Issue with Reversed Text in SVG Files Using Adobe Illustrator

[NasirGrfx]

I am experiencing an issue when saving SVG files from Adobe Illustrator that contain editable text in Unicode fonts.

The text appears perfectly fine within Adobe Illustrator while designing and previewing. However, once I save the file as an SVG and reopen it (either in Illustrator or any other SVG viewer), the text appears reversed.

For example:

• The original text مدعا علیہ in Illustrator appears as ہیلع اعدم in the saved SVG file.
• Similarly, مدعی becomes یعدم.

I'm using Tiny 1.2 SVG profile and using a Unicode "Mehr Nastaliq Web" font that supports Urdu script.

Request for Help:
Could this be an issue with how Illustrator handles right-to-left (RTL) scripts when exporting SVG files? Is there a workaround or specific settings I should use to ensure the text does not reverse in the SVG output?

Thank you for your assistance.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @NasirGrfx,

Thank you for sharing the details about the issue you're experiencing with reversed text in SVG files. I understand how frustrating this can be, especially when working with RTL (right-to-left) scripts like Urdu. Let's work together to get this resolved.  

A few questions to Better Understand the Issue:  
1. Could you let us know the version of Adobe Illustrator you're using and the details of your operating system (e.g., Windows or macOS version)?  
2. Is this issue happening with a specific file or with multiple files?  
3. Was this functionality working correctly for you before, or has the issue appeared recently?  
4. Did you make any changes, such as updating Illustrator, your OS, or any font settings, before this issue started?  

In the meantime, try the below suggestions:
1. Illustrator may not fully preserve the RTL text orientation when exporting to certain SVG profiles. To address this, try the following steps:  

 - Before exporting, outline the text:  
     1. Select your text.  
     2. Go to Type > Create Outlines.  
    This converts your text into vector shapes, ensuring that the orientation is preserved in the SVG. Note: This will make the text non-editable in the SVG file.  

2. When exporting the SVG, use the SVG 1.1 profile instead of Tiny 1.2. This may better handle complex scripts like Urdu.  

 - Try enabling the option for Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities in the SVG export dialog.  

3. Check if the issue is related to the "Mehr Nastaliq Web" font by testing the same steps with a different Unicode font that supports Urdu script.  

 - Create a new file with the same settings and test the export to see if the issue persists.  

4. Ensure that the text direction in Illustrator is correctly set to RTL and the Middle Eastern features are enabled in preferences.
To make this sure: 

1. Enable Middle Eastern Features:

 - Go to Edit > Preferences > Type (macOS: Illustrator > Preferences > Type).

 - Under Language Options, enable Show Indic Options or Middle Eastern Features, then restart Illustrator.

2. Activate Middle Eastern Composer:

 - Open the Paragraph Panel (Window > Type > Paragraph).

 - In the flyout menu, select Middle Eastern and South Asian Single-line Composer or Every-line Composer.

3. Set Text Alignment to RTL:

 - In the Paragraph Panel, select Right-to-Left Text Direction.

4. Verify and Export:

 - Ensure the text flows RTL correctly.

 - Export as SVG 1.1 with Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities enabled.

Let me know how these steps work for you, and we’ll take it from there. 

Looking forward to your reply!  

Thanks, 

Abhishek Rao