— Escape: \H'height'
— Escape: \H'+height'
— Escape: \H'-height'
— Register: \n[.height]

Change (increment, decrement) the height of the current font, but not the width. If height is zero, restore the original height. Default scaling indicator is ‘z’.

The read-only number register .height contains the font height as set by \H.

Currently, only the -Tps and -Tpdf devices support this feature.

Note that \H doesn't produce an input token in gtroff. As a consequence, it can be used in requests like mc (which expects a single character as an argument) to change the font on the fly:

          
          .mc \H'+5z'x\H'0'

In compatibility mode, gtroff behaves differently: If an increment or decrement is used, it is always taken relative to the current point size and not relative to the previously selected font height. Thus,

          
          .cp 1
          \H'+5'test \H'+5'test

prints the word ‘test’ twice with the same font height (five points larger than the current font size).

— Escape: \S'slant'
— Register: \n[.slant]

Slant the current font by slant degrees. Positive values slant to the right. Only integer values are possible.

The read-only number register .slant contains the font slant as set by \S.

Currently, only the -Tps and -Tpdf devices support this feature.

Note that \S doesn't produce an input token in gtroff. As a consequence, it can be used in requests like mc (which expects a single character as an argument) to change the font on the fly:

          
          .mc \S'20'x\S'0'

This request is incorrectly documented in the original UNIX troff manual; the slant is always set to an absolute value.

— Request: .ul [lines]

The ul request normally underlines subsequent lines if a TTY output device is used. Otherwise, the lines are printed in italics (only the term `underlined' is used in the following). The single argument is the number of input lines to be underlined; with no argument, the next line is underlined. If lines is zero or negative, stop the effects of ul (if it was active). Requests and empty lines do not count for computing the number of underlined input lines, even if they produce some output like tl. Lines inserted by macros (e.g. invoked by a trap) do count.

At the beginning of ul, the current font is stored and the underline font is activated. Within the span of a ul request, it is possible to change fonts, but after the last line affected by ul the saved font is restored.

This number of lines still to be underlined is associated with the current environment (see Environments). The underline font can be changed with the uf request.

The ul request does not underline spaces.

— Request: .cu [lines]

The cu request is similar to ul but underlines spaces as well (if a TTY output device is used).

— Request: .uf font

Set the underline font (globally) used by ul and cu. By default, this is the font at position 2. font can be either a non-negative font position or the name of a font.

— Request: .bd font [offset]
— Request: .bd font1 font2 [offset]
— Register: \n[.b]

Artificially create a bold font by printing each glyph twice, slightly offset.

Two syntax forms are available.

• Imitate a bold font unconditionally. The first argument specifies the font to embolden, and the second is the number of basic units, minus one, by which the two glyphs are offset. If the second argument is missing, emboldening is turned off.

  font can be either a non-negative font position or the name of a font.

  offset is available in the .b read-only register if a special font is active; in the bd request, its default unit is ‘u’.

• Imitate a bold form conditionally. Embolden font1 by offset only if font font2 is the current font. This command can be issued repeatedly to set up different emboldening values for different current fonts. If the second argument is missing, emboldening is turned off for this particular current font.

  This affects special fonts only (either set up with the special command in font files or with the fspecial request).

— Request: .cs font [width [em-size]]

Switch to and from constant glyph space mode. If activated, the width of every glyph is width/36 ems. The em size is given absolutely by em-size; if this argument is missing, the em value is taken from the current font size (as set with the ps request) when the font is effectively in use. Without second and third argument, constant glyph space mode is deactivated.

Default scaling indicator for em-size is ‘z’; width is an integer.