PDF's, text turns to garbage on import

This is what the PDF looks like in PDF--
Attachment 365781

This is what I get when saved then imported into Corel...
Attachment 365776

Been doing this several times a year for 5 years, now all of a sudden, this crap. These have always come in vector format, I just resize the thing, change the font for the numbers and do a little tweaking if necessary. My customer isn't doing anything different. I tried this on another computer in case my new killer workstation here (LOVE this thing) is causing it, but the same garbage comes in. I'm using Corel X4, and FWIW, X3 says 'file corrupted' and won't open it at all.

The gobbledygook text IS text, and I can change the font, but the wrong characters remain...

I'm assuming then it's a PDF thing, and this same garbage text prints on my office printer with some PDF documents, usually tax forms. Just reprinting usually results in good text. But re-importing ain't helpin!

I'm using the newest PDF reader and Win7 to open these, I need to try to open it with an older version, then save it, and see what happens

In the meantime, if there's some stupid setting that needs changing anyone knows about, I'm all ears! Thanks in advance :)

>edit- kind of an odd thing I just noticed, if I ungroup all, 'select all text', then change the font, the font changes, but the font name in the window goes blank. Doesn't matter what font, it does change, then the font name whites out...

AND, I tried opening the original PDF in an older version then saved that- the import is still garbage...

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kev Williams

This is what the PDF looks like in PDF--
Attachment 365781

This is what I get when saved then imported into Corel...
Attachment 365776

Been doing this several times a year for 5 years, now all of a sudden, this crap. These have always come in vector format, I just resize the thing, change the font for the numbers and do a little tweaking if necessary. My customer isn't doing anything different. I tried this on another computer in case my new killer workstation here (LOVE this thing) is causing it, but the same garbage comes in. I'm using Corel X4, and FWIW, X3 says 'file corrupted' and won't open it at all.

The gobbledygook text IS text, and I can change the font, but the wrong characters remain...

I'm assuming then it's a PDF thing, and this same garbage text prints on my office printer with some PDF documents, usually tax forms. Just reprinting usually results in good text. But re-importing ain't helpin!

I'm using the newest PDF reader and Win7 to open these, I need to try to open it with an older version, then save it, and see what happens

In the meantime, if there's some stupid setting that needs changing anyone knows about, I'm all ears! Thanks in advance :)

>edit- kind of an odd thing I just noticed, if I ungroup all, 'select all text', then change the font, the font changes, but the font name in the window goes blank. Doesn't matter what font, it does change, then the font name whites out...

AND, I tried opening the original PDF in an older version then saved that- the import is still garbage...

.

.

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Try embedding the fonts when you save the PDF.

since I've never had to do that... Attachment 365789

( ;) )

>edit> this is the PDF's font properties, not sure what else to do, or have my customer do?
Attachment 365791

Kev
No help here but I've never been able to use Adobe Reader on my Win 7 Pro machine. I use Corel Fusion for PDF's.

When you at loading the PDF into Corel is there a pop up that says it will substitute fonts?

open with Text or Curves ?

I can't help with this specific problem, but I've run into many incompatibilities during in my computer graphics career over the years. Digital video file formats were especially troublesome a few decades ago.

If one of the software programs is misbehaving one "classic" thing to try is to load the file into some other software and if it loads OK save a copy from there. Occasionally to find a compatibility solution I have resorted to installing and loading into different versions.

If he has not already, you might ask the client to try loading it back into his software to see if the file is corrupted, save it again, or use the "save as" option in some packages to save as a different version.

JKJ

Looks like the font is embedded. And a simple font. Adobe has moved a LOT of processing to online. They want you to have a subscription and pay, and pay. So I'd ask the customer from what program did they save the file. Adobe, or a drawing program.

My customer did mention in his original email "My Draftsite is having problems, so I hope these files work." And the ones he sent today are the same way.

Also, when I opened the PDF in an older Reader version, I also did it on an XP computer, same results. So I'm assuming it's on my customer's end. And he hasn't responded back yet, so..............

And yes I get the option of opening in text or curves- and it DOES change it to curves, but it's the same garbage text! I want it in text format anyway so I can just change the fonts and not re-type everthing...

...which it looks like I'll be doing anyway.

Can you attached the pdf file or send it to us PM.

Mark

The problem here is that the text is being encoded as UTF-8, or some similar encoding, but your software isn't making use of the correct encoding when opening it up.

One way to fix this is to open the file in both an editor and a PDF reader, then copy-paste the text from the PDF reader into the editing application.

Or, convert all the type to paths and accept the loss of hinting.

I have had 'file corrupted' a number of times recently from different customers. The only solution that I found is to use and old computer that has an old version of Adobe Acrobat. I can open the file with that program and resave it. It will then it will open in Corel Draw.

Not a graphics pro so take this for what it cost you. My first thought was using Foxit or another alternative instead of Adobe's reader. The second thought was to use some flavor of pdf/a if everyone's software reads and writes it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF/A

Thanks to all who participated in this thread- As it turns out, this is an issue on my customer's end- he picked up his parts yesterday and said that others at his work are having the same types of problems. From what I gather, he's creating the PDF online, and while simply viewing the PDF on any Adobe program seems to work, trying to open it or download it into another program doesn't. Hopefully it's not some greedy form of security measure Adobe is adding. I notice their new interface has more things for sale on it than Amazon...

Quite a time has passed, but yet it's nice that the issue has been figured out that easily. I actually didn't get what tool to view and edit PDF you used exactly, because that's tricky how the very document displays well with every notable application but not with built-in Windows reader. But if you're still experiencing such issues I suggest you fix them manually with the editor like this https://w9.pdffiller.com or related like Adobe Acrobat or Sumatra. Yes, it seems to take more time, but it's the only solution that works for keeps