Joachim Schrod writes:
 > >>>>> "RW" == Richard Walker <[log in to unmask]> writes:
 >
 > RW> Joachim Schrod writes:
 > >> No, it's not standard. Emphasis is done with italics, as in every
 > >> civilized country.
 >
 > RW> If you were typesetting in Fraktur, you had no choice but to use
 > RW> letter-spacing.
 >
 > My typography books tell otherwise, that's what Schwabacher or Roman
 > is for.

Yes and no.

Duden (volume 1) says that in Fraktur settings, the use of Roman
(,,Antiqua``) is limited to foreign words and expressions that are not
Germanised (,,eingedeutscht``).

I have old Fraktur editions of Lessing, Wilhelm Hauff, and ,,Der
Struwwelpeter``.  The Lessing edition uses Roman for foreign words
(and there is an occasional Roman heading in the Hauff edition), but
they all use letter-spacing for emphasising German words and phrases.
(They also use bold Fraktur in some headings.)

The printers may well have committed `crimes' (although I don't know
what they were).  But you can't criticise them for using
letter-spacing.  Even Duden says it's OK - and gives rules for it.