Known Participant

Question

Bold "I" when viewing file as PDF

Forum|Forum|11 months ago
April 4, 2025
6 replies
2966 views

Hi everyone,

I have some graphics in my book layout. However, whenever I view it as a PDF in Acrobat, the letter "I" seems to appear bold. This is not the case in InDesign or the AI file. When I zoom in on it in Acrobat, it disappears. Why is this happening, and will it print like that?

Peter Spier

Community Expert

Just to confirm, after I printed the page I zoomed out in Acrobat and toggled the enhanced thin lines settings and was able to make the bold effect appear and disappear.

Peter Spier

Community Expert

@Mateomono just to check, how does it look if you print a page on your own printer?

Peter Spier

Community Expert

When I zoom in on it in Acrobat, it disappears.

By @Mateomono

This tells me it's a display issue...

M

MateomonoAuthor

Known Participant

So then no need to worry about it?

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

So then no need to worry about it?

By @Mateomono

If it prints OK - then yes - no need to worry about.

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

@Mateomono

Can you post some screenshots - just in case...

M

MateomonoAuthor

Known Participant

@Robert at ID-Tasker Here are a few exmaples

Peter Spier

Community Expert

Are those screen captures zoomed in? Did you try a test print?

And why, may I ask, did you need to outline the text?

Willi Adelberger

Community Expert

It is happening when text is outlined. Simple letters like I, l, |, i are presented as single line instead of a rectangle and this causes a different rendering on screen.

Never outline text in InDesihn. Don't do that.

M

MateomonoAuthor

Known Participant

I outlined it in Illustrator. From my research it doesnt seem like this is an issue and from @Peter Spier comment

Peter Spier

Community Expert

@Willi AdelbergerI am not sure. I thought that was standard for print. I talked with another colleague of mine, and he had the same opinion.

@Willi AdelbergerI am not sure. I thought that was standard for print. I talked with another colleague of mine, and he had the same opinion.

By @Mateomono

Thirty years ago outlining text was fairly standard, but the industry has improved, the use of OpenType fonts and embedding them in PDF has meant that there are no longer the problems that outlining was meant to overcome.

By the way, I noticced the sample page was exported as PDF/X-1a. This is the very lowest common denominator quality standard which does not support transparency. Since your printer says in their guidelines that they accept PDF/X-4 several of us have suggested you submit that, particularly if there is any color involved.