[scribus-dev] PDF export dialog for font embed, subset and vectorize

[JLuc]

Thanks for this detailed answer.

Is there a reason why you favored subset feature to vectorize feature
when enabling to choose which fonts are subseted
and only enable to vectorize all of them without enabling to choose which ?

JL


Le 14/01/2016 14:52, Jean Ghali a écrit :
> Le 14/01/2016 10:20, JLuc a écrit :
>> In 1.5, the PDF export dialog enables to choose for each used font
>> whether it has to be embeded, vectorized or none of each.
>
> In 1.5 the "outline" options was not really named properly and triggered different
> behaviors depending on font characteristics:
> - font subsetting as Type3 font subset : Adobe Reader list the font as embedded in this case
> - font vectorization : Adobe Reader would not list the font in this case
>
> Also with Windows 8 and Windows 10, Microsoft started suppressing some tables in their
> TrueType fonts which made the behavior of the options even less predictable. Lots of users
> where complaining about not seeing their fonts as embedded anymore because the change made
> by Microsoft now triggered font vectorization. So the situation was really getting messy.
>
> In 1.5.1.svn, thanks to advance in font subsetting done by Andreas, the subset options now
> does exactly what it says: with most of today fonts a real subset will be produced, the
> Type3 subset option being now mostly used by old Postscript Type 1 fonts. Same the outline
> mode will do what it says, the font will be really vectorized in order to respond to the
> need of print shops which do not want to see any trace of font, even Type 3, in the files
> they receive.
>
>>
>> In 1.5.1, the new font PDF management options of the export to PDF dialog
>> are different.
>> There are 3 modes :
>> - outline all fonts (no single font option ability)
>> - embed or subset : each font can be either embed or subset
>> - do not embed (no single font option).
>>
>> Mode 1 and 2 obviously enable to avoid the "undefined font" issue
>> that could cripple a 1.5 RIP
>
> Yep.
>
>> but It's not clear to me how this set of mode
>> is supposed to provide the features that were in 1.5.
>
> It's not supposed to reproduce the feature found in 1.5. It's clearly a breaking change.
>
>> How can I vectorize some fonts ?
>
> True vectorization can be achieved with the "Outline all fonts" mode. But that will affect
> all fonts.
>
>>
>> Or maybe some 1.5 features, like vectorize ability, are lost ?
>
> As mentioned above 1.5 did not provide a true vectorization capability as usually they
> were still fonts being used, even it is was Type 3 fonts. At the RIP level, the behavior
> is quite different. 1.5.1.svn reintroduce in fact a true vectorization capability which
> was lost at some point after the 1.3.3.x series.
>
>> If so, why were these features not worth keeping and developping ?
>
> Type 3 fonts are falling out of flavor at printers. Some PDF standards do not even accept
> them anymore. Now we have true subsetting capability for most TrueType based fonts, they
> are also less suited for display on screen and some of their aspects make them harder to
> handle by RIPs.
>
>> What happens in "dont embed" mode ?
>
> Fonts are not embedded at all in any kind of form. So that's a mode which you should use
> only at your own risk. Mostly suited for simple forms. I would not mind completely
> removing that mode btw.
>
>>
>> When opening a 1.5 file with 1.5.1, the 1.5 font options in PDF export dialog
>> seem to be totally ignored.
>> Are they somehow identicaly managed, invisibly in the background ?
>> Or are they really ignored and lost ?
>
> They are totally ignored and lost.
>
> Jean
>
>