Why does boldface not work on Greek letters?

Thread starter PeroK
Start date Jan 30, 2022

In summary, boldface does not work on Greek letters because most Greek fonts do not have a "bold" version. However, there are alternative ways to make Greek letters bold, such as using a different font or manually applying formatting options in word processing or design software. The appearance of bold Greek letters may also vary depending on the specific font being used or how the font is applied to the text. Using CSS can also be a method to manually make Greek letters bold, but only if the font used has a bold version available.

Jan 30, 2022

PeroK

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If you look at the Latex, both these characters ought to be in boldface, but the Greek letter does not appear in bold.

##\mathbf a##, ##\mathbf{\alpha}##

Is that something Latex can't do?

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Jan 30, 2022

Wrichik Basu

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You can use \boldsymbol from amsmath:
##\boldsymbol{\alpha \beta \xi}##
See this answer on TeX-LaTeX SE.

1. Why do boldface not work on Greek letters?

Boldface does not work on Greek letters because most fonts do not have a bold version of Greek letters. This is because bolding a letter requires thickening the strokes of the letter, which can be difficult to do for complex characters like Greek letters.

2. Can I make Greek letters bold in a different way?

Yes, it is possible to make Greek letters bold by using a different font or by manually editing the font file to add a bold version of the Greek letters. However, this may not be a viable solution for all situations and may require technical expertise.

3. Why is it important to have boldface for Greek letters?

Bolding certain text is often used to emphasize and highlight important information. In scientific writing, Greek letters are commonly used to represent mathematical symbols and equations, and bolding them can help to make them stand out and aid in understanding.

4. Are there any workarounds for making Greek letters bold?

One workaround is to use a different font that has a bold version of Greek letters. Another option is to use a different symbol or notation, such as using a bolded Latin letter to represent a Greek letter. However, these workarounds may not be suitable for all situations and may not accurately convey the intended meaning.

5. Is there a reason why some fonts have a bold version of Greek letters while others do not?

Fonts are designed by individuals or companies, and the decision to include a bold version of Greek letters may depend on the intended use and audience of the font. Some fonts may prioritize having a bold version of commonly used Latin letters, while others may cater to a more scientific or technical audience and include a bold version of Greek letters.