Fake Small Caps

Question

I used a script to fake small caps which I found on StackExchange.

\documentclass{report}
% Source: https://tex.stackexchange.com/a/262596/146754
\usepackage{xstring} % needed for IfEqCase
\usepackage{forloop}
\usepackage{relsize}
\newcommand{\fakescsize}{0.75}
\newcounter{sccounter}
\newcounter{tempStringLength}
\newcommand{\FakeSmallCaps}[1]{%
    % this \betterfakesc command requires these two packages:
    %   xstring
    %   forloop
    %
    % First, we obtain the length of the input string.
    \StrLen{#1}[\stringLength]%
    %
    % Our main forloop will be using a condition of “while less than \stringLength”,
    % so we’ll need to increase \stringLength by 1 so the forloop will be able to iterate 
    % over the entire string. we’ll use a temporary counter tempStringLength to make
    % this increase. That’s what the next three lines are about.
    \setcounter{tempStringLength}{\stringLength}%
    \addtocounter{tempStringLength}{1}%
    \def\stringLength{\arabic{tempStringLength}}%
    %
    % Here is our main loop. We iterate over the characters in the input string,
    % and the currentLetter is compared to the case rules we have defined. Basically
    % if the currentLetter is any of the lowercase a-z letters, then we apply a 
    % “fake small caps” effect to it and output it.
    \forloop[1]{sccounter}{1}{\value{sccounter}<\stringLength}{%
        \StrChar{#1}{\value{sccounter}}[\currentLetter]%
        %
        \IfEqCase*{\currentLetter}{%
            % The lines below are the rules. Obviously more could be added.
            {a}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{A}}}%
            {b}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{B}}}%
            {c}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{C}}}%
            {d}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{D}}}%
            {e}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{E}}}%
            {f}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{F}}}%
            {g}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{G}}}%
            {h}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{H}}}%
            {i}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{I}}}%
            {j}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{J}}}%
            {k}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{K}}}%
            {l}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{L}}}%
            {m}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{M}}}%
            {n}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{N}}}%
            {o}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{O}}}%
            {p}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{P}}}%
            {q}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{Q}}}%
            {r}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{R}}}%
            {s}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{S}}}%
            {t}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{T}}}%
            {u}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{U}}}%
            {v}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{V}}}%
            {w}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{W}}}%
            {x}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{X}}}%
            {y}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{Y}}}%
            {z}{{\relscale{\fakescsize}{Z}}}%
        }%
        % if our \currentLetter isn’t any of the letters we have rules for,
        % then just output it now
        [{\currentLetter}]%
    }%
}
\newcommand{\TitleTest}{Hello}
\begin{document}
\section{\TitleTest}
Lorem \FakeSmallCaps{Ipsum} is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.
\let\OldTitleTest\TitleTest
\renewcommand{\TitleTest}{\FakeSmallCaps{\OldTitleTest}}
\section{\TitleTest}
It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
\end{document}

Why does it work at the top but not at the bottom? Why do I get the following error in line 86?

    Runaway argument?
    Runaway argument?
    Illegal parameter number in definition of \reserved@a.
    Argument of \xs_IfStringCase_ii has an extra }.
    Runaway argument?
    Argument of \xs_reserved_A has an extra }.
    Runaway argument?
    Argument of \xs_readdecimalpart has an extra }.
    Undefined control sequence.

This destroys kerning. Try "avava" instead of "Hello". The problem is that you cannot use complex commands in the argument of \section. Try \section[Hello]{\TitleTest} (or \section[Hello]{\FakeSmallCaps{Hello}}) instead. — Jasper Habicht, Jun 09 '23 at 08:57

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 09 '23 at 12:10

First off: if you want small caps, choose a font family that has real small caps.

If you prefer bad typesetting, at least use a better method for faking small caps.

\RequirePackage{fix-cm} % just for this example
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{relsize}
\newcommand{\fakescsize}{0.75}
\ExplSyntaxOn
\NewDocumentCommand{\fakesc}{m}
 {
  \stucke_fakesc:e { \text_expand:n { #1 } }
 }
\cs_new_protected:Nn \stucke_fakesc:n
 {
  \tl_set:Nn \l_tmpa_tl { #1 }
  \regex_replace_all:nnN
   { [a-z]+ } % any run of lowercase letters
   { \c{__stucke_fakesc_do:n}\cB{\0\cE} } % enclose as argument
   \l_tmpa_tl
  \tl_use:N \l_tmpa_tl
 }
\cs_generate_variant:Nn \stucke_fakesc:n { e }
\cs_new_protected:Nn __stucke_fakesc_do:n
 {
  \relscale{\fakescsize}{\text_uppercase:n { #1 } }
 }
\ExplSyntaxOff
\begin{document}
\newcommand{\TitleTest}{Hello}
\section{\fakesc{Hello}}
\section{\fakesc{\TitleTest}}
\end{document}

Fake Small Caps

1 Answers1