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Help Using Inkscape => Inkscape Beginners' Questions => Topic started by: Sandstedt on August 27, 2017, 11:35:02 AM

Title: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: Sandstedt on August 27, 2017, 11:35:02 AM

I've used Inkscape 0.48 for a few years now and resisted the move to newer versions due to some issues with fonts.  I just downloaded the .92 version and noticed the fonts are displaying correctly on my work but they are not displaying correctly in the font selection preview window.  Is there a setting that I need to adjust?

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: brynn on August 27, 2017, 11:53:23 AM

Welcome to the forum!

When you say "font selection preview window" do you mean the dropdown menu from the control bar?  Or do you mean in the Text and Font dialog?

Also, could you be more specific about what's not correct?  Do you mean that you only see a list of the font names, without an example of what it looks like?  Or is it something else that's not correct?

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: flamingolady on August 27, 2017, 02:46:29 PM

I agree, some aren't displaying correctly.
I just did a test - have created a font myself and attempting to test it out in various places, so far Word and Inkscape just now.  Basically it's one font that I saved 7 various ways, taller, shorter, etc, but basically the same, so there were 7 file names. However, I had deleted 6 of them, so I can't figure out why Inkscape sill has 7 showing (can't figure how to delete them either, never had this problem).  Only one, the last one installed, showed up with my actual font previewed, the others showed as whatever default Inkscape uses.  Even stranger, when I went to c:\Windows\font, only the last one shows as being installed.  I even checked, and no fonts are hidden.  So not sure what is happening. 
I would suggest that you also go to c:\windows\fonts, and click on the font preview, just for comparisons sake. 

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: Sandstedt on August 27, 2017, 04:25:16 PM

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ] Brynn,

I believe it is in the Text and Font Dialog box you are referring to. Right below the section that allows you to center, left justify select font size, etc.  I'll try and explain as best I can...
I type the phrase I want to create  "2017 Bourbon Tour".  When I select some fonts like one of my  Edwardian script fonts it is displayed like a sans-serif looking font.

https://gyazo.com/17e101be917c56884fdbcbd62fd974c7

Yet when I select the the Edwardian font above it previews like it would if I were to apply that font...

But now that I've saved my work I've noticed two other quirky things as well.  I'll try and keep things focused though  :wink1:

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: brynn on August 27, 2017, 07:20:57 PM

Hhm yes.  There does seem to be a problem there.

If I use the dropdown menu from the control bar in the main window (not in the T/F dialog) to apply the font, and then I open T/F dialog, it is displaying the proper preview.  However, as soon as I to tried to change the text size, or change to a different font, it went back to....well, I'm not sure if it's changing to my default font, or something else.  Let's see if I change my default....

Oh, well now I've learned something else.  Some of the fonts do display previews there, and some don't.  For example, I have a font called Agent Orange.  When I change the font to that, the preview is showing.  If I change it to a different font (one called Algerian) it's showing some kind of simple (sans) font.  Another one called Black Jack, which is a script type of font is showing the preview.  But one called Chiller (which I think comes with Windows) doesn't.

I'll do some research into release notes and bug reports, and see what I can find.  There have been a lot of changes to fonts, in the last couple of Inkscape versions.  But hopefully I can find something helpful.

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: brynn on August 27, 2017, 07:41:26 PM

I found this report:  https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/+bug/932048
But unfortunately, it contains enough technical language that I can't determine whether we've found the same thing or not.  So I just put a link in a new comment there, and asked someone to have a quick look at this topic.

I'll add download links for some test fonts, as sooon as I find some. 

Edit

Unfortunately, I haven't always saved download links.  But here are a couple.

Preview is displayed:  http://www.1001freefonts.com/d/4866/billo.zip

Preview is not displayed:  https://fontzone.net/download/magneto-bold

Btw, I'm on Windows 7 Pro, 64-bit, Inkscape 0.92.2, 64-bit, 7z package

If anyone else has links to download fonts for testing, please add them here :)

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: brynn on August 27, 2017, 08:41:31 PM

But I think the bottom line for the issue reported, is that using the dropdown menu on the control bar is a good workaround.  Currently, there's very little features in the Text and Font dialog, which aren't also on the control bar in the main window.

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: flamingolady on August 27, 2017, 10:03:00 PM

Well I googled to see what comes up.  Found something interesting, but can't tell if it's related or not (it's from the IF forum, so hope it's ok to post here, if not please delete).  http://www.inkscapeforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=18770     I think this is my problem, but can't figure out how to delete the extra files.  Wonder if the older versions are messing up your previews too?  It might be worth a try for you to delete any old font versions.
 
Somehow Inkscape saves each version separately (it changes the name automatically).  I was going to delete the extra font files out of Inkscape, but can't figure out how.  The Win file mgr won't show the extra files in Inkscape - or, I haven't found where they are hidden.  That post says to use another file mgr, not sure what that means.   The  older versions of fonts aren't showing up in c:\windows\font either, and they aren't hidden, so not sure what to do.  I believe this is messing up my preview too. 

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: brynn on August 28, 2017, 01:08:00 AM

Oh gosh, I've never heard of a font cache.  But the way I read that wiki page, Windows doesn't have one.

I know that Linux and Mac systems can use font managers, which allow you to install fonts system wide, or only for certain programs.  Or maybe certain users, I'm not sure.  But I can see where a font cache could be helpful there.

I've looked in C:/...../share/fonts, for every version of Inkscape that I have.   But there's only 1 text file in all of them -- a cryptic README which say it's meant to be used with version 0.38!  (sort of a vestigial file I guess :-P)

I was looking through my fonts folder, to see if I might have any fonts installed twice.  But then I suddenly realized, Windows won't let me install the same font twice.  If I try, I get a little message box that says something like "FontX is already installed  - would you like to replace it - yes or no".

Where do you see the duplicate fonts, Dee?

Edit
(ps - it's fine to post outside links that go anywhere, as long as it's not spam :D)
I consider that the forums are not competing.  I see them as both working side by side to provide support for Inkscape.

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: Lazur on August 28, 2017, 02:31:21 AM

Quote from: brynn on August 28, 2017, 01:08:00 AM

Oh gosh, I've never heard of a font cache.  But the way I read that wiki page, Windows doesn't have one.

Haven't followed this topic from the start so it maybe offtopic but it's often repeated to newcomers that running up inkscape from a fresh installation the first time may take noticeably longer due to font caching.

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: brynn on August 28, 2017, 07:24:19 AM

Mmmmhh....  Yeah, off topic.  Because the caching of the fonts causes a delay in Inkscape opening.  By the time Inkscape finally opens, the fonts are all cached.

The "font cache" mentioned on the wiki page is probably something entirely different.  Because the delay in opening Inkscape for the first time is a one-time problem.  Once Inkscape opens it doesn't happen anymore.

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: flamingolady on August 28, 2017, 12:55:51 PM

Brynn, yes, I had also found that very same weird read me file about v .38, lol. 
The 7 files are only in Inkscape, and I didn't even know they existed until I was trying to duplicate the Orig Poster's (OP) issue. I created only 1 or 2 of them and did the 'do you want to replace' thing, and I thought I had only replaced files.  I had even gone back to the c\Windows\font dir many times and deleted all other versions, ending with only 1 font that shows now.  So, the questions are - what is Inkscape doing, how it is caching files, and why is it only showing in Inkscape when clearly it's no longer in the Win font dir?
Not knowing a lot about fonts - but more than I used to - I think it may be because the file name that one uses to create fonts with isn't necessarily the name that it ends up with - because (in fontforge for ex) the font is named internally.  There are places where you assign various names (I think it's ASCII code).  You assign family codes, font name, human name, etc.  I think I forgot to rename the internal font name, so when it uploaded into Inkscape, Inkscape saw that I already had that name used, and it issued it's own name. 
So now wondering if this could cause the previews to also be messed up?
I also checked my preview in Word, and now I have no preview for my font whatsoever!  At least Inkscape shows a preview.
update. Found this thread in launchpad.  Seems I'm not the only one with the issue.  got to be an Inkscape thing, but can't find where the extra fonts are really stored! 
https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/280412   

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: Sandstedt on August 28, 2017, 05:00:20 PM

So again big time newbie...Is there something that can be done or is this something I should report as a bug?  I also wanted to ask what it means when a font name has a red line through it?  In my post do you see Chunk Five how it has a red line through it?  Before when I selected it, it would not preview the font correctly.  Now that there is a red line thorough it but it does.

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: flamingolady on August 28, 2017, 10:06:02 PM

Sandstedt. I honestly don't know if this is a bug perse, or if it should be reportable, Brynn could probably best answer that one.  I was hoping someone could figure out where and how to delete the font cache/extra fonts/old fonts from within Inkscape, and give that a try before reporting it.  I've seen a few posts about this on various sites, but didn't see any real answers, that I could follow anyway. 
In the past I've noticed a red line too, forgot which font.  No idea what that means. I have Chunk five installed and there's no red line through it, and it works fine for me.  I did see where Inkscape may not (fully) install some fonts that it doesn't feel is stable enough (for lack of a better word). 
I really wanted to delete out some fonts, and re-install and see if my preview comes back correctly in Inkscape.  I don't recall this happening in older versions (I use .92).
I would say if Brynn (or others) doesn't have any answers, then report it.  If you come back and give us the link to it, we can support you.  Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

update - here's another thread at IF having the same issue with the font editor.  There's a link inside the thread that shows where they also had the red lines through several fonts.  Clearly Inkscape is not deleting fonts or showing proper previews.  http://www.inkscapeforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3792 

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: Moini on August 29, 2017, 02:58:53 PM

Fonts that are marked with a red strike-through line are used in the file, but not present on the system where the file is being edited.

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: Sandstedt on August 29, 2017, 04:42:20 PM

That's really odd cuz its right here in my Windows/Font file.
https://gyazo.com/dec998800e6c87c5d4d552125993b53e

Flamingo when you say provide a link.  What link are you wanting me to provide?  Where I got the fonts from that don't display correctly?   

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: brynn on August 30, 2017, 06:20:33 AM

I haven't had a chance to do very much research yet.  I only found one report (as I posted above) and posted a comment there.  But no one has responded.

At this point, my best advice would be to post a new bug report.  Here's some info about making bug reports, in case you've never done it before:  https://inkscape.org/en/contribute/report-bugs/  In your report, be sure and include a link to this topic.

Also, please post a link to your new report, in a new reply here.  Then one of us can follow up on your report, and add any extra info that might be needed.  Hopefully I'll have some time today, to follow through better.

Dee, as far as I can tell (from the links you provided), there is no font cache for Windows.  The topic on IF doesn't not describe the same problem as this.

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: brynn on August 30, 2017, 07:09:32 AM

Ok, I have some time now, so I'll start a new report.

Edit
Actually, I've now tested this with several different versions.  The first version I have (going back) which doesn't reproduce this, is 0.48.0.  So that probably means this is known and reported.

But I still made the new report anyway, if nothing else, to find out where the original report is.  I'll probably be scolded for doing that.  But at least we'll know :)

My new report:  https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/+bug/1714037

Edit #2
Meanwhile, you could just use the dropdown menu in the main window, instead of Text and Font dialog.

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: flamingolady on August 30, 2017, 02:46:12 PM

Sandstedt - Brynn provided the link - wanted the link to the bug reported to Launchpad.  Now we (including you and anyone else) can go directly there and click on the (green) link that is at the upper part of that post - and let them know that 'it also affects me too'.  the more people that are experiencing an issue, the more likely it is that someone will look at it. 

Brynn - I still want to know how to delete out the old fonts.  I want to find the Inkscape cache to see if that could help, I'm really clueless on how to delete them.  I'm getting quite a long list since I am continuously installing and reinstalling what I'm working on, and just can't figure it out.  So, I have Sandstedt's issue of the wrong preview plus the old fonts showing up. 

Title: Re: Font display question from a beginner
Post by: brynn on August 30, 2017, 08:46:31 PM

In theory, that's how it works, the more people who are affected or asking for a feature, the more likely it is to be either fixed or created.  But in actual practice, I'm afraid it doesn't always work that way.

But in this case, let's wait until we get a link to the original report.  Because after I tested, and found it goes back to somewhere between 0.48 and 0.91, I'll be shocked if it isn't aready reported.

Off-Topic: show

Dee, since the issue with "font caches" is separate  (well, at least it seems that way to me), let's go to off topic.  (It's the button that looks like "Ot" written in crayon, in case you didn't know.)  If it turns out to be a different bug, we'll start a new topic.

But I still don't understand where you are seeing these fonts.  Can you explain where you see them, or make a screenshot or something?  Also, what problem are they causing for you?