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Scribus => PDF Generation => Topic started by: Andrew Leach on November 08, 2025, 12:22:41 PM

Title: Fractional font sizes are reduced to integer
Post by: Andrew Leach on November 08, 2025, 12:22:41 PM
Scribus 1.6.4 on Windows 11

When creating a PDF, it appears that styles which have fractional sizes (say 8.8pt) are reduced to an integer value (8pt). But line spacing and character spacing remains the same, meaning that characters appear to be spaced out. See images.

This happens with two different versions of gswin64c.exe, but it does not happen if I print using a PDF printer driver — even one using gswin64c.exe. I've just upgraded from 1.5.8 [so can't go back  :( ] but at least PDF "printing" works.

In the scanned images here, the one with closer tracking is correct. You can also see that the small acknowledgement text is unchanged: this has an integer size (6pt).

Given that everything was fine in v1.5.8 and is OK with PDF printer drivers, it looks like this is caused by something in v1.6.4. Is there anything I can do to get it right?
Title: Re: Fractional font sizes are reduced to integer
Post by: a.l.e on November 08, 2025, 06:31:33 PM
Cannot reproduce.

I've created a text with 12 pt and, on the same line a text with 12.9 pt.
Then put a line aligned with the highest point of the 12.9 pt text.

The attached PDF seems to respect the fractional font size.

fractional-font-size.png

Do you have a sample .sla (with the font!) and .pdf that show the problem?
Title: Re: Fractional font sizes are reduced to integer
Post by: Andrew Leach on November 08, 2025, 07:07:01 PM
You'll see from those examples that with Remembrance Sunday being this weekend, time was rather of the essence today! Thanks for testing for a second opinion. It was a bit of a surprise and it's good that it's not a general thing. I'll try and prepare a minimal test case.