Trueflow Text Reflow and Font Issues

[mrnick]

We are working with Trueflow v3.12 and have run into the problem of text reflowing, or simply coming out crazy. We have had this happen on both the Plates and the Softproof, but I have also seen it happen to only the Plates when the Softproof is fine.

We are trying to figure out if it an issue with customer supplied PDF's, or if it is within the system. Possibly we are pushing the system to hard with large files, or maybe how we are networked into it, since it is on a PC and we are in a MAC environment. I'm not even sure if there are updates for this system or not that we should have been installing.

I'm wondering if it is stricktly a font issue. If the fonts are outlined, it immediately fixes the problem.

If there is anyone who has had the same problem or has any idea, please throw in your 2 cents.

[randall_r0]

Hello Nick. When we had that problem we found that is was due to subset fonts in the pdfs. Sometimes Trueflow would scramble them up and other times it was fine. We had the customer change fonts or we got permission to change the fonts in the pdf and that resolved the issue. I hope this helps.

[michaelejahn]

If the PDF file area created properly (that is, if the PDF files are PDF/X) - and the customer actually uses fonts that can indeed be embedded - Then you probably would have no issue.

My guess here is that the font is not written properly into the PDF - as you indicate, if you convert the type to outline, the application (or the PostScript driver) resolces this issue for you (or for the customer, if they do that on your end.

I would be shocked to learn that TrueFlow reflowing type on PDF files that are valid PDF/X files with subsetted fonts - if they is the case, then ask for a free upgrade to the next version, as the one you have installed is broken.

[rich apollo]

TrueFlow did, indeed, have problems with subset fonts in the past. Download the Ghent Workgroup's test files and see if this is still the case.

[nelly]

I had similar issues with our basic installation of trueflow. It turned out to be trueflow that needed the latest updates applied. After a day of fiddling all is well.

Speak to your screen specialist about the issue, you are not the only one.

In my case it was mostly the spacing between characters that closed up randomly.

[mrnick]

Thanks gents.

Nick

[Jason_CTP]

We are having this problem as well. TF 3.12 ; I would describe it more as a tracking issue. I agree how Nick calls it "coming out crazy" My current fix for this is to open in Pitstop and nudge the words a little. This usually happens when numbers, quotes or symbols are used on the same line. I did get a warning from Pitstop for a composite font on a recent occurrence.



Years ago this was a common problem for our PSM rip. When PDFs started to become regular used instead of native program output to PS. Finally I noticed the problem was eliminated whenever I would rotate the page to my RIP upside down first.



I would like to be able to better understand the cause of this issue. I think it deserves a unique name for the outcome.