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Initials

How to create drop caps and large initial letters in LaTeX using the lettrine package.

A common feature of literary works is initials (drop caps), i.e. decorative first characters on the first page of a chapter or section.

The `lettrine` Package

The lettrine package is the standard for creating drop caps in LaTeX. It is highly configurable and available in all major TeX distributions.

\usepackage{lettrine}

\lettrine{T}{his} is the first sentence of the chapter.

This creates a large "T" spanning 2 lines, with "his" in normal text.

\lettrine[lines=3, lhang=0.33, loversize=0.1]{T}{his}

Option	Description	Default
`lines`	Number of lines the drop cap spans	2
`lhang`	Fraction of the letter width that hangs into the margin	0
`loversize`	Extra height as fraction of capital letter height	0
`nindent`	Indentation of the following lines	0.5em
`findent`	Indentation of the text next to the drop cap	0

\renewcommand{\LettrineFont}{\normalfont\bfseries\Huge}

\lettrine[lines=2]{A}{} chapter\ldots

\lettrine[lines=2]{B}{} eginning\ldots

\usepackage{xcolor}
\renewcommand{\LettrineFont}{\color{red!80!black}\normalfont\bfseries}

For simpler drop caps without the full lettrine feature set:

\usepackage{soul}
\newcommand{\dropcap}[1]{\Huge\textbf{#1}}