Text plotting darker than lines

[Anonymous]

For some reason the text on my drawing is printing out significantly darker than the lines. In the attached image, everything is the same color, thickness, and layer, so why is this happening?

[rkmcswain]

Is that a TrueType font?

TTF do not honor lineweights set by plot styles or object lineweight, etc.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's a true type font. The style is set to standard. How would I be able to tell if it is a TTF or not?

[rkmcswain]

Can you attach the DWG file, or a slimmed down version of it?

Use LIST or PROPERTIES to see what TextStyle is assigned to the text, then use STYLE to see what font is assigned to that TextStyle.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately I can't upload a DWG. It's federal work, so they're pretty strict about those sorts of things. I can tell you that txt.shx is what's assigned to the standard style. So not a TTF unfortunately.

[pendean]

What software are you using?
Is that a DWF someone sent you?? You are in a forum about DWFs. Not DWGs, not plotting, not much else.

If you are using AutoCAD... Your plot style table settings may be controlling that: do a test plot with NONE for a plot style table and see what happens.

>>>... txt.shx is what's assigned to the standard style...<<<
If that's an Mtext, it may have an override font: is it?

Q: not to be mean, just trying to help, are you new to AutocAD and plotting? And are you the only one in your office with the program? Help us understand what you know and don't so we can tailor responses to you.

[rkmcswain]

@Anonymous - you don't have to upload the entire DWG file.

Erase everything except the text object, save a copy and upload that.

Otherwise, we are all just guessing.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help guys. Here's a file with just the trimmed a little text and line work that shows the issue. I'm not exactly new to autocad and have done a fair amount of plotting with it. I've never worked with the text files though, so that's a whole new wold.

Sorry I posted in the wrong forum! This is definitely a DWG. You all seem very knowledgeable, so I'll see if you can answer the question, but if not, I'll post a new question in the right spot.

It won't let me post my pen table, but all colors are set to cyan, so I attached a screen shot of the cyan settings.

[rkmcswain]

@Anonymous - the text is assigned the style "Standard", whose font is Arial, which is a TTF. As mentioned, TTF plot based on the "thickness" of the strokes embedded into the font. This "stroke width" is proportional to the font size. There is no way to modify this, with the exception of using a different font variation such as "Bold", or a different font, such as "Arial Narrow", etc. If you want text to obey the lineweights based on a plot style, then use an SHX font.

[pendean]

"If you want text to obey the lineweights based on a plot style, then use an SHX font."

Start STYLE command and make the change:

[Anonymous]

That must have been a mistake in my making a new file, sorry. The original is set to txt.shx. I changed this file to txt.shx, the font is still a little darker than the lines of the same color and weight. It's not a huge difference, but for some reason our plotter is having a hard time plotting something as light as the circle around ST2 clearly...

I really appreciate the help everyone!

[Anonymous]

Wait a second. Viewing this in chrome, it doesn't look any lighter at all. I'm suspecting this might be a nitro PDF problem, not an autocad problem. I'll do some testing and let you know. Sorry if this was a waste of everyone's time!

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Okay, weird stuff, but I figured it out. Different PDF viewers show up differently. I took screenshots if anyone is curious. 

Adobe prints out normally, but Nitro prints out what is shows on the screen (lighter lines).

Thanks everyone so much for your help. Sorry it turned out to be on the PDF end, not on the CAD end!!

[rkmcswain]

@Anonymous - Just keep in mind, the rules I mention still apply. In the screenshot of a PDF print below, note that all of the TTF text objects print the same, regardless of the plot style applied lineweight (which isn't actually applied), while the three SHX based text objects honor the lineweight in the plot style.

 

[rkmcswain]

One last note, it's also worth mentioning that the text height of TTF is measured from the actual limits of the text object, while the text height of SHX based fonts is measured from the "centerline" of the text. In other words, as the lineweight is increased on SHX fonts, the text grows in apparent width and height.

Note that both text objects are 0.25 in height, but the SHX gets "fatter" from the centerline of the stroke outwards.

[Anonymous]

Great things to know! Thanks so much!