Acrobat vs. Fonts

[slush11]

I have what seems like a confusing subject but really isn't if you pay attention. So I'm going to break it down...

There are two Macs on the same server. One is mine, one is my co-worker's. We'll call him Frank.
We both open the same PDF using Acrobat.
Now, there are 2 fonts in question here: Univers and Birds of Paradise.

When I open the PDF and look at it, everything looks right. When Frank looks at it on his Mac, the Birds of Paradise converts to some ungodly font that clearly, Acrobat has decided to replace.
My Mac has Birds of Paradise downloaded and installed, but does not have Univers, yet Univers shows up normal in the PDF.
Frank's Mac has neither font, yet only the Birds text shows up weird.

Anyone know what's going on here?

 

[Glenn McDowall]

sounds like Univers is embedded and Birds of Paradise isn't, Acrobat > cmd D to confirm?

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Open the PDF, Acrobat/File/Properties/Fonts - Are the fonts embedded/subset or not?

Acrobat/Preferences/Page Display - Rendering section, is use local fonts checked on both Macs?


Stephen Marsh

 

[slush11]

Both local fonts boxes are checked. See image for the rest:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwFlduS8xbDlSVB6eDRSek1YaWk4TEZ1WFNGVzZhVWZHV2VF/view?usp=sharing

 

[Glenn McDowall]

Your screenshot confirms that the font BirdsofParadise is not embedded in the pdf. Your Acrobat Prefs are allowing the font to be accessed from the local machine. If the local machine does not have the font (Franks) you will get font substation.

 

[slush11]

So-to add another level of confusion, I open the file in Illy, convert the font to curves, then hit save and I get the "Birds of Paradise cannot be embedded into the file....blah blah blah." But, I converted it. So the font is technically no longer there???

Also, Can you be so kind as to explain to me the difference between subset and not subset? I'm not familiar with those terms.

 

[Tim-Ellis]

Hello,

I had a very similar situation. The font was SF Movie Poster. It looked totally different on the clients PC and one prepress mac. On every other mac in the office it appeared as it did on the DaFont website.

I see Birds of Paradise is also on the DaFont website. I reckon the font has some issue. I am away from my mac right now so I cannot check it out for you. The impression I got from SF Movie Poster was that the font file was designed over the top of another font. The client saw the original font while most of us saw the intended new design.

I'll get back to you on the font file unless some one else examines it first.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Also, Can you be so kind as to explain to me the difference between subset and not subset? I'm not familiar with those terms.

* Embedded = the entire font is included in the PDF, whether or not the characters/glyphs are actually used

* Subset (Embedded) = only the characters/glyphs that are actually used in the job are included (smaller file, but making it harder to edit the text in a PDF editor such as adding in a new character that does not exist).


Stephen Marsh

 

[leonardr]

So-to add another level of confusion, I open the file in Illy, convert the font to curves, then hit save and I get the "Birds of Paradise cannot be embedded into the file....blah blah blah." But, I converted it. So the font is technically no longer there???

Illustrator is _NOT_ a PDF editor - DO NOT try to use it as one.

Also, Can you be so kind as to explain to me the difference between subset and not subset? I'm not familiar with those terms.

As the name implies, a subsetted font is a font where only the glyphs that are used are present.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

So-to add another level of confusion, I open the file in Illy…

In many cases, not a good idea – best practice is to use a PDF editing tool such as Enfocus PitStop Pro. One can elect to change the font into outlines/paths, or even better to obtain and embed/subset the actual font and keep it as a font. The Enfocus Font Fix solution is part of later versions of PitStop Pro or can be obtained as a free plug-in:

http://www.enfocus.com/en/products/pitstop-font-fix/

Prepression: The Ten Commandments of PDF


Stephen Marsh

 

[Sherbert]

So-to add another level of confusion, I open the file in Illy, convert the font to curves, then hit save and I get the "Birds of Paradise cannot be embedded into the file....blah blah blah." But, I converted it. So the font is technically no longer there???

Also, Can you be so kind as to explain to me the difference between subset and not subset? I'm not familiar with those terms.

I'd wager the license on the font doesn't support embedding.

 

[abc]

Seems like there are two versions of the Birds of Paradise font. Personal and Commercial with restrictions of use on the personal.
I would bet that you have the personal version.

Commercial version allows embedding etc.
4. Embedding
You may embed the licensed fonts into any document you send to third parties. Such documents may be viewed and printed (but not edited) by the recipients. You may not under any circumstances embed the licensed fonts into software or hardware products in which the fonts will be used by the purchasers of such products. Such use requires a different license which may be offered by the Foundry. Please contact [email protected] for further information to obtain an embedding permission upgrade.

Birds of Paradise Font | dafont.com

 

[slush11]

In many cases, not a good idea – best practice is to use a PDF editing tool such as Enfocus PitStop Pro. One can elect to change the font into outlines/paths, or even better to obtain and embed/subset the actual font and keep it as a font. The Enfocus Font Fix solution is part of later versions of PitStop Pro or can be obtained as a free plug-in:

Fix missing fonts in PDF files with this FREE plugin by Enfocus and Monotype.

Prepression: The Ten Commandments of PDF


Stephen Marsh

Yes we have PitStop and all that jazz but I'm so unfamiliar with most of it that I just choose to use Illustrator instead. Could someone be bothered to tell me why that's a bad idea? I've been using it for years and have never once had a problem.

 

[slush11]

I'd wager the license on the font doesn't support embedding.

Yes but if it's converted to outlines, then it now becomes an object, not a font?

 

[chevalier]

Yes we have PitStop and all that jazz but I'm so unfamiliar with most of it that I just choose to use Illustrator instead. Could someone be bothered to tell me why that's a bad idea? I've been using it for years and have never once had a problem.

Because Illustrator is not a really PDF editor. It's kind of like using a butter knife instead of a steak knife. Or a paperclip instead of a screwdriver. Yeah, it will work - most of the time - but it may cause you all kinds of problems and break things.

Beyond Pitstop there's also Neo and Packz.

 

[Tim-Ellis]

Hello,

I looked at the "free" version of the font at DaFont. I cannot see anything odd.

It comes with a PDF to help you sort out the Kerning. That might be worth looking at.

The Free font is set to "Embedding of this font is not allowed" ... but "Allow Subsetting"

 

[Tim-Ellis]

Yes we have PitStop and all that jazz but I'm so unfamiliar with most of it that I just choose to use Illustrator instead. Could someone be bothered to tell me why that's a bad idea? I've been using it for years and have never once had a problem.

Do you know - that is such a good point I'm going to start a new thread.

Between 2003 and 2014 I edited every PDF with Illustrator. Only in 2015 did I learn the error of my ways.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Yes we have PitStop and all that jazz but I'm so unfamiliar with most of it that I just choose to use Illustrator instead. Could someone be bothered to tell me why that's a bad idea? I've been using it for years and have never once had a problem.

I can be bothered to tell you to read the prepression link :]


EDIT: I love the print/prepress game!

Yes we have screwdrivers and all that jazz but I’m so unfamiliar with most of it that I just choose to use a hammer instead. Could someone be bothered to tell me why that's a bad idea? I've been using it for years and have never once had a problem.

Yes we have scalpels and all that jazz but I’m so unfamiliar with most of it that I just choose to use a steak knife instead. Could someone be bothered to tell me why that's a bad idea? I've been using it for years and have never once had a problem.

Stephen Marsh

 

[rich apollo]

Yes but if it's converted to outlines, then it now becomes an object, not a font?

Fonts with embedding restrictions generally cannot be converted to outlines.