\subsubsection*{Wrong family, though distinction preserved}
<<cairo, dev='cairo_pdf'>>=
qplot(x = 1, y = 1, geom = "blank") + 
  xlab(paste0("RQac 2012-13", "\U2212", "500"))
@

\subsubsection*{Correct family and distinction, though the base family must be called}
<<my_pdf, dev='my_pdf', fig.ext='pdf', fig.showtext=TRUE>>=
qplot(x = 1, y = 1, geom = "blank") + 
  theme_gray(base_family = "helvet") + 
  xlab(paste0("RQac 2012-13", "\U2212", "500"))
@

\end{document}

original pdf

cairo pdf

showtext

Upvotes: 2

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