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Mark234881327e3j
Participant
January 30, 2025
Question

Convert font to outline not working properly

  • January 30, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 239 views

I ran a job through the Convert Fonts to Outline using a droplet tool for muliple PDFs.

Unfortunately despite proofing a job a few of the characters changed, the tail of a "K" went missing.

Has anyone else experienced problems with the Preflight doing this and is there a work around using only Acrobat and not third party applications?

1 reply

creative explorer
Community Expert
creative explorerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 31, 2025

@Mark234881327e3j curious, why do you want to convert the fonts in the PDF? If the fonts are embedded the in the PDF, then the document should display correctly even if the viewer doesn't have the fonts installed. 

Did you or someone else create the PDF for you? If someone else created the file for you, you can get them to save two files, one with non-converted to outline and embed the fonts in the PDF; and create another PDF, but get them to select all the text in the file, and convert to outlines and save the new PDF with outline text. Granted, this would increase the file size of the PDF.

Also if the fonst are converted to outlines, it removes the hinting that can make the stroke appear slightly thinner at small sizes. The result can be a subtle change in the stroke's appearance, which might be perceived as a slight thickening, especially for small text. For large text, the difference is usually negligible. Something to consider.

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Mark234881327e3jAuthor
Participant
January 31, 2025

We use an Agfa CTP system to output the fonts. Adobe were contacted by Agfa a year or two ago that the PDFs that are being created by Adobe CC weren't being saved as before when it was updated. PDFs were not being replicated properly when rendered on the CTP system, it was something to do with compliance or compatibilty, I can't remember the exact terms used. Fonts and objects were disappearing all of the time. The only way around the problem was outlining all fonts then for whatever reason jobs were showing correctly. I've tried contacting Adobe to see if this error has been recified but never got any help/assistance, therefore not taking chances when it comes to a large printing house. I did chuckle at the mention of thickening of smaller text. The amount of times we have clients saying that "I"s are thicker is to many to mention. It happens with PDFs created and supplied so using the Droplet tool for 200 page books was a blessing, unfortunately it was too good to be true.

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Mark234881327e3jAuthor
Participant
January 31, 2025

** We use an Agfa CTP system to output the Job

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