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About Archicad's documenting tools, views, model filtering, layouts, publishing, etc.

Font missing from published pdfs

Anonymous
Not applicable
I updated to AC 18 and now the font that I use (Neutraface) is not visible on any of my published drawings. I have used AC and this same font since 2004 without any issues.

I can "save to pdf" through the print dialog box and the text is visible. If I use publisher, all text in Neutraface disappears from the pdfs. I changed some of the text to Times New Roman and that text is visible on published pdfs.

This is my first post because I am always able to search and find the answers I am looking for, until now. Can someone help?
21 REPLIES 21
Dave Jochum
Advocate
It looks like we may be on the way to a comprehensive solution to this and more with Nemetschek's acquisition of Bluebeam. Let's hope it comes soon.
Dave Jochum
J o c h u m A R C H I T E C T S http://www.jochumarchitects.com
MBP 16" (M1 Max) 64 GB•OS 13.5.2•AC 27 Silicon (latest build)
Anonymous
Not applicable
Barry wrote:
I'm not sure about a fix but to select all text at once activate the text tool and then CTRL+A (or the Mac equivalent).
You could also use the find & select tool.

You will need to do this for each storey, section and elevation though as it is not possible to select all text in all views at once.

Do the same for your dimensions (dimension tool then CTRL+A).

If you have objects with text in them then you will have to select each one and change them manually.

Barry.
..and every master layout that hasn't caught up with your new 'compatible' template,

and every layout that has text on it (e.g. revision notes).

Oh joy!
Thomas Holm
Booster
KatalinBorszeki wrote:
Hi All, let me post a correction with regards to the previous comment on PostScript Font Types.
For now, the PDF engine does not support them, but Graphisoft is still discussing the future of how these Font Types will be handled.
Thanks!
I'd like to raise this issue again. I haven't seen the final result of Graphisoft's discussion, and I don't know its status in Archicad 19, but the problem still bites us. We have projects dating all the way back to the early 1990-ies (Archicad4 something), and now and then some of them pop up for a revision or addition.

Since we've been using Postscript type 1 fonts as company standards for a long way this problem shows up every time an old project is awakened.
I realize I have to accept that time goes on and sometimes we need to change habits, but Archicad 18's way of handling the issue hits you in the head all the time - you can work a long time, edit and insert text, and Print, using these fonts all the time, without any warnings whatsoever, but when you finally hit Publish the layouts come blank - still without warnings. Since the MacOSX system, Adobe PDF etc all handle the fonts without problems the issue becomes incomprehensible for newbies.

So please, Graphisoft, I'd like some information. What will you do?
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1
Anonymous
Not applicable
Thomas wrote:
So please, Graphisoft, I'd like some information. What will you do?
I am constantly running into this issue as well. We are not going to change fonts. Too many projects to change. It's a total pain having to manually save each and every sheet. I need each sheet to be an individual PDF otherwise saving multiple sheets as one PDF works fine - all fonts show up but this is not our way. Graphisoft/Progammers/Makers of ArchiCAD - What's the status on this?

I see there is a workaround for Windows but none for Macs (though I can't say I like the idea of increased PDF file sizes as result of this fix): Missing text in PDF published from ArchiCAD 11 or higher
Thomas Holm
Booster
junior wrote:
Thomas wrote:
So please, Graphisoft, I'd like some information. What will you do?
...I see there is a workaround for Windows but none for Macs (though I can't say I like the idea of increased PDF file sizes as result of this fix): Missing text in PDF published from ArchiCAD 11 or higher
If that works the same on the Mac, it should be possible to edit some .plist file to the same avail.

But I'm thinking Graphisoft has inserted it's own (I guess they've bought some third-party thing) PDF engine in AC18/Mac, and thus doesn't rely on OSX's built-in PDF support anymore. That's why AC's font support is limited compared to the system. For us this is a big issue.

Maybe they want something else (like layer support in PDFs) but I'm not sure about how many users really need that. If we use layer management seriously I really can't see why we should.

Instead I think it's a big drawback, with possibly serious implications later. Since PDF is so integrated into the OSX system, I only see problems in not using the system support för PDFs.

I'd like Graphisoft to inform us better: How does this really work?
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1
Katalin Borszeki
Graphisoft
Graphisoft
Hi All,
This was a problem that was caused by the new PDF engine built into ARCHICAD 18. As for the process involved, the "publish PDF" is using the PDF engine, while the simple "print PDF" command is completed by the operation system. That is why the print command did not cause the fonts to be lost in the PDF.

WE have listened and heard the complaints of our users and went around the problem in ARCHICAD 19. The fix had an ARCHICAD 19 target and is not planned to be implemented in ARCHICAD 18.
Let us know if you have any more questions or comments,
k
Katalin Borszeki
Implementation Specialist
GRAPHISOFT

http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com - the ArchiCAD knowledge base
Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi Katalin,

I was testing this in AC19 and publishing now works well and font is displayed on PDFs, however when we print them from the PDF created the fonts gets all shifted on top of each other. Any one else experience this issue?

I found this thread and it helped me get my published pdf to print correctly. Is there something else that I need to do besides print as image using Adobe?
http://helpcenter.graphisoft.com/troubleshooting/import-export/pdf/

I believe this is only an adobe and print driver issue at the moment.

Thanks in advance.

Vincent

KatalinBorszeki wrote:
Hi All,
This was a problem that was caused by the new PDF engine built into ARCHICAD 18. As for the process involved, the "publish PDF" is using the PDF engine, while the simple "print PDF" command is completed by the operation system. That is why the print command did not cause the fonts to be lost in the PDF.

WE have listened and heard the complaints of our users and went around the problem in ARCHICAD 19. The fix had an ARCHICAD 19 target and is not planned to be implemented in ARCHICAD 18.
Let us know if you have any more questions or comments,
k
genarch
Enthusiast
Was this fixed for anyone in ArchiCAD 19? I'm using 19 and I still have the missing font issue.
MacOS Sonoma

AC27&26, Artlantis 2020, TwinMotion

Mac Studio M2 Max 2024
Dave Jochum
Advocate
genarch wrote:
Was this fixed for anyone in ArchiCAD 19? I'm using 19 and I still have the missing font issue.
It was not fixed in 19, though it seems to be fixed with the latest version of 20 (6005). No issue in 21, so I think we can finally lay this one to rest. (Not if you are still in 19, however.)
Dave Jochum
J o c h u m A R C H I T E C T S http://www.jochumarchitects.com
MBP 16" (M1 Max) 64 GB•OS 13.5.2•AC 27 Silicon (latest build)
genarch
Enthusiast
I just noticed the comment that the fix was "targeted for ArchiCAD 19" but I guess they missed... Sadly, I'm still on v19. I do a workaround, which I've been doing since v18, of printing to PDF. It works, but it doesn't have the convenience of the Publisher. It works, of course, by SKIPPING Graphisoft's PDF faulty engine and using Apple's 😉 Seems ridiculous to have to wait 2 versions for this to be fixed.
MacOS Sonoma

AC27&26, Artlantis 2020, TwinMotion

Mac Studio M2 Max 2024