Troubles with brackets while zooming

Question

When I'm zooming the compiled document, all brackets and similar figures look like on the screen. I've already installed cm-super, so I don't have troubles with the font, but, I have no an idea why the brackets look like this.

I have two files: the main and the style. The preamble of the main file is:

\documentclass[10pt, a4paper]{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T2A]{fontenc}
\usepackage[english, russian]{babel}
\usepackage{Lections_style}

In the style file kinda preamble looks:

\NeedsTeXFormat{LaTeX2e}
\ProcessOptions
\RequirePackage{amsfonts}
\RequirePackage{amsmath}
\RequirePackage{amssymb}
\RequirePackage{graphicx}
\RequirePackage{babel,blindtext}
\RequirePackage{subfigure}
\RequirePackage{hyperref}
\RequirePackage{fancyhdr}
\RequirePackage{cite}
\RequirePackage{amsthm}
\RequirePackage{xparse}
\RequirePackage{mathabx}
\RequirePackage{array}
\RequirePackage{tabularx}
\RequirePackage{multirow}
\RequirePackage{makecell}
\RequirePackage{mathrsfs}

Please give us a complete example we can compile. We want to be able to copy-paste-compile to reproduce the issue. Since this will depend in part on the context in which those symbols appear, it is pretty hard to guess at the rest of your document. Off-topic: subfigure ought not be used as it is obsolete. — cfr, Aug 13 '15 at 22:20
What's the point of \ProcessOptions when there aren't any? — cfr, Aug 13 '15 at 22:23
@cfr Should I past here all the 60 pages? How can I send you the example, if those brackets are used throughout the whole document? I've just created a new document, but I haven't met the problem. I don't know, why. Obviously then, that the problem occurs only in this doucment, which contains about 60 pages. — MGMKLML, Aug 13 '15 at 22:25
That seems extremely unlikely. Make a copy of your document and start taking stuff out. If the problem disappears, put it back. If not, it isn't necessary. See how to make an MWE which explains the process. — cfr, Aug 13 '15 at 22:27
Either add a \usepackage{everything-but-the-kitchen-sink} or make your code minimal and compilable. — Martin Schröder, Aug 17 '15 at 20:12

cfr · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-13T23:25:16.317

Add T1 to the font encodings else cm-super won't be used i.e. \usepackage[T1,T2A]{fontenc} - otherwise you'll get OT1 as the default text encoding and the default Computer Modern, I think, which isn't scalable.

Since mathabx is causing the problem, you need to ensure that you have scalable versions of mathabx installed correctly.

Obviously, you should install required packages using your TeX distribution's package manager rather than by hand e.g. tlmgr (for TeX Live) or TeX Live Utility (for the MacTeX flavour of TeX Live) or MikTeX's package manager (for MikTeX, obviously).

Explanation

By default, TeX uses Computer Modern fonts in MetaFont (.mf) format. These do not scale well, especially in certain PDF viewers. Similarly, mathabx supplies MetaFont versions of the fonts it supports.

However, if postscript type1 versions of fonts are available, most TeX installations will prefer them.

Installing cm-super and using \usepackage[T1]{fontenc} ensures that scalable versions of Computer Modern are used. An alternative is \usepackage{lmodern} or \usepackage{cfr-lm} which will use Latin Modern in type1 format.

Likewise, installing the type1 mathabx fonts will ensure that mathabx uses postscript, type1 versions provided your TeX installation is configured to prefer them. (And, trust me, it is. Unless you've changed the setting which you would have had no reason to do.)

So ensuring that mathabx-type1 and cm-super are installed, and that T1 is the default text encoding for Western European languages (as opposed to OT1), ensures that scalable fonts are used for these purposes rather than their MetaFont equivalents.

Postscript, type1 fonts scale well in all known PDF viewers, even those which do not scale MetaFont fonts at all well. Hence, the above should solve the problem.

Hmmm. I've just started a new document, and like attached the style file to that new document. The problem has got back. Something's wrong in the style file then — MGMKLML, Aug 13 '15 at 22:30
I've found out, that when I use \RequirePackage{mathabx} I get the problem. Seems I don't need the package right now, but If I do, what should I use to rectify the "pixelating"? — MGMKLML, Aug 13 '15 at 22:34
tbh, I don't understand how to do it. Also I don't understand, how it will help me to solve the problem with that mathabx. Might you explain again? What if I install mathabx-type1? — MGMKLML, Aug 13 '15 at 22:45
@MGMKLML See edit. I've deleted some of my comments as this system is complaining. Perhaps you could do the same? — cfr, Aug 13 '15 at 23:26
Installing the mathabx-type1 solved the problem. Thank you — MGMKLML, Aug 13 '15 at 23:52

Troubles with brackets while zooming

When I'm zooming the compiled document, all brackets and similar figures look like on the screen. I've already installed cm-super, so I don't have troubles with the font, but, I have no an idea why the brackets look like this.

1 Answers1

Explanation