Skip to main content
E
ellak86170938
Participant
January 5, 2017
Answered

Letter L looks bolded in PDF

  • January 5, 2017
  • 4 replies
  • 63474 views

Hi there,

I have really annoying problem.

I have a logo design which was made in illustrator.

Logo includes normal text which has been expanded. (It is outlines not text anymore).

The logo looks good in illustrator and inside indesign.

I placed the logo as a illustrator file to indesign and exported it as a PDF.

When I zoom in to the PDF the logo looks very good, but when I zoom out to the hole page view the problems begin. Otherwise the logo looks normal but all the letter Ls look bolded altought they are not.

I read in another forum that don´t convert text to graphics and it might help but it really didn´t.

Can I get rid of the wrong looking letter Ls in PDFs or is it just something I have to live with? ...I wouldn´t want to show my client a logo which acts this wierd in PDF... 

(I used adobe acrobat to view the PDF.)

  

[Moved from non-technical Forum Lounge to specific Program forum... Mod]

[Here is the list of all Adobe forums... https://forums.adobe.com/welcome]

    Correct answer heathcrystal

    I know this is an old thread, but for future people looking for this answer - it doesn't print this way for me, it just shows lower case 'l' super bold and more like a line (like the 'l' loses its shape). 

    The fix?

    Go to Edit: Preferencese (or just Ctrl+k): Page Display

    Then uncheck "Enhance thin lines"

    Problem solved.

    4 replies

    Anschke
    Anschke
    Participant
    May 20, 2020

    Is there a way to command Illustrator to save the file where it deactivates / unchecks the receivers PDF "Enhance thin lines" setting?

      Dov Isaacs
      Dov Isaacs
      Legend
      July 29, 2020

      Absolutely not! That would require a change to the PDF specification which is not under Adobe's control. PDF is an ISO standard. The assumption for PDF is that you properly embed fonts such this problem doesn't occur. See previous responses in this thread!

       

      - Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)
      H
      heathcrystalCorrect answer
      Participant
      April 8, 2020

      I know this is an old thread, but for future people looking for this answer - it doesn't print this way for me, it just shows lower case 'l' super bold and more like a line (like the 'l' loses its shape). 

      The fix?

      Go to Edit: Preferencese (or just Ctrl+k): Page Display

      Then uncheck "Enhance thin lines"

      Problem solved.

        M
        Mrhappy99
        Participant
        June 11, 2020

        How do you make it so that others, when they open your PDF, do not experience this "enhanced thin line."  

         

        This is a great solution for me to turn it off on my computer.  Now, when exporting PDFs for others, how do we make it so THEY do not A) see the thickened lines and B) THEY do not need to turn off "enhance thin lines" in order for the PDF to look as it should on their screen?

         

        Thank you

          T
          Test Screen Name
          Legend
          June 11, 2020

          If you don’t want this to happen, then don’t turn text to outlines. 

            T
            Test Screen Name
            Legend
            January 5, 2017

            This will happen if you convert text to curves and your "L" is entirely sans serif (a simple pair of lines). The same for "I".

            Font designers went to ENORMOUS lengths to stop this happening. Please don't convert text to curves or all their hard work is lost!

            Karl Heinz Kremer
            Community Expert
            Karl Heinz KremerCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            January 5, 2017

            This may be due to how you have your viewer configured: Go into Acrobat's Preferences, then select the "Page Display" category and change the settings within the "Rendering" group of settings. Does any of these settings - when toggled - change how the "L" is being displayed?

              Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
              Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices