Export PDF

users
#1

Cley,

I appreciate your comments. I don't know much about the various PDF formats
and don't know how I ended up with that format. For some reason I guess at
some time I thought it was the best generally readable format. I notice if I
uncheck that format it jumps to "Create PDF Form" with 4 format options.
Since I'm not making forms it seems as if that isn't the best option. Tagged
PDF seems to be the only option left. Is that the recommended format? The
help implies that the fonts are only imbedded in PDF/A-1a so does that mean
that someone opening a Tagged Format PDF may have problems if they don't have
the same fonts installed? I thought that wasn't supposed to be the case.

In testing I have just done, the PDF/A-1a came out as 89k, Tagged - 83k and
"Create PDF Form" using the PDF format ended up as 67k. I normally am looking
for the smallest size so as not to burden people with slow access speeds. All
three are readable in Acrobat as well as Preview on my Mac. There's no way I
can know what reader everyone will be using if there are any issues any more.
Any further comments are welcome.

Cliff

#2

that someone opening a Tagged Format PDF may have problems if they

Originally, only Tagged PDF was fully accessible, but a couple of changes during the finalization of the standard meant that PDF/A-1a is equally accessible.

Using "Forms in PDF" can confuse screen readers, and other accessibility tools.

the same fonts installed? I thought that wasn't supposed to be the case.

The default was that only "rare" fonts are included, and then only for the glyphs that are used.
Now, one has the option of including the entire font, regardless of how rare it is.
Including fonts can greatly increase the size of the PDF.

jonathon

#3

I create pdf files since 1997 and I tried almost every possible way to do so
(Linux or Windows softwares). LO does one of the best job!

If you want really small and efficient pdf, do the following :

Menu > Tools > Options > Fonts

and add these 3 substitutions (even if you don't have these fonts installed
on your PC):

Arial > Helvetica
Courier New > Courier
Times > Times New Roman

and check « Allways » in front of each substitution.

This way you will use the always included 35 Type1 Adobe fonts that every
pdf reader provides and uses. True, Times is not Times New Roman but closely
related. You can do, of course, the sames substitutions with the equivalent
Liberation fonts too, so Liberation Sans > Helvetica... etc. The Type1 fonts
to use are Helvetica, Courier and Times.

Try to create a pdf with these substitutions on and with substitutions off,
you'll be surprised how small your pdf can be when the ttf fonts are not
embeded. Don't forget that the substitutions are not possible if you embed
the ODF document in the pdf (hybrid pdf) because all fonts are then
embedded.

This is another option that should appear by default, with the « always »
choice unchecked but visible to give the user a real choice.

Raymond

#4

The big reason I use PDFs is the embedded font option. I tend to use a lot of "unique" fonts in parts of my creation of newsletters and other similar documents. I use specialty fonts for page numbers and accent items. So, since most users would not have these fonts installed, I have to embed them.

Yes, this makes the PDF files larger, but that can be helped.

Most times, with PDF files, users like to have the exact font and page layout. With larger documents, the difference between the user's fonts and the substitutions can add up to some "weird" differences in the page formatting on some of the pages. I found out this "the hard way" where the original document was 4 pages, but the PDF version ran over onto a 5th page. That would not work for a 4 page [11x17 inch folded sheets] newsletter.

Actually, I have an older Adobe font "library" of their TTF and OTF formats. Yes I have the Type1 versions, but I do not use that font format. So if I want Adobe fonts, I will use the Adobe fonts. Or, I could just use the "standard" fonts that are installed on Windows for my document fonts. No substitutions involved. BUT, I do not usually do that. I use the fonts I want to use and embed them into the PDF files. I have been doing that since PageMaker 7 days, or earlier.

#5

** Reply to message from r_ouellette <ray.ouellette@sympatico.ca> on Mon, 10
Feb 2014 12:10:19 -0800 (PST)

Raymond,

Thanks for the tip. I'm assuming that you are referring to the PDF/A-1a
format regarding the fonts being included in the PDF. The only one that makes
a real difference in appearance is Courier New is much lighter than Courier.
The other two are virtually identical, at least at 12pt so for most work
those substitutions would work fine.

Cliff

#6

The substitutions I suggested are for pdf using the most standard fonts,
fonts that don't need to be embedded.

In my day to day work, for letters, documents, it works great. Don't forget
that, by default, LO will embed 35% of the font (if I'm not wrong) unless
you choose PDF/A-1a where the font is completely embedded. The only font
never embedded are the 35 basic Adobe fonts (Helvetica, Courier, Times,
Webdings in bold, italic and normal weight) and the substitution trick makes
sure to use these font. When I use these Adobe fonts, I don't check the
PDF/A-1a box.

As for a pdf printer, quite often you will loose the different hyperlinks of
your document. The file send to the pdf printer must include the compulsory
pdf tags to create hyperlinks, so if your application didn't write the tags
you will get a flat pdf.

To conclude, forget the substitution trickk if you use PDF/A-1a or if your
pdf uses fonts that need to be embedded for the exactness of it's rendering.

Raymond