On Sun, 23 Oct 2016, at 21:21, Robert Thorsby wrote: > On 24/10/16 05:52:41, Gerard Lally wrote: > > Is it possible to lay out a page, as in the attached sample file, > > using *roff? I'm about to commit myself to learning troff and friends > > more thoroughly. Before I start I'd like to have a broad idea of its > > limitations. > > > > I don't need a how-to, detailed or otherwise, showing the steps you'd > > take to produce this page in *roff. Just an idea whether or not the > > wizards among you on this list would consider tackling such a project > > with your favourite document formatter. > > The short answer is Yes. Groff could reproduce this layout. Any of > the frequent contributors to this list (which doesn't include me) could > knock this out. > > The long answer is No. There are probably "easier" applications to > use, especially as most other applications can handle images that are > in other than postscript format. > > Would I consider tackling the illustrated page? No way, my sense of > responsible typography forbids it.
Well the sample is meaningless; I searched for a "desktop publishing" image and chose that one at random as a reasonably complex example of what I had in mind. Good typography is one of the reasons I am hoping to standardize on *roff. It's going to be a lifetime commitment for me. I can see its value with regard to normal document formatting, but I was curious to know whether it could be pushed to handle more complex DTP, brochure and business card layouts.
