Problems with fonts when printing
- Soul Forge
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- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2023 5:25 pm
Problems with fonts when printing
Hello!
Let me start the issue by describing the context. We are a book printing shop that prints on demand. We recieve hundreds of files each day through multiple channels and different clients.
We've got a couple OCE VARIOPRINT 6250 printers (I think they're called Cannon Varioprint now) for B&W jobs. Even though they are old machines, they do their job pretty well.
But since way back, when we hadn't access to preflighting and prepress software, we've been facing a problem with printing some fonts. We've been able to get some simple flows going usign Switch and Pitstop and, even though we're checking for non-embeded fonts, corrupt fonts and whatnot, we can't seem to solve this problem.
Here's a photo for reference:
Does someone have experience with this kind of problem? Is there a way I could solve it using pitstop and switch?
Thanks in advance!
Let me start the issue by describing the context. We are a book printing shop that prints on demand. We recieve hundreds of files each day through multiple channels and different clients.
We've got a couple OCE VARIOPRINT 6250 printers (I think they're called Cannon Varioprint now) for B&W jobs. Even though they are old machines, they do their job pretty well.
But since way back, when we hadn't access to preflighting and prepress software, we've been facing a problem with printing some fonts. We've been able to get some simple flows going usign Switch and Pitstop and, even though we're checking for non-embeded fonts, corrupt fonts and whatnot, we can't seem to solve this problem.
Here's a photo for reference:
Does someone have experience with this kind of problem? Is there a way I could solve it using pitstop and switch?
Thanks in advance!
Re: Problems with fonts when printing
Can you share the file here (only page with issue will be fine)? If not, you may want to share it with our Support for internal analysis.
- Soul Forge
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- Posts: 56
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2023 5:25 pm
Re: Problems with fonts when printing
Sure, here's the link to download the pdf with the page in question:
https://we.tl/t-jP7RBirn7g
I've tried using the PDF X-4 check as well, and didn't get any errors related to fonts.
https://we.tl/t-jP7RBirn7g
I've tried using the PDF X-4 check as well, and didn't get any errors related to fonts.
Re: Problems with fonts when printing
Hi
Your font is a Composite font
That you can detect in a preflight profile (See fonts/composite fonts)
Looking at known issues on Enfocus, I have found the following:
https://enfocus.my.site.com/customers/s ... uage=en_US
Which states:
- Detect error and discard file
- Replace font to non composite (you would probably need the font locally as the document only contain subset of the True Type font)
- Select the composite font and outline
HTH
Loic
Your font is a Composite font
That you can detect in a preflight profile (See fonts/composite fonts)
Looking at known issues on Enfocus, I have found the following:
https://enfocus.my.site.com/customers/s ... uage=en_US
Which states:
If you detect such fonts, you can decide to:Typically CID-keyed fonts are checked during a preflight process because they cause problems on older RIPs. They will fail on PostScript Level 1 RIPs, and on some non Adobe "PostScript compatible" RIPs that fail to fully implement the PostScript Level 2 or PostScript 3 specification.
- Detect error and discard file
- Replace font to non composite (you would probably need the font locally as the document only contain subset of the True Type font)
- Select the composite font and outline
HTH
Loic
- Soul Forge
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Re: Problems with fonts when printing
Huge thanks for the help, I'll try to convert them to outline and see if it solves our issue!
- Soul Forge
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Re: Problems with fonts when printing
Follow up on that. I set up some folder in the flow so I can gather all files that has that composite font problem.
I'm creating an action list that changes all fonts I find to a simple version of that font, instead of the composite version.
One problem I'm facing is that the clients use UNICODE CHARACTERS in fonts like Calibri for example.
Is there a way to only outline unicode characters?
I've tried to outline all composite fonts, but I ended up with 1gb files, so it was a nightmare.
I'm creating an action list that changes all fonts I find to a simple version of that font, instead of the composite version.
One problem I'm facing is that the clients use UNICODE CHARACTERS in fonts like Calibri for example.
Is there a way to only outline unicode characters?
I've tried to outline all composite fonts, but I ended up with 1gb files, so it was a nightmare.
Re: Problems with fonts when printing
Is this still the same doc you provided?
- Soul Forge
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- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2023 5:25 pm
Re: Problems with fonts when printing
We can use this one as an example: https://we.tl/t-ke4yuBBbYG
Here's what I've got:
I made an action to change composite fonts with the font with the same name, but in simple form.
Here's what I've got:
I made an action to change composite fonts with the font with the same name, but in simple form.
Re: Problems with fonts when printing
Hi,
A possible approach is:
- Select all Calibri composite
- Split into characters
- Change Font > will work on compatible characters, fail on the rest
- Select all Calibri composite > select whatever was not changed previously
- Outline selection
- Select all text using new font
- merge into text line
See Action List here:
https://fromsmash.com/8IaI0WU2oD-dt
HTH
A possible approach is:
- Select all Calibri composite
- Split into characters
- Change Font > will work on compatible characters, fail on the rest
- Select all Calibri composite > select whatever was not changed previously
- Outline selection
- Select all text using new font
- merge into text line
See Action List here:
https://fromsmash.com/8IaI0WU2oD-dt
HTH
- Soul Forge
- Member
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2023 5:25 pm
Re: Problems with fonts when printing
Hello!
First of all, thanks a bunch for the help you're providing. Font problems in printers (specially old ones) is something difficult to learn by myself, as there is little documentation on the internet about that topic. It's nice to have this community to learn with others that has more experience than me, and I'm looking foward for opportunities to share the knowledge I gathered as well.
I started building a flow for fixing that kind of problem, but while I was doing that another problem file arrived.
I'm not getting the composite font error, here's the checks I'm using:
The only warnings the file gets are from embeded substet fonts, True Type Fonts (Which the problem font is) and Type 1 fonts (Which the problem font is not).
Here's a couple pages if it's necessary: https://we.tl/t-Ko1rgDahvw
First of all, thanks a bunch for the help you're providing. Font problems in printers (specially old ones) is something difficult to learn by myself, as there is little documentation on the internet about that topic. It's nice to have this community to learn with others that has more experience than me, and I'm looking foward for opportunities to share the knowledge I gathered as well.
I started building a flow for fixing that kind of problem, but while I was doing that another problem file arrived.
I'm not getting the composite font error, here's the checks I'm using:
The only warnings the file gets are from embeded substet fonts, True Type Fonts (Which the problem font is) and Type 1 fonts (Which the problem font is not).
Here's a couple pages if it's necessary: https://we.tl/t-Ko1rgDahvw
- Soul Forge
- Member
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2023 5:25 pm
Re: Problems with fonts when printing
So I actually got a very different solution, and I'm going to post it here if anyone happens to own a Oce/Canon Varioprint 6250/6320.
There's an option that makes the printer convert the PDF you send to PS, then it RIPs the file again (Don't know how this is useful and why the technician left this option checked).
For this reason some fonts that couldn't be interpreted by the printer's RIP went bananas.
That solved the problem (At least for now) in the only printer we have that the driver has this option. Two other printers that we own doesn't have this option, but I'm guessing that it's a default feature that can't be turned off on those. The tecnicians aren't very helpful tho.
Again, thanks for the help Loicaigon. I'm studying how to use your approach with a variable number of fonts, without having to set up each font used in those files.
There's an option that makes the printer convert the PDF you send to PS, then it RIPs the file again (Don't know how this is useful and why the technician left this option checked).
For this reason some fonts that couldn't be interpreted by the printer's RIP went bananas.
That solved the problem (At least for now) in the only printer we have that the driver has this option. Two other printers that we own doesn't have this option, but I'm guessing that it's a default feature that can't be turned off on those. The tecnicians aren't very helpful tho.
Again, thanks for the help Loicaigon. I'm studying how to use your approach with a variable number of fonts, without having to set up each font used in those files.