Text reflows when converting to PDF

[Mike Wickham]

> Per the thread noted below, DisplayUsingPrinterMetrics is set to ON in 
> the default maker.ini file. I don't quite understand the file note for 
> that setting
>

A printer can print fonts at 1200 dpi. The monitor is typically around 
96 ppi. So FrameMaker can't display the characters in the perfect 
location on screen. It can place the characters in a way that makes them 
best fit the pixels on screen (DisplayUsingPrinterMetrics=Off). 
Character spacing will be neater this way, but it may make the line 
lengths appear incorrectly. If your text is justified, you may actually 
see lines of text that extend beyond the right-hand border of the text 
box on screen (but not when you print). If your text is set ragged 
right, you may not notice the problem.

Or, FrameMaker can space the characters in a way that more closely 
resembles where the printer will place them 
(DisplayUsingPrinterMetrics=On). The line lengths will be right, but the 
kerning between characters (again, on screen only) will be a bit off to 
make that happen. It's your choice. I think the program default has the 
setting set to Off, but most people probably set it to On.

> what I see on-screen is the same as what prints on my local printer 
> but not the same as what appears in the PDF.
>

I think that's the hint to the source of your problem. You are probably 
using printer-resident fonts. Printers come with hard-wired fonts. The 
printer driver lets programs like FrameMaker see those fonts, display 
them as choices in font dropdown menus, display them on screen, and 
print them correctly to the local printer where the fonts are resident. 
But the fonts are not actually installed on the computer. So when you 
create a PDF, Acrobat cannot embed the fonts, and must substitute 
something else. The results are sometimes not noticeable. Other times, 
they are horrendous. To see if this is the case, look in your 
Windows\Fonts folder to see if the fonts are actually installed.

If not, the solution is to install the fonts on the computer. The 
installation disk that comes with the printer should have the fonts on 
it, available for manual installation on the computer. Simply find the 
fonts and follow the proper installation procedure for your version of 
Windows.

Mike Wickham