Text missing in PDF files

Question

Level 1

10 points

Text missing in PDF files

I have been trying to print out a form from a local university for my daughter.

http://www.wlv.ac.uk/PDF/uow-direct-app-home.pdf

I am using Leopard 10.5.2 - but when I preview this form in finder, nearly all of the text is missing. If I try to print it to my non-postscript printer - again, all the text is missing. If I print it to my PostScript printer, then it prints.

I notice the PDF has badly (i.e. none) embedded fonts, so Acrobat has to use the Substitute "Adobe Serif MM" font.

Anyone else getting this problem with this PDF?

Funnily (well, not so funny, when i recently switched to Mac as it's 'THE' platform for graphics - cough!) the PDF renders and prints fine on my XP machine.

Steve

iMac Nov 2007, Mac OS X (10.5.1), It's spelt - Aluminium

Posted on Feb 19, 2008 3:16 PM

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Answer 1

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Feb 19, 2008 5:36 PM in response to stevesant

Select the file, CMD+I, select open with Preview, and then print it. I don't use Acrobat or Adobe Reader, so I can't say what the problem with them is all about. Prints fine from Preview, with scale to fit (no missing fonts), although you can't fill it in using that.

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Answer 2

Feb 19, 2008 5:49 PM in response to stevesant

i was able to see the text in the file you reference. However I've had the same problem you described with other PDFs in Preview... almost all the text is missing. If I open the problem PDF with Acrobat, the text is there. The problem only happens with Preview.

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Answer 3

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Feb 19, 2008 6:01 PM in response to rex wilson

Very strange goings on. I have no problems with any PDFs using Preview. Sounds like your Preview app is hosed or your preferences file is corrupt. I suggest creating another admin user account, logging into it, and seeing if the problem persists. Report back.

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Answer 4

stevesant Author

Level 1

10 points

Feb 22, 2008 5:06 AM in response to baltwo

OK... I think i may have a handle on this.

As I use my Mac for design work, the only fonts I routinely have activated are the "must have" fonts in the /System/Library/Fonts directory.

Everything else is removed, and activated via Font Agent pro.

I think Preview has a problem when a PDF file does not have fonts properly embeded. I just activated all the standard fonts that Microsoft, and Apple plonk in ~/Library/Fonts and /Library/Fonts - including a copy of Palatino, and, hey presto - Quick view works again.

However, this doesn't explain the text vanishing when printing from Acrobat itself to a non-postscript printer.

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Answer 5

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Feb 22, 2008 12:27 PM in response to stevesant

That I can't answer, since I don't use Acrobat or have a postscript printer to play with, but it seems you've gotten most of your problems solved.

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Answer 6

Feb 22, 2008 12:29 PM in response to stevesant

that makes sense, as I too have cleaned out lots of fonts, and try to keep my font collection to a minimum. However it doesn't explain why Preview shows a blank screen and why Acrobat manages to figure it out and display the page properly.

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Answer 7

stevesant Author

Level 1

10 points

Feb 23, 2008 7:09 AM in response to rex wilson

Acrobat doesn't - it actually replaces the intended missing fonts with Adobe Serif MM and Adobe Sans MM... By faking the fonts like this Acrobat produces something that is at least readable.

However, this doesn't answer why Acrobat manages to print a document without any type to a non-postscript printer, but manages to print the document with the substitute fonts to a post script printer.

Really an Adobe problem I think...

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Answer 8

AlanChen

Level 1

0 points

Apr 12, 2008 11:37 PM in response to stevesant

Hi,

Maybe you need to repair your pdf files. There is a tool called Advanced PDF Repair. I have used it to repair many corrupt PDF files successfully. Its homepage is http://www.datanumen.com/apdfr/

Hope this will be useful.

Alan

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Answer 9

May 27, 2008 8:29 PM in response to AlanChen

I just had this situation happen to me...the text was visible on 10.5 after reducing the file size but not on XP.

I removed the text boxes, added new ones and re-pasted the text. Reprinting and re-reducing the PDF worked and all the invisible text is now visible.

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