# phpman > man > mft(1)

[MFT(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MFT/1/markdown)                                 General Commands Manual                                [MFT(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MFT/1/markdown)



## NAME
       mft - translate Metafont or MetaPost code to TeX code for prettyprinting

## SYNOPSIS
       **mft** [_OPTIONS_] _mf_file_name_[**.mf**|**.mp**]

## DESCRIPTION
       This  manual page is not meant to be exhaustive.  The complete documentation for this version
       of TeX can be found in the info file or manual _Web2C:_ _A_ _TeX_ _implementation_.

       The **mft** program creates a TeX file from a Metafont or MetaPost program.  It takes appropriate
       care  of  typographic details like page layout and the use of indentation, italics, boldface,
       etc., as illustrated in the book _Computer_ _Modern_ _Typefaces_.  Special conventions in  Metafont
       and  MetaPost  comments  allow you to control things that would not otherwise come out right;
       section 1 of the MFT source program in the _Metafontware_ report explains these rules.

       The **mft** program uses an optional change file (which works just as the change  files  to  **tan**‐‐
       [**gle**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/gle/1/markdown)  and  [**weave**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/weave/1/markdown) do) and one or several style files (which are prepended to everything).
       If no style file is specified, the style file **plain.mft** for Metafont (or **mplain.mft** for Meta‐
       Post) is automatically used.

       The _mf_file_name_, optional _change_file_name_, and _style_file_name_ files are searched for using
       the MFINPUTS (for Metafont) or MPINPUTS (for MetaPost) and MFTINPUTS environment variables if
       you have set them, or else the corresponding system defaults.

       The output TeX file name is formed by using **.tex** in place of the extension of _mf_file_name_.

## OPTIONS
### -change=
              Apply the change file _change_file_name_ to _mf_file_name_.

### -metapost
              Assume _mf_file_name_ is a MetaPost source file (this is the default if _mf_file_name_ has
              the extension **.mp**).

### -style=
              Use the style file _style_file_name_ instead of **plain.mft** (or **mplain.mft**);  this  option
              can be given more than once.

## FILES
       _mftmac.tex_
              TeX macros used by **mft** output.

       _plain.mft_, _mplain.mft_
              Default style files.

       _cmbase.mft_
              Style file for Computer Modern.

## SEE ALSO
       [**mf**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mf/1/markdown), [**weave**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/weave/1/markdown).
       Donald  E. Knuth, _Computer_ _Modern_ _Typefaces_ (Volume E of _Computers_ _and_ _Typesetting_), Addison-
       Wesley, 1986, ISBN 0-201-13446-2.
       Donald E. Knuth et al., _Metafontware_.

## AUTHORS
       Donald E. Knuth wrote the program, and he ported it to Unix with the help  of  Pierre  MacKay
       and  the  Unix port of **weave** by Howard Trickey and Pavel Curtis.  The program is published in
       the _Metafontware_ technical report, available from the TeX Users Group.



Web2C 2022/dev                               27 May 2018                                      [MFT(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/MFT/1/markdown)