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Scribus => PDF Generation => Topic started by: crmdgn on April 18, 2012, 06:58:20 PM

Title: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: crmdgn on April 18, 2012, 06:58:20 PM
I'm running Scribus 1.4.0 rc3 on a Mac. I need to generate a PDF that's mostly text, with one PNG graphic. When I use File > Export > Save as PDF, the resulting PDF contains the PNG, exactly where it should be, and the rest of the page is blank. What is the remedy?
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: Meho R. on April 18, 2012, 08:05:58 PM
Can you provide an example .sla file which shows the issue for testing purposes?
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: crmdgn on April 18, 2012, 10:07:37 PM
See attached: the .sla and the exported .pdf.

[attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: Nermander on April 19, 2012, 10:28:59 AM
I see the Blah Blah and Text Text.

What are you using to view the PDF? Anything else than Adobe Reader might have bugs (even Adobe Reader in some versions have bugs).

I did get a warning message that the font (Gil Sans I think) was not embedded, but I don't think that matters.
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: utnik on April 19, 2012, 12:08:43 PM
Quote from: Nermander on April 19, 2012, 10:28:59 AMI did get a warning message that the font (Gil Sans I think) was not embedded, but I don't think that matters.

the font is embedded, but there is something wrong with it (as the warning tells, the reader can't extract it...)
other pdf viewers may not be able to display it correct – try to check what's wrong with this font – or replace it.

utnik
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: Nermander on April 19, 2012, 01:10:15 PM
I think the information in the PDF says it was made with Scribus 1.4.0rc3, an upgrade to the final 1.4.0 might solve the problem.
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: crmdgn on April 19, 2012, 01:39:16 PM
The font embedding is almost certainly the problem: I switched to font outlining and the PDF displays properly (I'm using Preview, BTW, since you asked). I also upgraded to the final 1.4.0 and the problem still exists.

Outlined fonts are OK for now, until I can figure out how to fix the embedding. Thanks to you both for your help.
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: utnik on April 19, 2012, 03:27:50 PM
it's the same on my system:

utnik
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: Nermander on April 19, 2012, 04:16:18 PM
Sounds like a problem in Preview then?
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: Meho R. on April 21, 2012, 04:15:27 PM
Quote from: Nermander on April 19, 2012, 04:16:18 PM
Sounds like a problem in Preview then?

I don't think so. There's no text displayed in Okular PDF reader on Linux, so it's more likely the font issue. I replaced Gill Sans in .sla file with Gill Sans Std.otf and everything is fine in the resulting PDF file.

@crmdgn, that Gill Sans font you're using might be faulty, or, for some reason, Scribus cannot handle it properly. Did the font come with your OS, or you bought a licence separately? In case of the latter, do you have OpenType version of font?
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: Nermander on April 23, 2012, 08:25:06 AM
Neither Preview nor Okular are Adobe Reader, they might not be fully compliant.

Adobe Reader is the reference application.
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: utnik on April 23, 2012, 02:13:48 PM
hi nermander

reader is the reference, but reader tells, that something is wrong with this font - do you really think, the adobe application does this for users of other viewers only?

utnik
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: Meho R. on April 24, 2012, 02:35:17 PM
Quote from: Nermander on April 23, 2012, 08:25:06 AM
Neither Preview nor Okular are Adobe Reader, they might not be fully compliant.

Adobe Reader is the reference application.

Even if "the reference application", Adobe Readers is, if not the buggiest (which it is in my experience), then definitely in top 5 buggiest PDF readers out there, which is one of the main reasons why many people use Sumatra, PDF-XChange, Foxit etc. On the other hand, default readers on Linux are Evince and Okular on most desktops, so if Scribus fails to create PDFs readable by those viewers too, then it's an epic fail for Scribus.
Title: Re: Exported PDFs contain graphics but no text
Post by: Nermander on April 25, 2012, 08:25:24 AM
Well, Scribus should create a PDF that conforms to the specification. If other readers can not handle all features of the PDF created by Scribus it is not an error in Scribus.

As far as I know Scribus main target remains "PDF for professional printing".