Here is a table of macros.
| Macro Name | Initial Value | Break? Reset? | Explanation |
| .1C | on | y,y | one column format on a new page |
| .2C [ l ] | - | y,y | two column format l=line length |
| .AE | - | y | end abstract |
| .AL [ t ] [ i ] [ s ] | t=1;i=.Li;s=0 | y | Start automatic list type t=[1,A,a,I,i] 1=arabic numbers; A=uppercase letters a=lowercase letters; I=uppercase Roman numerals; i=lowercase Roman numerals indentation i; separation s |
| .AS m [ n ] | n=0 | y | begin abstract |
| .AU | - | y | author's name |
| .AV x | - | y | signature and date line of verifier x |
| .B x | - | n | embolden x;
if no x, switch to boldface |
| .BE | - | y | end block text |
| .BI x y | - | n | embolden x and underline y |
| .BL | - | y | bullet list |
| .BR x y | - | n | embolden x and use Roman font for y |
| .BS | - | n | start block text |
| .CN | - | y | same as .DE (nroff) |
| .CS | - | y | cover sheet |
| .CW | - | n | same as .DS I (nroff) |
| .DE | - | y | end displaytblbl |
| .DF [ p ] [ f ] [ rp ] | p=L;f=N | y | start floating display; position p=[L,C,CB] L=left; I=indent; C=center; CB=center block fill f=[N,Y]; right position rp (fill only) |
| .DL [ i ] [ s ] | - | y | start dash list |
| .DS [ p ] [ f ] [ rp ] | p=L;f=N | y | begin static display (see .DF for argument descriptions) |
| .EC x [ n ] | n=1 | y | equation title; equation x; number n |
| .EF x | - | n | even footer appears at the bottom of
even-numbered pages; x="l'c'r" l=left; c=center; r=right |
| .EH x | - | n | even header appears at the top of even-numbered
pages; x="l'c'r" l=left; c=center; r=right |
| .EN | - | y | end displayed equation produced by eqn |
| .EQ | - | y | break out equation produced by eqn |
| .EX x [ n ] | n=1 | y | exhibit title; exhibit x |
| | | | number n |
| .FD [ f ] [ r ] | f=10;r=1 | n | set footnote style format f=[0-11]; renumber r=[0,1] |
| .FE | - | y | end footnote |
| .FG x [ n ] | n=1 | y | figure title; figure x; number n |
| .FS | - | n | start footnote |
| .H l [ t ] | - | y | produce
numbered heading level l=[1-7]; title t |
| .HU t | - | y | produce unnumbered heading; title t |
| .I x | - | n | underline x |
| .IB x y | - | n | underline x and embolden ytblbr |
| .IR x y | - | n | underline x and use Roman font on y |
| .LE [ s ] | s=0 | y | end list; separation s |
| .LI [ m ] [ p ] | - | y | start new list item; mark m |
| | | | prefix p (mark only) |
| .ML m [ i ] [ s ] | s=0 | y | start marked list; mark m indentation i; separation s=[0,1] |
| .MT x | | y | memo title; title x |
| .ND x | | n | no date in page footer; x
is date on cover |
| .NE | - | y | end block text |
| .NS | - | y | start block text |
| .OF x | - | n | odd footer appears at the bottom of odd-numbered
pages; x="l'c'r" l=left; c=center; r=right |
| .OF x | - | n | odd header appears at the top of odd-numbered
pages; x="l'c'r" l=left; c=center; r=right |
| .OP | - | y | skip to the top of an odd-number page |
| .P [ t ] | t=0 | y,y | begin paragraph; t=[0,1] 0=justified; 1=indented |
| .PF x | - | n | page footer appears at the bottom of
every page; x="l'c'r" l=left; c=center; r=right |
| .PH x | - | n | page header appears at the top of every
page; x="l'c'r" l=left; c=center; r=right |
| .Rtblbr | on | n | return to Roman font |
| .RB x y | - | n | use Roman
on x and embolden y |
| .RI x y | - | n | use Roman
on x and underline y |
| .RP x | - | y,y | released paper format ? x=no
stops title on first |
| .RS | 5n | y,y | right shift: start level of relative indentation |
| .S m n | - | n | set character
point size & vertical space character point size m; vertical space n |
| .SA x | x=1 | n | justification; x=[0,1] |
| .SK x | - | y | skip x pages |
| .SM | - | n | smaller; decrease point size by 2 |
| .SP [ x ] | - | y | leave x
blank lines |
| .TB x [ n ] | n=1 | y | table title; table x; number n |
| .TC | - | y | print table of contents (put at end of input file) |
| .TE | - | y | end of table processed by tbl |
| .TH | - | y | end multi-page header of table |
| .TL | - | n | title in boldface and two points larger |
| .TM | - | n | UC Berkeley thesis mode |
| .TP itblbr | y | y | i=p.i. Begin indented paragraph, with the tag given on the next text line. Set prevailing indent to i. |
| .TS x | - | y,y | begin table; if x=H table has multi-page header |
| .TY | - | y | display centered title CONTENTS |
| .VL i [ m ] [ s ] | m=0;s=0 | y | start variable-item list; indentation i mark-indentation m; separation s |