JulietaUla/Montserrat

character stacking when printing "fi"

dukeo332 opened this issue · 11 comments

dukeo332 commented

When printing web-based content (noticed first in google docs) in Montserrat font to our konica printers, if there is a lowercase "fi", the i will stack on top of the f and appear as if it is missing.
SKM_C368fifi.pdf

Problem does not replicate on windows device, but does from Macs and Chromebooks.
Problem does not replicate when sent to Lexmark printer, only our Konicas
Problem does not replicate when using Montserrat static system font in Word or Adobe, only on webpages

parishadmin56 commented

I have this problem also. It is a big problem because we use this font on all our communications!!! Did anyone ever get back to you? I have literally the IDENTICAL problem, and also tested on other printers, Word, and Adobe. Hoping for any help at all!!!

dukeo332 commented

I have this problem also. It is a big problem because we use this font on all our communications!!! Did anyone ever get back to you? I have literally the IDENTICAL problem, and also tested on other printers, Word, and Adobe. Hoping for any help at all!!! @parishadmin56

I never found a real solution.
No response here.
Konica passed the buck to our reseller who had no way to resolve it.

Best workaround I came up with is to change font on just the character i, which no one would notice and allowed everything else to remain in Montserrat. But that's a hassle - a big hassle in some documents.

It is enough of a problem for us, that we'll probably move away from the Konica printers at next refresh unless the problem is resolved before then. I keep hoping for a driver update that happens to resolve it.
I'd move off users off Montserrat if it was up to me. There are plenty of other font choices. But it's not up to me, it's one of our 'official' fonts chosen by a branding committee

kenmcd commented

I have this problem also. It is a big problem because we use this font on all our communications!!! Did anyone ever get back to you? I have literally the IDENTICAL problem, and also tested on other printers, Word, and Adobe. Hoping for any help at all!!!

Are you using the .ttf fonts?
Some printers have an issue with properly printing fonts which use components.
The fi ligature uses the f and an i as components to make the ligature.
Only fonts with TrueType outlines (.ttf usually) can use components.
Fonts with PS outlines (.otf usually) cannot use components (so they do not have them).
So try the .otf fonts - those may work.

Note: There is nothing wrong with the .ttf fonts.
The problem is in the printers.

parishadmin56 commented

That is super helpful although i lack the knowledge to implement. will google all this stuff.

dukeo332 commented

@kenmcd
Thanks for response.
I agree it is the printer's fault more than the font. Documents print fine when sent to printers other than our Konica. They even work fine on the konicas if sent from windows rather than unix (mac/CrOS) devices, so I think it's more specifically the driver.

The problem is only from webpages though (such as google workspace documents). I think that something to do with variable fonts vs. static, and I don't see an option to install OTF vs TTF Montserrat in Google docs.

I actually do have TTF Montserrat install in my Mac's font book, and it seems to work fine when used from Word or Adobe.
It's only when I print it from a webpage (including google workspace, which is our goto) that I have the problem.

kenmcd commented

That is super helpful although i lack the knowledge to implement. will google all this stuff.

The .otf fonts are also in the release package.
Un-install the .ttf fonts.
Re-start Windows (to make sure the font cache is cleared).
Re-install the .otf fonts.
See if that now works.

If the issue is in fact that the printer has issues with components,
this should fix it.

juandelperal commented

Hi @dukeo332
Does this problem still persist?

dukeo332 commented
moyogo commented

This is because fi uses nested components. It it composed of f and i, and i is composed of idotless and dotaccentcomb.i. Some printer drivers or shapers do not handle nested components (with more than 1 level of components) properly and only manage with flat components (with only 1 level of components.

Note: OTF cannot have components, so everything is flattened to outlines when generating OTF, whereas TTF can have components.

The config.yaml currently has flattenComponents: False. Setting it to true would fix this.

  • 🚀1
juandelperal commented

Thank you @moyogo

We are adding this now, so the next release will with all components flattened.

  • 🎉1
dukeo332 commented