I need to output diagrams in EPS for screen viewing -- which will require it to be scaleable under resizing. What I've been trying to do is to export to PDF -- NOT converting the text to a path, and eventually I'd like to just use pdf2ps to convert the file, ensuring that fonts are properly embedded.

However, it seems that none of the unicode I'm using (greek letters) are being converted, properly when I output to PDF. The pdffonts output gives me,



The unicode symbols come out as gibberish. For example, the greek letter phi (U-03C6) is converted to "x6"

Help!

Can Inkscape embed fonts into a PDF? I know you can when saving as EPS from Inkscape, but such an option isn't present when saving as PDF.

Is there any reason why you would not want to convert text to path?

microUgly wrote:Can Inkscape embed fonts into a PDF? I know you can when saving as EPS from Inkscape, but such an option isn't present when saving as PDF.

I believe so. As you can see in the above code output, the fonts are definitely being embedded (there is, by the way, no "yes" under the unicode column -- I wonder if this is the problem). There are two PDF save-as options: "Save with transparency" and "Save with fonts and curves". Saving in the latter method gives you the option of converting text to path before you confirm.

Is there any reason why you would not want to convert text to path?

I don't believe the paths are as sharp as when the font is preserved when shrunken down, is it?

Theo Moore wrote:I don't believe the paths are as sharp as when the font is preserved when shrunken down, is it?

When text is converted to path it should be identical. Because fonts and paths are both vector, both will scale equally.

EDIT: I think some fonts have smarts that can adjust their presentation for smaller sizes, but I believe this is for use on screen, and has no effect when the font is used in an image. I don't think it matters when printing either.

microUgly wrote:

Theo Moore wrote:I don't believe the paths are as sharp as when the font is preserved when shrunken down, is it?

When text is converted to path it should be identical. Because fonts and paths are both vector, both will scale equally.

EDIT: I think some fonts have smarts that can adjust their presentation for smaller sizes, but I believe this is for use on screen, and has no effect when the font is used in an image. I don't think it matters when printing either.

Hmm...I've checked and there is definitely a difference between exporting to PDF using fonts-as-paths and using embedded fonts. It becomes quite pixelated using the fonts-as-path option.

This is a screen-display matter for a presentation. I know it usually doesn't matter in print.

Any more ideas?

Can other people try and see if they can get unicode into their PDF exporting as well? Perhaps this is a platform thing.

Theo Moore wrote:Can other people try and see if they can get unicode into their PDF exporting as well? Perhaps this is a platform thing.

Can you provide the SVG file? If not, what font and unicode are you using?

For reference, I see that fonts are clearer than paths in PDF. I don't have pdf2ps, does the font remain as clear when converted to EPS? I would think this might depend on the application used to view the file.

microUgly wrote:

Theo Moore wrote:Can other people try and see if they can get unicode into their PDF exporting as well? Perhaps this is a platform thing.

Can you provide the SVG file? If not, what font and unicode are you using?

For reference, I see that fonts are clearer than paths in PDF. I don't have pdf2ps, does the font remain as clear when converted to EPS? I would think this might depend on the application used to view the file.

I've used both Arial and Trebuchet MS.

Here is the SVG file.
Here is the PDF file WITH font.
Here is the PDF without fonts (text to path).

This might be a limitation related to your platform. On Windows XP I was able to produce the PDF perfectly - http://www.microugly.com/temp/innermatch.pdf (I assume the SVG you provided is meant to have a different layout and symbols to the PDF's you linked)

I don't think I'll be able to help much more than this. You might have to talk to the developers.

No, thanks.

I found a better workaround (basically a LaTeX extension on Inkscape) that deals with the unicode problem. But I appreciate the help and it's good I know the source of the problem at least.