Characters Missing in PDF

Question

Characters Missing in PDF

I just created a Pages document with a table and in two different cells I typed '20th Century Fox.' I used Superscript (Format>Font>Baseline>Superscript) to elevate the 'th' in '20th.' It looks fine in Pages but when I Export to PDF, everything after the '20' in those cells disappears.

I think this has to be a bug as I cannot figure out what sort of user error could cause this. Has anyone else seen this and do you have a workaround?

Pages: PDF:

Martin

Pages 5.2

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5), FCP 7, QuickTime Pro 7.6.6

Posted on Apr 3, 2015 9:55 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Apr 3, 2015 10:04 AM in response to Martin Nelson

This was fixed in Pages v5.2.2 on Mavericks. However, the time has passed for you to update Pages on Mavericks, as Apple now only provides the current updates for Pages on Yosemite in the OS X App Store.

Reply

Answer 2

Apr 3, 2015 10:13 AM in response to VikingOSX

You have got to be kidding. I bought my MacBook Pro at an Apple Store with Mavericks pre-installed in late October. I kept Mavericks running because of specific software conflicts, but I've updated all software as it became available. As far as I'm aware, I never had a chance to download 5.2.2. Now I can't get it?

I will not rant, I will not rant, I will not rant,

Martin

Reply

Answer 3

Apr 3, 2015 12:50 PM in response to Martin Nelson

Ranting in quicksand is futile. 😉

Reply

Answer 4

Apr 3, 2015 1:01 PM in response to VikingOSX

Is there really no place to download 5.2.2?

Reply

Answer 5

Apr 3, 2015 2:29 PM in response to Martin Nelson

On Mountain Lion, one would be warned in the OS X App Store that Pages v5 was incompatible, but if your version of Pages ’09 was not at v4.3, the App Store would offer to upgrade it for you. There is a slim to none chance that this might work in Mavericks to get you to v5.2.2 — but I suspect that unless you know someone that has v5.2.2 installed (have usb stick will travel) — you are stuck with Pages v5.2.

The free LibreOffice, and Word in Office for Mac 2015 Preview both export correctly to PDF, the superscript cell contents.

Reply

Answer 6

Apr 3, 2015 3:19 PM in response to Martin Nelson

Why not mention in the App Store what Apple has done to you, and rate Pages 5.5.2?

Peter

Reply

Answer 7

Apr 3, 2015 8:39 PM in response to PeterBreis0807

I haven't used 5.5.2 yet. I'm still on Mavericks.

Reply

Answer 8

Apr 20, 2015 7:56 PM in response to Martin Nelson

I feel like I've just spotted the Abominable Snowman. I received an email from Apple based on this thread. Has anyone ever heard directly from Apple on one of these forums? You think it's some odd sort of spam? I've waited to post about it because I feared, like the Yeti, they might scare off easily. Since they haven't written back to my reply, I'll post the conversation here:

We have heard about your issue from the discussion thread below:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6931276

We would like to know if you would be able to provide the following:

- OSX and Pages versions

- a copy of the Pages document that shows characters missing after exporting to PDF

Thank you,

The iWork Team

20416647

I wrote them back with the three pieces of information they asked for —two of which were in the thread— but nothing so far.

Martin

Reply

Answer 9

Apr 20, 2015 11:37 PM in response to Martin Nelson

I am amazed that Apple is ignorant of this bug, or even cares.

Or maybe they have such a long backlog or so few people are working on Pages 5 that it has taken so long.

Who knows. Can't say I really care anymore. Any more than Apple seems to.

Peter

Reply

Answer 10

Apr 21, 2015 3:48 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

The current Apple mindset appears geared to driving customers toward the most recent, main version of OS X if they want application updates. The elimination of prior application versions from the OS X App Store reinforces this herd management. Those that choose, or have no choice to remain behind, are provided no encouragement in the form of software updates to older products.

Reply

Answer 11

May 3, 2015 7:27 PM in response to VikingOSX

VikingOSX wrote:

The current Apple mindset appears geared to driving customers toward the most recent, main version of OS X if they want application updates. The elimination of prior application versions from the OS X App Store reinforces this herd management. Those that choose, or have no choice to remain behind, are provided no encouragement in the form of software updates to older products.

Fine, so they don't continue to update software not intended for the current OS. Is it too much for them to keep available updates they have created for very recent operating systems? It seems like almost a bully mentality. (and I choose 'bully' because all the adjectives that came to me before it were inappropriate for polite discourse)

Reply

Answer 12

May 3, 2015 8:49 PM in response to Martin Nelson

Martin Nelson wrote:

Fine, so they don't continue to update software not intended for the current OS. Is it too much for them to keep available updates they have created for very recent operating systems? It seems like almost a bully mentality. (and I choose 'bully' because all the adjectives that came to me before it were inappropriate for polite discourse)

Apple has always been an iron fist in a velvet glove. Lately the pretense of the glove has been slipping.

Peter

Reply

Answer 13

Hiroto

Level 5

7,461 points

May 3, 2015 9:47 PM in response to Martin Nelson

Hello

I suggest that you abandon the doomed Pages v5 and use the far superior Pages v4 unless you have particular reason to choose the former.

If you don't have Pages v4, you might obtain iWork '09 DVD package quite cheaply from various sources such as amazon or ebay. Just remember to apply the following updater before running iWork '09 programmes under OS X 10.7 or later.

iWork 9.3

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1563

Just my thought.

H

Reply

Answer 14

May 4, 2015 9:13 AM in response to Hiroto

Ah man, I only just moved over to iWork. 4 is better than 5? I hate it when that happens. Any chance my v5-created and elaborately formatted resume will open in 4?

Martin

Reply

Answer 15

May 4, 2015 9:16 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

To add insult to injury, when I launch Pages, I'm notified there is an update available. But, of course, when I go to the app store, I'm told there are no compatible updates.

mmmrmmpfmmppppfffft,

Martin

Reply