Changing text weight on published PDF's

[kwj]

I am publishing my projects drawings to PDF. I have a page setup with a custom CTB file. When I change the lineweights in the CTB file and hit preview )(when plotting a single page), my lineweights and text seem to change correctly. However, when I publish to PDF using that same page setup and CTB file, my text doesn't seem to change weight as it did in the preview (its always too light). Is there something I need to do to change (thicken) the lineweight of my text in PDF's?

[kwj]

FWIW, I am using standard autocad SHX fonts (not truetype). I am attaching an example where I have used a CTB to change all lineweights to a thicker line, but the text is unchanged.

[kwj]

I've also found that installing a third party PDF writer (cutepdf in this case), and choosing it in my page setup, then overriding the publish to pdf by selecting the option to use plotter named in page setup gives me PDF's with the correct lineweights. That would solve my problem, but I would still like the cross-references inserted by the default PDF plot option.

[Icemanau]

The problem is that ACADE swaps the SHX fonts for a true type font when doing the PDFS with hyperlinks.

This is why your plot settings are not being applied in the PDF. I agree that the TT fonts are a bit light when viewing the entire page, but when you zoom in closer, they do show as black rather than grey.

I'm not sure on any fix for this at this stage.

Regards Brad

[david_brude · Accepted solution]

Which version of ACE are you using?

In 2015 they give you an option to turn off TT substitution for SHX fonts.

Regards,

David

[kwj]

Thank you guys very much for the responses. I wish I would've asked before I wasted a day troubleshooting. That is indeed the problem and, since I am running ACADE 2015, I can disable that shx to tt conversion.

[David.deWet]

Hi There

I have been struggling with the exact same problem for a while now. I ended up only using a PDF without hyperlinks to solve the issue. However after some serious googling i have found this solution:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-electrical/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarti...

Also please not this did not fix it for Abode. It did however fix it for PDF_XChange Viewer.

[David.deWet]

Sorry, You can fix it for abode by changing abode settings:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad-electrical/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarti...

[David.deWet]

Hi There

I have found a working solution to fixing the line weight of the text to the same darkness of lines etc.

C:\Users\dewetd\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\AutoCAD Electrical 2015\R20.0\enu\Support

File name: acade.fmp

Please make a backup of the file before continuing:

Copy this info into the doc overwriting the original text.

cibt;Calibri.TTF
cobt;Calibri.TTF
complex;Calibri.TTF
eur;Calibri.TTF
euro;Calibri.TTF
iso8;Calibri.TTF
isocp;Calibri.TTF
isocp2;Calibri.TTF
italic;Calibri.TTF
monotxt;Calibri.TTF
par;Calibri.TTF
rom;Calibri.TTF
romans;Calibri.TTF
romb;Calibri.TTF
romi;Calibri.TTF
sas;Calibri.TTF
sasb;Calibri.TTF
sasbo;Calibri.TTF
saso;Calibri.TTF
simplex;Calibri.TTF
suf;Calibri.TTF
te;Calibri.TTF
teb;Calibri.TTF
tel;Calibri.TTF
txt;Calibri.TTF

Save file.

After this you can publish a project to PDF and select "Substitute TrueType fonts for SHX fonts". 

Please let me know if this corrects the issue. Spent a few hours playing around with different text types until I did this.

[Arlene_Brown]

Hi,

This has worked for me. However it creates another problem the width of the text changes increases causing text to overlap lines. Can anyone suggest how to overcome this?

Thanks in advance.

[alds02]

Yes, the size is slightly different and not just the width - I've had the text appear slightly overlapping on table grid lines too. I haven't figured out a fix other than allowing generous space.

[Icemanau]

The only sure way that I have found to prevent font width problems with the font substitutions is to set up your text styles to automatically use the TTF font you want.

That way there is no substitution happening, no problems with the width and no cursing from the drafters about how their text has been messed up.

You would still need to apply the changes to Adobe to fix the grey text problem.

Regards Brad.

[alds02]

Brad,

Do you mind if I ask which font you've settled on?

[Icemanau]

Unless the client requests a specific font, the font I use is the ISO_3098.ttf as specified in the Australian Standards for CAD dwgs.

Unfortunately, this font is not a standard windows font and users have to search it down on the web. If I had the choice, I would change to something like Calibri or maybe Arial...

It all comes down to personal choice and availability. Calibri comes with Windows and I find it looks cleaner than Arial.

Regards Brad