PDF fonts not showing up correctly

[Anonymous]

We have just installed AutoCAD 2018.  I plotted a PDF file from a drawing that was created in AutoCAD 2017.  The PDF looks fine on my end, but when I send it to my client the fonts are messed up.  I opened the same file in 2017, plotted it with the same plotter, and resent it to him.  That version is fine on his end.  In both cases the fonts are set to be captured/embedded.  It seems like the new version is not embedding the font.  Has anyone else had this issue?  Any suggestions?

[pendean]

Did you set the PDF driver(s) in 2018 to capture all fonts, like you probably did in 2017? It is required.

Show us a PDF result from R2018 otherwise, let's have a look for ourselves.

[Anonymous]

I am using the same plotter for both 2018 and 2017 - I didn't create a new plotter for 2018.  Both are set to capture.

I included a screen shot of the settings in the first post and just attached it again to this one.

[Erense]

Please check your EPDFSHX/PDFSHX variable.

This might cause some strange text behaviour when printing to PDF.

[Anonymous]

The problem font is a TrueType font, not an shx.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> I didn't create a new plotter for 2018

Please don't access the same PC3 file from different AutoCAD releases, also don't use the migration to get the old PC3's copied to your new plotters folder.

Use any of the new "AutoCAD PDF.....pc3" and create the PDF with that driver.

HTH, - alfred -

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

I am at 200% with @Alfred.NESWADBA on creating a new PC3 for newer versions. Strange behavior always seems to abound when I have migrated or copied plotter configurations from version to version.

Is it possible to create a new  test PC3 for your PDF to see if it behaves?

Also, when you create the PDF do all the fonts look correct on your computer regardless of version?  Perhaps we also need to consider the PDF Viewer settings.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if my post solves your issue or answers your question.

[pendean]

Reset 2018 like this https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to...

Now use ONLY the PDF drivers you find in the program BEFORE you do any type of migration or using "same old drivers" from 2017: be the problem goes away once you confirm the PDF pc3 file is set to capture all of your fonts, correct?

[Anonymous]

Seems backward to not use the migrate tool that comes with the software and that it wants to automatically run at startup the first use, but I can give it a try. 

Everything looks fine on my computer with regard to PDFs, whether from AutoCAD or other sources.  I have one client that reports the PDF does not look correct on his laptop although it looks fine on his phone when he views it.  No other clients have reported problems.

[Anonymous]

I used the reset feature to reset everything.  I changed nothing after that and did not migrate anything.  I loaded the drawing file, plotted it with all three of the AutoCAD PDF plotters, and sent the files to my client.  He says the problem is still there with all of them.  The "capture fonts" checkbox was checked.  any new ideas?

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

>> plotted it with all three of the AutoCAD PDF plotters

Can you please:

• upload one of these PDF-files so we can look into it, if we also have troubles to open it
• ask your partner which PDF-viewer he is using
• ask you partner if he can open the same PDF you send us and show a screenshot ... so we see what he is referring to (having issues with your files).

- alfred -

[Anonymous]

Here is a screen shot from his computer and a PDF.  He is using Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.

[Anonymous]

More odd results, but I think we are getting closer...

If I open the file I just posted on the web, it shows up with the wrong font.  If I download it to my machine and open it, it shows up with the correct font.  I've attached a screen capture of what the file is supposed to look like.

If I open the file on my machine using Adobe Reader rather than my default PDF viewer, then I get the same thing my client is getting (see attached error message).  Part of it shows up correctly, but part does not.  So it seems that Adobe is not reading the files correctly when they come from AutoCAD 2018, but is reading it correctly when it comes from 2017.

[Alfred.NESWADBA]

Hi,

I'm also working with PDF-XChange VIewer and see your PDF without the dot-like characters.

When I use Adobe I also get the message about the missing font "TechnicalPlain" and I see the same dot-like symbols along some lines.

But comparing it with your last screenshot I see the text with another font as you have shown. that's what I see (at 200%):

>> So it seems that Adobe is not reading the files correctly

I'm not sure about that, maybe the file does not contain the font that you have assigned in the drawing to that text

Can you open your drawing, start command _STYLES, select the style that is using this special font and show us then a screenshot from that dialog content?

Reasons for that could be:

• AutoCAD does not export the font into the PDF (either because it is configured to not embed fonts or because of a bug)
• AutoCAD can't embed the font because that font is not free of error or not a true True-Type-Font (yes, there exists fonts with errors and/or structure issues)
• The font was only copied to the Windows fonts folder, but not correctly installed.

I don't have that font on any of my systems, so I can't run any tests with that. My recommendations are

• first to make sure that AutoCAD's PDF...pc3 is set to embed fonts
• if that does not help take another font like "Technic" or "TechnicLite" which seems to look similar, but are system fonts and so every (Windows) system can display that.

Good luck, - alfred -

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous,

Is it possible to eTransmit a file or two into a zip and and attach it to a post? I would like to see this first hand.

[Anonymous]

See attached.

[john.vellek]

Hi @Anonymous

Can you also please send me these files?  They were not included in the etransmit for some reason

Fonts\simplex.shx
Fonts\Technical.ttf
Fonts\arial.ttf
PlotCfgs\SHARP - A.pc3
PlotCfgs\SHARP - C.pc3

[Anonymous]

I didn't include the pc3 files because I thought you wouldn't need the ones that are to a physical printer.  I don't know why it didn't include the fonts.  I just tried it again, and they aren't there.  I don't see an option to include/exclude them.  Regardless, I've attached a zip file with all five files.

[john.vellek · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous,

I am unsure what is different with this font in AutoCAD 2018 but I see the same behavior @Alfred.NESWADBA describes.

I tried this version of the font and while it seems to perform better.

[pendean]

missing font "TechnicalPlain" is what I also get: is this a purchased/licensed font at your end? Actual Font name is ADOBE SERIF MM. It appears to be, read about it here https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/pdf-fonts.html