Why don't pdf fonts look correct? 1

[petermeachem]

I've just found this forum. I'm a refugee from VB6.
I think my view of pdf's is a bit simplistic, all info being culled from Adobe adverts it seems.
I use an outline font called 'Swis721 BlkOul BT' which is used for 1st and 2nd class postage marks. (Those in the US won't know what I am on about here). If I use the pdf writer to generate a pdf from a document using this font, it gets substituted by something that looks very much like Arial. I thought the whole point of pdf's was that they looked just like the original, but is doesn't look the same on my machine, let alone on another.
Could someone explain in short words why this is not so? Peter Meachem
peter@accuflight.com

 

[derren]

Hi

When you create a PDF you can choose to embed fonts or not, so if the font isn't present on the viewing machine you get an "approximate" substituted font. Which is nearly always a bit pants.

When you go to print the document and you get the print dialogue box up, choose your pdfwriter and the "properties". From here you can change all sorts of settings, but the one you are interested in is the "font embedding" tab.

If you make sure that the 1st and 2nd class stamp fonts are in the "Always embed List" then they will always go with the document. It will increase the size a bit (20-100kb depending upon the font and the number of characters used) but it is well worth it - and an essentail for any pre-press stuff. Derren
[The only person in the world to like Word]

 

[petermeachem]

I hadn't spotted that. I had assumed it would manage that by itself. Thanks very much.
* for a clear explanation Peter Meachem
peter@accuflight.com