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I
Inélsòre
Inspiring
May 28, 2022
Answered

Export to SVG (font outline) deforms characters

  • May 28, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 6106 views

Dear all,

(macOS 12.4, Illustrator 26.3.1)

I need to convert big PDF files (exported from musical scores created through Avid Sibelius, export engine Qt 5.15.8) into a more efficient vector format (reason being potential issues down in the production line, especially with the EPUB format). 

I open the PDF with all pages as links in Illustrator, and save the AI file. Then, from there, I File > Export for Screens > SVG. In the SVG export options I have set Fonts to Outlines (same EPUB reasons) but I noticed that this deforms the fonts. 

Attached are a page of the PDF, the same page exported to SVG with the settings I described, and another SVG with Fonts > SVG and Minify and Responsive unchecked (which looks better to me). All these SVGs eventually need to go into an InDesign document, then exported to PDF and EPUB at the end. 

  1. Can you explain to me what is happening in the first SVG where the top text "in La maggiore" is so deformed, especially in the "g" characters? 
  2. Could you suggest to me the best options for exporting SVGs? Or, would EPS be better in this use-case? 

Thank you all!

Correct answer Monika Gause

Forgive me, I found it. From 1 to 7.

I would be curious to know what actually happens between these different levels. 

For example: these files are already PDFs in origin, so vector files, theoretically already max quality.

I now changed from 1 (the default for me) to 3 and I didn't see an increase in size. Is it normal?


What happens when you alter it, depends on what's in the file and how large it is.

 

Probably more than you ever wanted to know about the setting: https://bjango.com/articles/svgpassthroughprecision/

1 reply

Monika Gause
Community Expert
Monika GauseCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 28, 2022

Next time please make screenshots and highlight what you call deformations. I don't see them.

 

But probably it's caused by a lack of precision. You need to increase the "Decimals" value to get more precision.

 

As for a suitable file format: it depens on how you need to use it. For printing PDF is fine. For EPUB maybe not so much (you will have to check out the specifications)

I
InélsòreAuthor
Inspiring
May 28, 2022

That's why I am using SVG, as I don't want to build two different InDesign files, one with PDF links and one with SVG links. I am noticing deformations when I insert the SVG in InDesign, need to make little changes to some details of the image and the resulting file has deformation in the letters. The way I am editing the SVG is: contextual menu, Edit Original—which opens in Illustrator 26.3.1—, double click my way into the text, move it where I need, press Escape and Cmd-S.

At this point it looks deformed. Attached the two version.

 

Can you identify the issue? What are the best options for SVG export? Is SVG better than EPS? I notice the thickness of the font outlining to be slightly different between SVG and EPS, is it normal? The SVG vs EPS screenshot shows two examples: the one above has an EPS file, the one below an SVG. You can notice how all lines look thinner in the EPS. Is this normal / preferable / good / correct? 

Thank you

I
InélsòreAuthor
Inspiring
May 28, 2022

What happens when you alter it, depends on what's in the file and how large it is.

 

Probably more than you ever wanted to know about the setting: https://bjango.com/articles/svgpassthroughprecision/


Wow! 

Have I made a big mistake in using Save As instead of Export As? 

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