Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 22427
Poor inter-character spacing in Arial font
Last modified: 2017-05-20 11:29:33 UTC
I have attached a couple of documents. One is an OOo presentation, the other is a PDF generated from Powerpoint under windows. Both contain the same line in Arial, and the spacing between the characters is much more consistent in the powerpoint version. Worst examples: 'rs' in 'managers', r is too close to the s 'Man' in 'managers'. a is closer to the m than it is to the n 'Mul' in 'Multiple', too much space around the 'u' FreeSans (bottom line of the OOo file) seems fine.
Created attachment 11234 [details] OOo Impress file showing font bug with Arial font (middle line)
Reassigned to Christian.
Created attachment 11235 [details] PDF file generated from MS PowerPoint, showing Arial font working correctly
I can't reproduce the bug. I think the nug depends on fonts which are not available on linux. Please tell me if you have the used fonts on linux and windows.
I checked with 1.1.0 German version WIN XP: 645m19(Build8693), result WFM Reporter, can you pls. add some more information: Do you see that problem in all OOo components or only in Impress? Really only with ARIAL or also with other fonts? Can you add a screenshot? Rainer
It's been three months now, so I don't really remember why I thought this was a problem. Looking at it again it's not that bad, although it's not perfect. Looking closely at the PDF made from PowerPoint, that's not perfect either. At one point I had a _very_ bad example (which my boss was quick to seize on as a reason not to use OOo) but I haven't been able to duplicate it. I have only seen this with Arial, and it seems to be better in Writer. Setting 'use printer metrics' seems to be better also. I have attached screenshots showing what I get in Impress and Writer (both without 'use printer metrics').
Created attachment 12984 [details] Screenshot of Impress
Created attachment 12985 [details] Screenshot of Writer
I see your problem in _oo_font_bug_screen_writer.png', in the third line it looks more like "Multi ple" than like "Multiple", so NEW. "gsl" because effect is visible in various OOo components. I can't reproduce the problem with WIN, seems to be LINUX only. Do you see the problem also if you use non bold ARIAL? Can you please check whether hints are helpful and rlevant for you in issue 18276, issue 12820, issue 7287, <http://www.openoffice.org/FAQs/fontguide.html>? Rainer
cp: please provide the information requested by cgu on Jan 8th. cp->fme: please have a look, I think character spacing in writer is your black art
FME->CP/HDU: Character spacing in writer may be my black art, but character spacing in the edit engine is definitely not. If we use the virtual device for text formatting, the characters on the screen are positioned depending on 1) the positions (text array) the virtual device gave us and 2) the positions (text array) the output device (screen) gave us. If these text arrays differ very much, the output may look somewhat distorted, but since the problem is 1) platform depending and 2) even worse in the edit engine, I doubt that this is a Writer problem.
I have Arial font under Linux I think, it appears in the OOo font menus. Non-bold example attached.
Created attachment 12992 [details] Screen shot of Impress with non-bold fonts
HDU->RobAlexander: Can you confirm that it looks better when you enable the checkbox in "Tools -> Options -> Presentation -> General -> Use Printer Metrics..."?
Created attachment 12996 [details] Screen shot from Impress using printer metrics
I've added a screen shot with Use Printer Metrics set. It's certainly _different_, whether this is better I'll leave to you to judge....I seem to have lost my eye for this.
I'd say it looks better => the better the reference device the better the formatting. When displaying some text with a zoom level other than 100% when the text has been formatted with a 100% means one pixel per formatting unit, some rounding problems are expected. HDU->CL: Please use a high resolution reference device also for printer independent formatting. I think you already have an issue for this?
Andrè, please find out which resolution should be use. preferable the same as in writer
Accepted.
Reset assigne to the default "issues@openoffice.apache.org".