Robin,<br /><br />An old post for versions prior to FM8:<br /><br />Another approach is to create custom fractions using variables (which<br />can contain multiple Character tag markups). You can create a master<br />template with just the fraction variables that you need and import<br />these into your FM documents as required. Then inserting proper<br />fractions is as simple as selecting an FM variable.<br /><br />For example, and definition for 1/8 might be defined as (1_8 as the<br />variable name) and then: <br /><br /><Sqz_10p0><SynSup7>1<Symbol>§<Syn6>8<Default ¶ Font><br /><br />The <Sqz_10p0> character tag applies a 10% squeeze to the fraction.<br />The <SynSup7> sets the "1" as superscripted number at 7pts<br />The <Symbol>§ grouping inserts the fraction slash from the symbol<br />character set.<br />The <Syn6> sets the 8 at 6pts to balance the reduced superscripted 1.<br /><br />You can also use Steve Kubis' Autotext tool to do something similar.<br />See http://www.kagi.com/spsoftware/<br /><br />However, using the proper unicode characters from a Pro version of an<br />OTF font, as Kenneth mentions, will give even better results.
The best case fractions I've been able to make in Frame have been with a
fraction font, like Helvetica Fractions or New Century Schoolbook
Fractions. Other expert fonts may contain fraction characters. You can
make your own using a regular text font, by using superscript, slash,
subscript, but they come out pretty cheesy, IMO. A true case fraction
uses a slash that leans a little more than a regular slash, and the
numbers are a slightly different shape than full-size numbers.
Frame 8 should allow access to the Fraction Slash that's present in most
fonts but accessible only to Unicode-aware apps. As well, any fonts that
have true supers and subs (also only available to Unicode-aware apps
unless it's an expert font) would improve roll-your-own case fractions.
--
Kenneth Benson
Pegasus Type, Inc.
www.pegtype.com