Printing Error

[BG]

We sometimes get printing errors when printing viewports on sheet layers. Part of the sheet will print only.

We get the following error message

ERROR: invalidfont

OFFENDING COMMAND: show

STACK:

( )

Has anyone else had this problem.

If we delete the text then it prints fine.

We use Arial font.

WinXP Pro VWA11.0.1

Thanks

BG

[Guest]

You most likely have another font on the computer that is corrupted and causing the problem. Most printers will download the whole fonts folder, not just the font used in a particular file.

Downloads.com may have a font utility that can check for corrupted fonts. The other option is to go into the fonts folder and look for fonts that are 0k and delete these (since they are corrupt). Also, make sure nothing non-font related is in the folder. If you have another folder within the fonts folder, either delete it or move it to another location on the hard drive.

[BG]

Hi Katie

This error has occured on numerous computers. When it does happen we have to delete various bits of text until we find the offending item. Sometimes it is a dimension, sometimes a drawing label, and sometimes text. The fonts used are always arial and if we delete the offending item and replace it with a "new" item it prints fine.

It is very strange and a BIG time waster. We suspect it is something to do with viewports as it didn't happen until Version 11 and doesn't occur when printing design layers.

Regards

BG

[Kevin]

As Katie suggests, it would be wise to get a font utility. It will check the integrity of your fonts and make sure that the proper components are there.

[Guest]

The error message is from your printer, not VectorWorks.

For more information, you can contact your print manufacturer, although I suspect they are going to tell you the same thing.

[Peter_NZ]

I have a client using Vectorworks on a PC running Win XP. She has been using the software for some time, and got one of the error messages (as per the start of this thread) this morning. Interestingly, she found that if she scaled down one of the viewports in particular, the problem went away. What does that mean? Also, what is the name of the font-checking utility on Download.com? I had a hunt thru today, but could find no free font-checking utils. Please advise. Thanks.

(P.S. I am tech-support for my client, not a user of Vectorworks: please excuse any "obvious" questions...)

[islandmon]

Remember Fonts are basically math. Note that VW11 is very sensitive to Font issues and to Font scaling ( as it must be). As far back as I can remember Fonts have always been a printer issue regardless of the application. Postscript is very particular about how fonts are calculated and drawn. To get around this most PS emulators just replace the font with courier and print...end of story.

Try>Print to PDF then open the file in Acrobat and see what it has to say.

Fonts of same name but different foundries or different versions often conflict. Also all Fonts have ID# and sometimes these numbers get corrupted. Run a good FontDoctor Utility and see what and how many problems there are.

[BG]

Hi Katie

We get the same error message whether printing to our A3/A4 printer or OCE Plan Printer or printing to PDF. So it is not a problem specific to 1 printer.

The latest drawing of mine affected has no text blocks - just a couple of drawing labels. Delete these and the drawing prints fine.

Tried changing the font of the drawing labels to a different font but still the error persisted.

What is a good font doctor utility and where can we get one.

Still don't understand why we only get errors occuring when printing drawings containing viewports?

BG

[BG]

Just to let you know, tried using various different fonts - still get errors.

But, if we place the drawing label directly on to the sheet layer, not within the viewport annotations "layer" the drawing prints fine.

BG