Question
Answer and Explanation
To embed fonts into a PDF using Ghostscript, you need to use the -dPDFSETTINGS option along with other options that ensure the fonts are embedded correctly. Here’s a breakdown of how to do it:
1. Basic Font Embedding:
The simplest method involves using the -dPDFSETTINGS=/prepress or -dPDFSETTINGS=/printer option. These settings typically handle font embedding adequately for most scenarios. The /prepress option is recommended for higher quality output.
Example command:
gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dPDFSETTINGS=/prepress -o output.pdf input.pdf
- Replace input.pdf with the name of your input PDF file and output.pdf with the name you want to give the output file.
2. Explicit Font Embedding (When Necessary):
- Sometimes, the /prepress setting might not be sufficient, especially with specific or non-standard fonts. In such cases, you might need to add explicit font embedding options.
- Use -dEmbedAllFonts=true to force embedding all fonts, and -dSubsetFonts=false to prevent subsetting fonts, ensuring the full font is included, which can help with better font handling in other PDF tools.
Example command:
gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dPDFSETTINGS=/prepress -dEmbedAllFonts=true -dSubsetFonts=false -o output.pdf input.pdf
3. Dealing with Specific Fonts:
- If certain fonts still don’t embed properly, check if the fonts are available in the Ghostscript's font path. You might need to include additional font paths using the -sFONTPATH option.
4. Understanding Options:
- -sDEVICE=pdfwrite: Specifies that the output should be a PDF file.
- -dPDFSETTINGS=/prepress or /printer: Configures various settings for PDF output, including font embedding. /prepress is better for high-quality outputs, while /printer is suitable for normal printing.
- -dEmbedAllFonts=true: Forces all fonts to be embedded in the PDF.
- -dSubsetFonts=false: Prevents fonts from being subsetted, ensuring the full font is included.
- -o output.pdf: Specifies the output filename.
- input.pdf: Specifies the input PDF file.
5. Checking if Fonts are Embedded:
- After processing, use a PDF viewer to inspect the PDF properties to verify that all fonts are embedded, typically under the “Fonts” tab of document properties in Adobe Acrobat or other PDF readers.
By using these methods, you can ensure that your PDF documents will display correctly across different devices, even if the fonts aren't installed on the viewer's machine. Always test the final output to verify that fonts are rendered as expected.