Publish to PDF Defaulting to standard font

[j.ton]

We are using a different font in our project. It is Inst-std.shx. It displays correctly on the screen but when I go to publish to PDF it prints the standard font not the one we added.  Anyone have any ideas?

[dmfrazier]

In your Page Setup, in the Properties of your PDF printer/plotter (assuming you're using PC3 file that uses AutoCAD's DWG to PDF driver), experiment with the "Font Handling" PDF options.

[j.ton]

I have that checked. I did some further testing. If the drawing page is open before I do publish it prints the correct font. If the drawing is not open then it prints the standard font.  The only real difference in the fonts is that the new font uses 0 with the line through them and the I are ones with lines top and bottom.

[dmfrazier]

Sounds like AutoCAD successfully finds and loads the font when it might have to display it on the screen, but "gets lazy" when it doesn't. Is the special font in the same folder as the other "standard" fonts?

[j.ton]

yes I placed it in the programfiles\autodesk\autocad2017\fonts folder

[j.ton]

This is an Autocad Electrical Project.

[dmfrazier]

In Options, in your Support Files search path, if there are multiple folders listed that contain fonts, make sure the folder containing your special font is above any others.

Another thing to try is to set your FONTALT to your special font.

There is also a Font Mapping file, which you can investigate. (See "font map" in Help.)

[pendean]

SHX fonts do not respond to "capture fonts" settings: you want the "text to geometry" option unless you are counting on the PDFSHX command settings to make your fonts readable in PDF readers.

[j.ton]

They Publish ok if the files are already open. I tried this and same result. 

[dmfrazier]

Is BACKGROUNDPLOT on or off?

[j.ton]

yes it is

[dmfrazier]

Cute.

Obviously it's one or the other. Which is it?

[j.ton]

Sorry it is off. When I first tried it was one. Then I turned it off and that did not make any diference. It is still off right now. 

[dmfrazier]

Best to keep it off.

Did you try any of the FONT-yadda-yadda stuff I mentioned earlier?

[j.ton]

I set the FontAlt to the same font I am trying to use. That seemed to slow down the publishing but still same result. I also moved the font folder to top. There is only one font folder anyway.

I was not sure what to do with the font map. I see where you can pick file but not sure how to create one

[dmfrazier]

"...not sure what to do with the font map. I see where you can pick file but not sure how to create one."

You shouldn't have to create one, but I thought it might help to edit the existing file. However, after looking more deeply, I don't think this will lead anywhere helpful.

The FontAlt setting was where I expected to see progress, but no.

The only other thing I can think of (as a workaround) is to look for another SHX font or a Windows TrueType font (horrors!) that satisfies the requirements and redefine your styles. (A TT font might be more readily "available" during the publish command, but I'm really out of my league there.)

Another option is to try a different PDF output driver.