Having issue with outline text

[patd61312907]

I am trying to outline some files and get a message about previewing the file. 

I was able to select different sections of the document and outline them. However, one text box containing text will outline but then will not preview. 

This is happening to many files and I cannot figure out why just one text box outlines but then cannot preview. Hope someone has an idea why this is happening.

[Monika Gause]

It's a very long text. How large is your file? How much RAM do you have installed?

[patd61312907]

I have had much more text than this. I did some more troubleshooting and I found that if I selected the text box and cleared appearance, I was then able to continue the outline and back to preview mode. I have NO idea if that is the real solution but it worked and I am going with it! 

[Bobby Henderson]

Are you getting errors when using that specific typeface or does it happen regardless of what fonts are applied the to text block? The letters in that typeface look pretty rough and grungy. Such fonts can often contain a great deal of anchor points for each letter. You mentioned clearing the appearance of the type object; did you have a line stroke or some other effect applied? If so that probably increased the burden on the computer for converting the type object to outlines.

[patd61312907]

The same font family was used throughout the document (FS Albert Pro). It is our corporate brand font, and is not a free font. What you see is outlined text in outlined view. Out of the entire document it was this one text box of text that once outlined, would not allow me to get back to preview mode. 

[patd61312907 · Accepted solution]

Sorry, to continue, there was no line stroke on the text. Clearing the appearance is what allowed me to finally outline and get back to preview mode. 

[Mike_Gondek]

Could be a problematic font, if the same font is used on other files. What font as some free fonts are not well programmed and for example have 2 vector points directly on top of each other for no reason and that makes postscript act up.

Do you need to outline the type. Maybe you are submitting to print and can send a pdf wth font embedded?

[patd61312907]

FS Albert Pro is the font family. It is not a free font and is our corporate brand font. I do not necessarily have to outline the type but due to the nature of our file content we do so that there is no possibility of content change when transferring our files.

[Bobby Henderson]

I know of at least one Illustrator plug-in (Vector First Aid by Astute Graphics) that can analyze outlined text and convert it back into editable text blocks.

[patd61312907]

That is good to know. I always copy the file to another folder before outlining so there is not much need to convert it back. But things do happen... and it would be awesome to have a plug-in that would convert it back if needed. I will look into it. Thank you!

[Test Screen Name]

It is best not to outline text. There are many problems it can cause. Protect against editing contractually (since there are many even worse things that can happen, and someone trying to edit outlined text will make a big mess).

[patd61312907]

Thank you for your thoughts. If it were my own business that is what I would do.

[Bobby Henderson]

Deciding whether or not to convert text objects in artwork to outlines really depends on the nature of the artwork. If the lettering is set in a logo or something else that is graphical in nature I think it's best to convert any live text to outlines. Such elements are often are often shared across multiple computers. Not everyone is going to have the same fonts installed. Even when common default fonts, such as Arial, are used in designs different computers may have different version releases of that typeface. The version of Arial in Windows 11 is very different from the one on a vintage Windows XP computer. The Mac version of Arial isn't exactly the same either. Differences in font versions that are installed can cause text reflow errors. Live effects, such as text on path effects, can be particularly hazardous. An old archive file from 10 or 20 years ago containing live text effects can see those effects thrown off kilter when opened in a current version of the same graphics application.

If the document contains blocks or columns of area text then I would keep the text editable. But I would also try to package copies of the fonts that were used with the document or at least make a note of what specific fonts were used. If the document is opened years later those extra organizational steps will ensure the document opens properly. Well, at least as long as the font formats used are still supported. 20+ years ago Adobe was promoting Postscript and its related Type 1 font format. Now Type 1 fonts no longer work.

[Bobby Henderson]

Yeah, now that you mention the fonts used, Albert Pro isn't a "grungy" typeface; the preview image above threw me a bit since the outlined text was rendered pretty rough in the first image you posted.

Even with "clean" sans-serif typefaces there are pitfalls to converting paragraph blocks of text to outlines. I dislike the common behavior of graphics applications joining multiple or many letter shapes into complex compound paths. It would be better if each letter was its own separate path and then all the separate letter shapes were organized into just one big group. Such a thing would actually be easier for a computer to handle. Many desktop printers or office laser printers may reject objects containing more than 5000 anchor points. Even our large format RIP applications have their limits on how many points a single path can have. A single glyph isn't going to have thousands of anchor points. But dozens of letters joined together into one compound path can go over those limits.

[patd61312907]

Thank you for your valuable input!