Fonts in PDF files: How do I ensure that a font will render properly across platforms/readers?

Question

I created a document in MS Word (2007) and then published to PDF with the intention of creating a document that looks the same regardless of platform or pdf reader choice.

It looks fine on a couple of windows machines, but when I open it in ubuntu (using acroread) the original font, arial, gets replaced with some ridiculous frilly font that is totally inappropriate.

This has me worried that this document might have its font rendered in some crazy random way depending on whatever the recipient is using to open it.

Questions:

1. I don't understand how fonts work in pdf but I've heard about "embedding" fonts in the pdf. Does this ensure that whatever font I choose will be rendered the same way always? If so, how do I do it?

2. Is there an alternative sure-fire way to generate a simple pdf whose fonts "behave" properly? I'm not tied to any particular tool like MS Word. My paramount concern is that the pdf document looks the way I intend it to look.

Solution 1

1. Yes embedding fonts ensures that all recipients will be able to display the PDF as intended. You have to make sure you have the right to embed a commercial font, there are lesser restrictions for embedding subset fonts. See this article for some idea of the options in Word 2007.

2. Restricting your document to the PDF base fonts should help. There is another set of fonts known as the web-safe fonts that appear on most platforms and ought to be safe to use in PDFs too.

Solution 2

Since you do not require MS Word -- how about using OpenOffice.org or LibreOffice?

Both these have a menu item 'File -> Export as PDF...'.

Make sure you activate the checkbox PDF/A-1a -- this will guarantee compliance with the PDF/A-1a standard which requires all fonts to be embedded. This way the files display and print the same across all platforms (The 'A' in PDF/A means the file meets the 'archiving' standard.)

Solution 3

Sure-fire way: Scan the printed document, or convert it to an image (not a modified hypertext image like Excel does sometimes, but a JPG or BMP) and then pdf that.

By converting to an image you're working with a picture, not code that can be misconstrued or mistranslated by other systems.

Of course, doing it this way will result in generally larger files and depending on whether you have to scan a printed document to create the image, you may end up with a lower quality output. But you will never have to worry out Arial being converted into a frilly odd font.

Comments

[henry700]

In addition to this advice, IF you have Adobe (Acrobat) Distiller installed, you have the option to print to PDF using the printer dialog and choosing the Adobe PDF printer driver. In the properties of this driver, there is a check box to specify embedding of fonts. This is usually unchecked by default for copyright reasons. There may be freeware PDF printer driver options as well.

[Angelo]

Yes, I think that would be the only true "future-proof" way to display exotic/rare fonts.

[Angelo]

@RedGrittyBrick : Thanks! I now have good starting point with your suggestions.

[Anton Samsonov]

Unfortunately this is not guaranteed for fillable PDF forms (see bug 50879), as they cannot be saved as PDF/A.

[Kurt Pfeifle]

@AntonSamsonov: True. But who needs exact font rendering in fillable forms, anyway?

[Anton Samsonov]

Those millions (billions) of people who happen to use non-latin scripts. Existing bugs in both PDF-generating and PDF-viewing/editing software result in that non-latin symbols are either not rendered at all or garbled.

[Kurt Pfeifle]

@AntonSamsonov: Oh!, thanks for reminding me! I admit that I tend to be dump enough to forget the fact that the world is not using latin scripts only.

[Kurt Pfeifle]

@AntonSamsonov: PDF/A-1b/1a (basic/advanced) however does not support fillable forms at all. In order to preserve the contents of a filled form, the form has to be "flattened" first (integrating its content into the standard PDF contents) -- where it will have all font support as usual.

[Egbert Nierop]

If you want reliable 'export as PDF' from Office, use Cute PDF. That renderer is a lot better than MS own 'save as PDF' feature.

[Kurt Pfeifle]

@EgbertNierop: Sorry, I do not regard your comment as being helpful at all! It is a pure advert for another proprietary and 4 year old software application which may or may not be as good as you say.

[Egbert Nierop]

@KurtPfeifle if you 'feel so' I am so sorry for you. But I am not a seller. Also it is a free product and it is simply true. It automatically embeds fonts which are inside Word documents. I have a publisher who said: "I cannot print your book, unless you have a valid render copy, please use cute pdf". You may disagree with my post but my point is valid. MS did not fix his own export to PDF feature.

[Kurt Pfeifle]

@EgbertNierop: The original question is 8 years old. At the time, the MS Office capabilities to export quality PDF was not up to the task. In the meanwhile, it is quite Ok. Also, my answer pointed to LibreOffice, did you even notice? How come then that you start arguing about Microsoft's faults?

[Egbert Nierop]

@KurtPfeifle "I created a document in MS Word (2007) and then published to PDF with …" This is my last response to you. THe original question is still valid. PDF export from Word is not good at exporting PDF 1a. I know this since I had Word 2017 and needed to include all fonts but it does not work. Since others might have the same issue, I hope to support this case even if it is 8 years old. I hope this clears things up.

[Kurt Pfeifle]

@EgbertNierop: Did you read OP beyond the first sentence? Did you see "I'm not tied to any particular tool like MS Word."? Yes? So why are you quoting the first sentence only? Did you see my response starting with "Since you do not require MS Word...."? Did you see my proposal to use LibreOffice and its setting to create a PDF/A-1a which guarantees fonts to be embedded an equal appearance on all platforms. Support this 8 year old case all you want -- IMO your (8 year later) pushing for a proprietary tool does not invalidate my original answer or provide a much better alternative.