Text in Print Preview (and in prints) Overlaps Itself

[cuttingedgeplumbing]

When I try to print, all my text (except dimensions) gets a very odd font treatment: each letter gets about 300% wider, but the spacing between letters is not increased, making the text very difficult to read.

Here's what I've tried:

• Reinstalling Ghostscript
• Changing fonts at the family level
• Changing families
• 4 other PDF virtual printers
• Searching Google (including this forum) for words like KERNING, LETTER SPACING, REVIT 2017 FONT TROUBLE...etc.
• Changing Windows "Font display size" to 100%. (current setting).

Nothing changes the way the text overlaps. Sure, the text gets bigger or smaller, bold, italic, underline..etc, but the letters always overlap. I'm not sure where on earth Revit is getting the 'Widen each letter by 300%' command, but I wish it would stop!

Has anyone else run into this?

Windows 10 x64, 16GB Ram, 512GB SSD, Revit 2017.2

Thanks for any and all help!

[barthbradley]

Just out of curiosity, how does it print with the text box visible?

[ToanDN]

What font is it?

[barthbradley]

https://ghostscript.com/doc/9.21/Fonts.htm#About

[cuttingedgeplumbing]

Did you mean under Edit Type: Show Border? If so, the result looks exactly the same as before, now with a border around the text.

I've tried fonts Arial, Arial Narrow, Helvetica (distributed with GhostScript), and a couple other random fonts. All have the same issue. Also tried subscript, superscript,and ALL CAPS (even though text is already in caps). Same issue.

Any other ideas?

[barthbradley]

Wow. You've run the gamut of troubleshooting steps I would have. Has those steps included opening and printing from another session of Revit? 

[cuttingedgeplumbing]

I've tried multiple sessions, restarting the computer..etc.

Tomorrow I'll give it a shot on another computer to see if it's local to just this machine.

[barthbradley]

The only thing left then is the printing software itself. Your troubleshooting has dismissed everything else. Since Revit is WYSIWYG - it must be the printer software itself. Of course, this theory would be easily debunked if issue was only happening with this one Revit project.

Let us know what you find out. 

Good luck to you. 

[ToanDN]

By the way, why do you need to install Ghostscript?  I don't remember I have ever had to do it for the last 10 years.

[barthbradley]

Toan: what are you getting at? I'm not following you. Maybe I'm missing something here. I thought we were talking font installation into Windows font directory - something I've done a lot in 10 years. 

[ToanDN]

From his initial post:

[cuttingedgeplumbing]

I thought it was a requirement for PDFCreator (one of my PDF printers), and if most of the PDF printers used it, perhaps a reinstall would reset something. Alas though, the reinstall changed nothing.

[ToanDN]

---

@cuttingedgeplumbing wrote:

I thought it was a requirement for PDFCreator.

---

I don't think so.  I use PDF Creator myself as well as a host of other PDF printers and never had to install Ghostscript separately.  If it is required it should be automatically included when you installed the PDF printer software.  I think you should uninstall it altogether, and re-install PDF Creator and/or other PDF printers.

To test, how about you print to a physical printer.  If the text comes out correct then that must be it.

[barthbradley]

I'm not following the back and forth here. Is this about one embedded font issue? I thought all fonts were displaying the same. No? 

[cuttingedgeplumbing]

Physical printer: Same result (Horizontally overlapping letters).

Uninstalled Ghostscript: Same result

Next up: Testing another project, and another machine

[michael.coviello]

Hi @cuttingedgeplumbing,  

Here are a few additional ideas to troubleshoot this problem.

• Does this only happen on certain computers or for certain users?
• Create new text and print, does the same issue occur?
• Are you using Remote desktop in your workflow to access the computer which prints?

Can you please post a journal file as well?

I look forward to finding the resolution to this problem.

[cuttingedgeplumbing · Accepted solution]

So, here's what I did.

I switched to a NVidia GTX 480, and the problem is gone.

Same PDF drivers, same windows install, same everything, just switched the video card. 

History:

 - Started with GTX 480

 - Moved HD into a new computer (same windows 10 install) which had a ATI FirePro v7700 in it.

 - All drivers reinstalled

 - Noticed issues in Revit, tried lots of things to get the font to print normally including installing new PDF printers.

 - Switched to GTX 480, problem is now gone.

Perhaps this will help a future problem solution seeker, or help AutoDesk pinpoint some other problem.

[cuttingedgeplumbing]

In reply to your assistance: There is no Remote Desktop involved, and yes I tried font and size changing. We only have one liscense, so I didn't try to install it on another computer.

[michael.coviello]

@cuttingedgeplumbing

I'm happy you found a fix to correct this problem.  

Do you recall if the DPI Scaling was set to >150%? 

Does the card (ATI FirePro v7700) meet the system requirements for Revit 2017?

My initial search found that it is DirectX10 where the minimum requirement for 2017 is DirectX11.

[smiller]

Hello @michael.coviello

I am having the same issue with Calibri Light font. I am using bootcamp on a mac with windows 10, AMD Radeon R9 M295X graphics card, which is DirectX12 capable. All graphics card drivers are up to date. Display settings at 100%.

Does anyone have a solution to this problem other than changing the graphics card?

Thanks!