Font problems after 10.6.7

I always relied on save as postscript before 10.6.7
I then used Adobe Distiller to convert the file to PDF

This is not working anymore.
However when I instead save as Adobe PDF the rendering is working again.
I can't see any difference from the result I got with save as post script

I believe I have a workaround for Sibelius 6. Sibelius installs *.otf fonts. (Inkpen2, Opus, etc.). I used 'fontforge' to convert all the *.otf files to *.ttf files. Now Sibelius is happy again. I can now do a Print->SaveAs->PDF and I can open them with Adobe Reader (v 9.4.3) without it complaining about not being able to extract embedded fonts. I may just go ahead and convert all *.otf to *.ttf so I'm not surprised when I email someone else a file they can't read.

Plenty of google info on how to convert using fontforge.

Same problem. I mistakenly posted this on Adobe's forum, because Acrobat X 10.0.2 completely freezes after this OS X update. The problem is definitely 10.6.7. I have 3 Macs on 10.6.6 and 3 on 10.6.7. I consistently experience the font problems only on the 10.6.7 Macs.

Someone, please report to Apple.

Post on how to downgrade:
http://www.mywebcache.com/2011/03/26/how-to-downgrade-from-mac-os-x-10-6-7-to-10 -6-6/

Yes! PLEASE report this issue to Apple! When I called AppleCare support on Thursday, they told me as far as they were concerned it was not a recognized problem yet. Unless you report it, this will not be addressed or taken seriously.

I think I've got it pinpointed. The issue is specifically OpenType PostScript fonts. And not just Adobe's. Any PS OpenType font.

I created 4 different documents in Word 2011 with 6 paragraphs. On the first, I used OpenType TrueType fonts. The second, all clean Adobe OT fonts from the CS5 disk. Third, OT PS fonts from various MacFonts collections. And the last, OT PS fonts I'd converted with FontLab Studio 5 from old legacy TrueType fonts. In all cases, randomly chose the six fonts from each set and applied one font per paragraph. For each document, I created a PDF file using OS X's built in PDF option, and another with the choice for Save as Adobe PDF.

In OS X, 10.6.6, all PDF files opened in Acrobat and Preview perfectly. No hang ups in creation of the PDF files or opening them.

In OS X, 10.6.7, near complete failure. The OpenType TrueType fonts worked, creating the PDF files both ways. But any OpenType PostScript fonts failed. The simple OS X PDF function would usually complete, but the resulting PDF wouldn't open in the Acrobat Reader or Preview. Using the Save as Adobe PDF usually wouldn't even finish. The progress bar would stop a bit over 50% complete and just hang.

10.6.7 is clearly the issue here with OpenType PostScript fonts. If your workflow requires the use of OT PS fonts, the only fix at the moment is to revert to 10.6.6.

Kurt --
I'm always so impressed with the lengths you go to, to isolate issues for us.
Thanks so much!

Kurt, thanks. I know next to nothing about fonts. My question is do you think at the very low level of saving some tax forms from Turbo Tax to .pdf and printing them from Reader, I will experience any of these problems if I upgrade to 10.6.7? Needless to say, if I were affected, this would be a huge headache right now. I guess it will depend if Turbo Tax (or the IRS or NY State) uses any of the affected fonts? I am really clueless in this area.

From what I've tried, the only affected fonts are OpenType PostScript fonts. Turbo Tax most likely uses the fonts included with OS X, which are either OpenType TrueType, TrueType Collections (which I believe are also OpenType TrueType), or a few Apple .dfonts in the System folder. Those should still produce a readable PDF file. But to be safe, I'd still say revert to 10.6.6.

But to be safe, I'd still say revert to 10.6.6.

No problem. I'm still on 10.6.5. Thanks.

My initial response was preliminary, which is why I prefaced it with "I think." I had only gone as far as making sure I had a clean install of OS X on the drive with all of my apps. Tested that, then installed 10.6.7 and tested again.

What I did today was install SL on an erased drive and updated it to 10.6.6. I put nothing else on the drive that could interfere with the results. No third party software, no drivers for my MS keyboard or Logitech mouse. Nada. OS X only as it installs with Apple's installation disk and updates. The only exception was to install the Adobe Acrobat Reader. I installed the current 10.0.2 version. A necessity since that's where the main report of problems are; PDF files aren't displaying correctly on Macs or PCs using various OpenType PostScript fonts. Can't test it without installing it.

Yesterday, I had only tested OT PS fonts from three sources (Adobe, MacFonts and converted legacy Mac TrueType), and a set of OT TrueType fonts. I started there since most of the reports were about OpenType PostScript. To make sure I had all font types covered, today I tested Adobe Type 1 PS, a set of randomly chose Type 1 PS from other vendors, .dfonts, legacy Mac TrueType, and legacy PC TrueType. I also redid the OpenType PS fonts. All documents for each set of fonts were created with TextEdit and then printed a PDF file using OS X's built in Save as PDF.

The results on a drive with nothing but OS X, 10.6.6 on it (and the Acrobat Reader 10.0.2) is that all PDF files work and display as expected in both Preview and the Acrobat Reader.

As soon as you install 10.6.7, OpenType PostScript fonts are indeed broken. Which OT PS fonts you're using depends on whether or not you get an error, but it is confined to OT PS fonts. All PDF files, including those using OpenType PostScript fonts display correctly in Preview. With the Acrobat Reader, all PDF files display correctly except those using OT PS fonts. So no matter who gets PDF files created under 10.6.7 using OT PS fonts, they will not display correctly on the Mac or in Windows.

In my opinion, this is something Apple is responsible for.

1) Everything worked in 10.6.6. Neither Acrobat Pro nor the Reader changed. The OS did.

2) That Preview still displays all PDF files correctly in 10.6.7 does not mean it is Adobe's responsibility to follow Apple's updates to make their own file format work.

Great troubleshooting. Thanks!

Kurt --

Other than this thread,
Hakve you reported this to the PTB?