PDF Ground Controls Categories – Fonts

DEFINING THE PDF GROUND CONTROL CATEGORIES: FONTS
The Fonts category for Portable Document Format files is in the PDF Ground Controls area in FlightCheck preflight software by Markzware.

FONT STATUS
A PDF file that is designed for printing should have all of the used fonts embedded that are in the PDF. Many PDF creators do not properly embed the fonts used. Often font licenses forbid embedding. It is important for the PDF/X standard to have all fonts embedded within a PDF file.

Font Not Embedded:
One or more fonts used in the PDF document have not been embedded. Without proper font embedding, the PDF will become difficult to view or edit. Older versions of PDF did not embed some of the base 14 fonts such as Times-Roman, making later viewing more difficult.

Font Subset:
A PDF can be a smaller file size if only the characters used in the PDF are embedded (subset). Subset embedding makes it difficult to edit the file when additional characters or fonts are needed, but were not included in the file.

Font Full Character Set:
Embedding a full character set takes up storage space and includes all characters of the alphabet. Subset embedding is a better method for print and embeds only the characters that are used.

Double-Byte Font not subsetted:
Double-Byte fonts use two bytes to represent each character. You can find these in many installed languages, such as Japanese, Chinese etc. Not all viewers of a PDF will have double-byte fonts installed. By subsetting (including the characters used in a PDF), the file will be both smaller and viewable. Double-Byte fonts are not supported in PDF/X.

Corporate Fonts:
To maintain a standard list of Fonts for company branding, you can add them to a corporate font list. The check will determine if you have added fonts other than those in the corporate list.

Font List:
Type a list of fonts to include in your Corporate Font list.

Wildcards:
Enhance your Corporate Font List with specific fonts by using Wildcard characters or symbols. Characters can be used to shortcut font names instead of typing the entire specific font name.

TYPE
Many font formats have been created since the original PostScript typefaces. Older typefaces can cause problems for legacy printing equipment. If your PostScript level is older, use FlightCheck to locate the problematic font issues.

TrueType®:
Some fonts are TrueType file format. Some older TrueType fonts caused issues with printing equipment. By itself, TrueType is not an “error,” but mixing TrueType fonts with other types can result in undesirable output.

Type 3:
This is an older typeface designed for better viewing results and, therefore, should not be used for your print PDF files.

City/System Font:
Some fonts are named after a city (such as Chicago, New York, Geneva, etc.), or are System fonts (such as “Charcoal”). These fonts usually print as bitmaps (low quality) and should therefore be avoided.

Multiple Masters:
One or more fonts are Multiple Masters. Multiple Master fonts cannot be handled by the majority of printing equipment used in the industry. As we cannot guarantee which final output device your file will encounter during the production process, files that include Multiple Master fonts are rejected.

Double-byte Fonts:
Double-byte fonts use two bytes to represent each character. You can find these in many installed languages such as Japanese, Chinese etc. Double-byte fonts are not supported in PDF/X.

Non-Adobe:
Locate Font manufacturers other than Adobe fonts. This identifies when one or more fonts are not official Adobe fonts. Mixing various types of fonts can lead to undesirable printouts.

OpenType®:
This identifies when one or more OpenType fonts are located within the PDF file. OpenType fonts are cross-platform (can be shared with Mac and Windows users). This format causes the largest file size due to the amount of glyph characters available with each font.

USAGE
It is essential to the success of a PDF file that the correct font can be viewed and printed accurately. Effects that are added to fonts with a software shortcut can often trick a local print device, but often cause issues with professional printing equipment.

Encoding:
The process of mapping each character to keyboard keys is called “encoding.” This allows you to use fonts consistently across Mac and Windows. It is required that the font encoding be complete and standard. Since not all printing devices are capable of printing every character in a set, certain characters may need to be “remapped.” Normally, this is based upon a standard encoding scheme, which can vary on different platforms. In this way, the Encoding checkbox can be used to point out possible output conflicts.

Small point sizes:
Small art or text can print too finely. Black type might print acceptably.
Min. Size _____________Pt
Type the minimum point size to alert of small type within a PDF file.

Separated small point sizes:
Small art or text can print too finely, especially when it is colored type.
Min. Size _____________Pt
Type the minimum point size to alert of small type defined with colors in a PDF file.

Number of separations:
Type the number of plates into which your type is allowed to separate. (Ex. 1 could be one black or spot plate only).

ARTIFICIAL STYLES
The proper method to choose a font style is to set the Font Name such as Gill Sans, and choose the style such as Bold. (Ex. B Gill Sans Bold). Another method of choosing a font and pressing a software shortcut, such as B for Bold, creates Menu-Styled fonts. These menu-styled fonts may not appear bold when printed, or they may print with a substitute font instead. Unless the font has the appropriate printer style for Bold, the final output may not reflect the initial intent appropriately.

Bold:
This alerts you to font styles created using menus or application shortcuts to artificially apply a Bold style instead of selecting the correct font that includes the Bold style.

Outline:
This alerts you to fonts styles created using menus to artificially apply an Outline style, instead of selecting the correct font that includes the Outline style.

Italic:
This alerts you to fonts styles created using menus to artificially apply an Italic style instead of selecting the correct font that includes the Italic style.