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SBSamplifier
Participant
October 23, 2024
Answered

Adobe Font trouble converting to PDF

  • October 23, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 539 views

I have installed Gibson through Adobe Fonts. I can see it and I can use it in third party apps such as Microsoft Word. In Word, I can also save a file as a PDF and Gibson shows up properly. 

 

I also use Filemaker Pro for work. I can see Gibson in the font list and it looks fine on screen. When I go to output it as PDF, the resulting file makes the text all funky (see attached). (Again, it didn't do this when I saved as PDF in Word.) In trying to figure this out, I have noticed that Gibson doesn't show up in the mac's Font Book and I can't manually add it because I can't find it on my hard drive (though Adobe Fonts says that it's installed and thus "in Adobe & other local apps"). So I'm thinking that whatever engine filemaker uses to convert to PDF can't find the font. How might I make Gibson truly usable for "other local apps"?

 

Running MacOS 15 (Sequoia) on an M2 mac, but this was also the case under MacOS 14.

 

(Also posting this question to Filemaker communities.)

 

Thanks!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Bobby Henderson

That is so strange what is happening to the glyphs. Does Filemaker Pro give any options for how type is handled in its save to PDF dialog box? Some applications that have save to PDF functions will add data compression functions to text and line art. They'll often subset any embedded fonts, throwing away any unused glyphs to trim file sizes. Font data may be converted from TrueType to Type 1 outlines. It's possible one of those type options in the save to PDF process is breaking something in the Gibson font files. If you haven't already tried it, I'd suggest disabling the subset fonts option so the entire font is embedded.

1 reply

B
Community Expert
Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 24, 2024

I don't have any experience with Filemaker Pro, but I would suggest looking at export settings the application has available for PDF. Does this error occur with other fonts that are synced via Adobe Fonts? Or is it only happening with the Gibson typeface?

 

Font files that are added/installed via Adobe Fonts won't be visible in the OSX Font Book or Windows' Fonts folder either. Further, the font files are pretty much hidden. I don't know the mechanics of how the fonts can be "installed" but not be visible in file folders on the computer's hard disc. Obviously the measures are in place to prevent copying of the font files.

    S
    SBSamplifierAuthor
    Participant
    October 27, 2024

    Thank you, Bobby. That's helpful. And yes, it's only Gibson.

     

    An update to the original post:

    A commenter in the Filemaker community suggested that this looks like a filing rule issue (among other things) with the font file itself. 

     

    They reached this conclusion by downloading Gibson independent of Adobe and installing it locally to rule out the hosted fonts issue. They still ran into the exact same issues I had: Print to PDF works fine but save as PDF comes out with the same weird vector-looking errors. 

    I would prefer that Adobe Fonts and the foundry fix whatever's going on in the font. I also recognize that's unlikely in my timeframe. I'm therefore just going to, regrettably, switch to another font.

     

    Any other suggestions welcome.

     

     

    B
    Community Expert
    Bobby HendersonCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    October 28, 2024

    That is so strange what is happening to the glyphs. Does Filemaker Pro give any options for how type is handled in its save to PDF dialog box? Some applications that have save to PDF functions will add data compression functions to text and line art. They'll often subset any embedded fonts, throwing away any unused glyphs to trim file sizes. Font data may be converted from TrueType to Type 1 outlines. It's possible one of those type options in the save to PDF process is breaking something in the Gibson font files. If you haven't already tried it, I'd suggest disabling the subset fonts option so the entire font is embedded.

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