10.6.7 PDF Creation unreadable in any other OS just readable in Mac

maybe it is linked with the processor: my iMac's is a Core 2 Duo.
I must add that whan i get info in Preview, it says pdf version: 1.4 ; pdf author: Mac OS X 10.6.7 QUartz PDFContext.

OS 10.6.7
Open Pages.app
Create a document using Myriad Pro.
Save as a pdf.
Opens in Preview fine all look correct.
But when it the document printed from Preview the font gets substituted for something else.

I've got an iMac intel 2 GHz at work, updated on 10.6.7 and I don't seem to have this issue: I tried to create a pdf using the print and save as pdf commands from word 2011, and a pc user colleague was able to read it! And I tried the same way to create a ps and was able to reread it.
So what???

"What" depends on what fonts you're using. The problem is specific to OpenType PostScript fonts. And then, not all of them will cause the problem. If you used any other type of fonts, then no, you won't see any problem.

ok thanks for your reply 🙂

Ok, I can show behavior that should make anybody question their "it works on my 10.6.7 system" conclusion.

1) Launch TextEdit, and in a new rtf file, type in
This is a test

2) Make all of the text Century, print-to-pdf, open the pdf in Adobe Reader (I have Reader 8). It looks just the way it should.

3) Now make all of the text Minion, print-to-pdf, open in Reader -- error message, plus the characters are all replaced by variously spaced bullet dots.

Now in gets really interesting...

4) Change the font of "test" to Century, while leaving the font of "This is a" in Minion. Print-to-pdf, open in Reader -- now the word "test" looks fine, while the "This is a" is the oddly spaced dots.

5) Copy the word "test" (in Century) and insert it before the "This is a" which is still in Minion. Print to pdf go to Reader -- where it says, quite lovely, "test This is a test" with the "This is a" clearly in Minion not century, and displaying just fine, and the word "test" in Century at the beginning and end of the sentence.

I suspect that anyone who is seeing one of the identified "accursed" fonts displaying correctly on a 10.6.7 system has them preceded in their documents with text in a "good" font.

We hit the same problem at our business. We use the Helvetica Neue LT Std font family (opentype font) and are unable to print from Keynote 09 or PDF's that have the fonts in them. Invalid Font Define Font error message, depending on the printer/copier you are sending the print job too. We are having to use a different font for any non-critical presentations but this update has killed production for us. I have already contacted Apple on it and I am awaiting their response. This Font Family has been our default fonts for years now. Luckily we have 2 macs that are still on Leopard that prints without any issues. Apple needs to correct what they changed that broke the opentype fonts fast! Anyone know if a Font repair program will correct the issue? If not, we will have to revert back to 10.6.6 which will be a headache to say the least.

Anyone know if a Font repair program will correct the issue?

No. The fonts themselves are not the problem. etresoft linked to the most likely cause of the whole issue earlier in this thread. Here's the page he linked to:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4581

Note the four changes to ATS in 10.6.7. Whatever Apple did to try and fix a security issue with fonts may be the cause. Or at least partly.

If not, we will have to revert back to 10.6.6 which will be a headache to say the least.

If you have a fair number of Macs to revert, then it will certainly be a pain in the patootie. But until we see some sort of resolution, and there's no telling when that will be, reverting to 10.6.6 is currently the only sure fix.

Thanks Kurt. I updated 5 of our macs to 10.6.7. They have time machine but some were found to have very old restore points.

If it is a security fix then I highly doubt they will correct anything. Thanks again for the link.

Note the four changes to ATS in 10.6.7. Whatever Apple did to try and fix a security issue with fonts may be the cause. Or at least partly.

I think Apple has been issuing fixes to ATS for "maliciously crafted embedded font" exploits for at least the last 2 years. Seems to be a difficult problem to solve...

Seems to be a difficult problem to solve...

It would be pretty tough. Without scanning fonts ahead of time, you wouldn't know if it was a rouge font until you activate it. Then you'd have to catch the extra code as the font was activated in RAM for use.

I am also having this issue. Opening a PDF file created with the built in PDF export function in the print dialogue box with Adobe Reader in Windows or Mac causes Adobe Reader to lock up, or, sometimes the PDF file will open, but a font error appears and/or the letters appear as gibberish or bullets. This is extremely frustrating as I create many PDF files that I distribute to 10 PCs for work. Now I am having to use my wife's laptop which is thankfully still on 10.6.6 to do all my PDF creation.

I spoke to Apple and they wanted more information on where the fonts were stored on the macs I sent the data from. I haven't heard back from them since I informed them. So I have reverted my macbook pro back to 10.6.6 and guess what the printing works fine now. So at some point today or the weekend I am going to have to revert 4 macs back to 10.6.6 and more than likely re-install the OS on another laptop that didn't get a time machine for backup purposes. I tried Oynx and that did nothing to correct the issue we had, just FYI.

There is no need to downgrade your OS to 10.6.6. Just run FontBook, show Font Info, and go through the fonts and disable any Postscript OpenType fonts.

I already know what the responses will be so I will pre-emptively address them:

Yeah, but I have 15,000 OpenType PostScript fonts!

Then you should be using Acrobat or other professional tools that create PDF documents themselves. You can still downgrade if you feel you must, but most people don't need to.

This is a BUG and APPLE must FIX THIS NOW!

It is a bug, although likely one committed by Adobe 20 years ago. Regardless it is going to have to be Apple that fixes it. They will fix it when they get to it. I have already filed a bug report. Apple knows about it. There is nothing more than anyone can do. You can roll back your operating system if you want, or just disable a few fonts. Such is life.

I agree that the downgrade to 10.6.6, though definitely addressing the font printing / PDF creation issues in 10.6.7, might be a bit excessive.

What worked for me with OpenType fonts and MAY also work with Type 1 Postscript fonts is to convert them to TrueType if you have a relatively small number of them present. I posted some suggestions for how to do that in the "main" thread on the problem here http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=13323072