Embedding fonts in PDF output - is it possible?

[stephgl]

Before I embark on converting a large project to single-source for both press-quality PDF in addition to WebHelp, I need to know if I can embed all the fonts used in the print target into the PDF. I asked this at the MadCap Roadshow in San Jose, but the overall fabulous instructors didn't know offhand.

I'm used to all the authoring, editing, and layout happening in Word, and then generating a printer PDF directly from Word. From existing books I've been importing Word into Flare and creating corresponding WebHelp projects.

Going forward, I'd like to keep only the initial authoring and content editing in Word, then import those topics for formatting/layout in Flare, to output as both press-ready PDF and WebHelp.

BTW, I'm using Flare 6 and Adobe Acrobat Pro 8 at the moment.

Thanks in advance,
-Steph

[Nita Beck]

Hi Steph,

I regret that I must utter “It depends.” For PDF targets, Flare (or rather, Microsoft’s .NET platform on which Flare sit) does not play well with OpenType fonts that were invented by anyone other than Microsoft. So, if you’ve got some lovely corporate fonts that are Adobe OpenType fonts, they will not be reproduced in the generated PDF. You’ll either need to find an acceptable substitute font to use in Flare or you’ll need to output to Word and then generate the PDF from there using Acrobat Pro.

If, instead, you are using TrueType fonts, than you’ll probably have no problem getting them in the PDF.

There have been many posts in this forum that have touched on font issues in generated PDFs. Check out these:

Incorrect Fonts in PDF Target = http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... ype#p61702
Bug with True Type Fonts in Flare 6? = http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... ype#p60743
PDF output gotchas? = http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... ype#p57274
font problem = http://forums.madcapsoftware.com/viewto ... nts#p51889

[stephgl]

A thousand thank-yous, Nita!

I will do the reading then.

We have a single corporate font, which was created in-house, it is TrueType and so far is behaving reasonably well in Word > WebHelp and Word > PDF operations. That's the only one I'm concerned about, I can work around anything else!

-Steph

[Nita Beck]

You're welcome!

Given that the font is "home grown," I'd run some tests before I'd venture very far down the road. Be sure to try out the different variations of the font (bold, italics, bold italics), too. I've seen some squirrelly things in PDF output in which the regular type rendered just fine but the bold type or the green type ended up not rendering at all so there'd be these weird gaps, or none of the headings would show up. So, test, test, and test some more.