Word 2010 problem with PostScript Type 1 fonts and PDF export

Anonymous
2010-06-18T19:07:47+00:00

I have been using Office 2010 since the Beta period and I am now using the release build.

I use Adobe Postscript Type 1 fonts regularly in my documents, and I have found that Word 2010 (and presumably all of the Office 2010 applications) has several problems working with PostScript fonts.

Most notably, the "Save as PDF" function will create documents with an odd gradient effect applied to all PostScript fonts.

Secondarily, the Word editor frequently glitches and renders PostScript fonts using a sans-serif font that looks to be Arial.

The following are a demonstration of the issue:

![](http://www.tsotech.com/images/office2010/original-doc-small.jpg)

This is an original document typed in Minion, an Adobe PostScript Type 1 font.

![](http://www.tsotech.com/images/office2010/pdf-version-small.jpg)

This is the document as rendered by muPDF, a very lightweight PDF reader.  Note that the official Adobe Acrobat Reader will render the document correctly.  I suspect Microsoft only tested the PDF export functionality with the Adobe Reader and concluded that it was functioning correctly.  But please note that alternative readers are fairly commonplace, especially with so many security issues being found daily in Adobe's products.

![](http://www.tsotech.com/images/office2010/mac-small.jpg)

I don't have access to a Mac, but the above screenshot was from a Mac's PDF reader attempting to display a different PDF document I had sent a colleague.

Finally, during regular use of Word 2010, the editor will fail to render PostScript Type 1 fonts correctly, falling back on a sens-serif font that I believe to be Arial.  See below:

![](http://www.tsotech.com/images/office2010/display-glitch-small.jpg)

Please investigate these issues, Microsoft!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2010-09-09T05:13:08+00:00

There are 4 issues in this thread for Word 2010 RTM:

  1. Some PostScript fonts display incorrectly after being edited in Word's Print Layout.
  2. Documents with some (but not all) fonts containing PostScript outline data (Ex: Helvetica, Times) crash on open.
  3. Documents using fonts with PostScript Outline data saved as a PDF in Word render correctly in Adobe Reader but incorrectly in some other PDF Viewers.
  4. Documents using fonts with PostScript outline data saved as a PDF in Word render the text as a static image rather than selectable text.

Issue #1

To assist us in solving this issue, please answer the following questions. Thank you.

  1. What is the full name for the printers you have installed? Which of these is the default printer? [Start -> Type "Devices and Printers"]
  2. What editing languages do you have enabled in Word? [Open Word -> File -> Options -> Language]
  3. When in a corrupt state, does changing to a different printer (and back) fix the issue? [File -> Print]
  4. Can you reproduce the issue in *.doc files? [File -> Save As -> Save as type = "Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc)"]
  5. Can you reproduce the issue in *.docx files?  [File -> Save As -> Save as type = "Word Document (*.docx)"]
  6. Can you reproduce the issue in Draft View? [View ->Draft View]
  7. Can you reproduce the issue in both Portrait and Landscape orientations? [Page Layout -> Orientation]
  8. Can you reproduce the issue in a version of Windows earlier than Windows 7 / Windows 2008?
  9. Can you reproduce the issue in a version of Word earlier than Word 2010?

 ===

Here are several workarounds for this issue from my other thread, but please continue to assist us by answering the questions above. Workarounds in order of most convenient to least convenient are:

  1. Add a Right-to-Left language, such as Hindi, to your list of editing languages. [(In Word) File -> Options -> Language -> [Add aditional editing languages] -> Hindi -> Add]
  2. Each time a document is opened with the incorrect font being displayed change to a different printer (and back). [(In Word) File -> Print]
  3. Uninstall all printers from Windows. [(In Windows) Start -> Devices and Printers]

Issue #2

Problem A – Use one of these workarounds if you are crashing when opening documents with fonts Helvetica or Times.

  • Remove offending PostScript font substitutions from the registry location. Restart computer.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes]

  • Install the OpenType versions of the offending PostScript fonts.
  • Uninstall the offending PostScript fonts.
  • Open the Font Dialog Box (Ctrl + D) before attempting to display an offending PostScript font. This fix lasts until Word is closed.

Problem B – Use one of these workarounds if you are crashing when opening documents with fonts other than Helvetica or Times. In this case you are most likely crashing due to your printer driver.

  • Change your default printer to another printer that does not crash (ex: Microsoft XPS Document Writer).
  • Uninstall your printer (or all printers).

Issue #3

Currently the best workaround is the one already given by the original poster: Open your PDF documents in Adobe Reader rather than muPDF or the Mac's default PDF reader.

Issue #4

When saving documents using fonts with PostScript outline data, Word 2010 only supports outputting the text as a static image, and does not support outputting the text as selectable text. Currently the best workaround is the one already given by the original poster: Use a printer driver that outputs to PDF such as Adobe Acrobat or CutePDF.

-Omega

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-06-30T21:20:43+00:00

    The problem is not limited to muPDF.  Although I suppose muPDF has been ported to Mac OS X, the two tests I've run are:

    • muPDF on Windows 7
    • Mac OS X's built-in "PDF Preview" reader

    As I've mentioned earlier, I suspect that a non-trivial number (perhaps a majority) of non-Adobe PDF readers cannot properly render Word 2010-generated PDF files.  I suspect Microsoft implemented Word 2010's PDF export using Adobe Acrobat Reader as the benchmark rather than a proper PDF specification.  Therefore, it renders PDF files that Acrobat can render but everyone else renders as a mess of gradients.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-06-30T20:42:24+00:00

    Is the 'muPDF' problem limited to 'muPDF'?  Does it happen with Acrobat Reader for the Mac as well?  (assuming there is such a thing...)

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-06-30T17:19:46+00:00

    Sure enough.  I was able to get a screen-shot from a Mac.  Here is "Random.pdf" (from Adamgggg) rendered by a Mac.

    ![](http://www.tsotech.com/images/office2010/adam-pdf-mac-small.jpg)

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-06-30T16:57:02+00:00

    Oh, but it actually does work as a demonstration!  Check out how muPDF renders your PDF.  I think you have the same problem I have.  I suspect if you were to send this to a Mac user, they would see the effect I demonstrated earlier.

    muPDF rendering "Random.pdf":

    ![](http://www.tsotech.com/images/office2010/adam-pdf-small.jpg)

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