Text Spacing (Kerning/Tracking) Settings Lost

**mvpdigital** · 02 March 2008, 10:02 PM

On my old system (win98, yes believe it or not), I used Xara Xtreme exclusively to create all my graphics. For instance, I created my company logo, which incorporates Scriptina Font for a tag line. I then used this logo in all kinds of graphic design templates. Well, by old system was on it's last legs, so I bought a new one (Win XP Pro), and transfered all my files over. Now when I open any of my old files (for instance. the ones with the logo), the spacing (kerning/tracking) is not honoured. This is very evident in the Scriptina example, as it is cursive, and so the text extends greatly beyond the old boundaries.

edit: I just noticed that the Scriptina text is Bold now as well, which was not the case in the original file.

I hope this makes sense.

Is there anything that I can do to maintain all my old file text spacing settings when I open them in Xara Xtreme on my new system? Why is this happening?

Cheers!

**Soquili** · 02 March 2008, 11:22 PM

I do not recall hearing of this happening before.

Do you have a file you would be willing to post so we can try to determine the cause of the problem?

**mvpdigital** · 03 March 2008, 12:47 AM

Sure,

I have attached a gif (text then.gif) of the graphic the way it looked in one of my old templates.

And the xara file (text now.xar) the way it opens it now. I am also attaching a gif of how it looks now (text now.gif), in case it opens properly in your xara application.

**steve.ledger** · 03 March 2008, 01:24 AM

I had to find and download the scriptina font as .xar files don't include them. I did note that by default your file loaded with the text attribute set to Bold on the info bar. I undid the Bold and now the fonts resembles your earlier picture.

**Soquili** · 03 March 2008, 01:24 AM

Could you post a .xar file that has the original kerning/tracking?

The file you posted before does not have the kerning/tracking as shown in your text before screen shot. Not on any of my systems in any version of Xara X(treme).

What I see on my systems is the default for the font. Is it possible you did not save the file after you adjusted the tracking?

**steve.ledger** · 03 March 2008, 01:27 AM

....well apart from the kerning that is

NOTE: I had to convert to editable shapes, ungroup twice and do some nudging in order to match the kerning you show in the 'before' shot. Perhaps this is what you did originally?

**Soquili** · 03 March 2008, 01:50 AM

By adjusting the Tracking the attached .xar has what appears to be the same as your before image.

Select the g in digital and change the tracking to -210.
Select the i after the g and change the tracking to -100.
Select the t in digital and change the tracking to -390.

**steve.ledger** · 03 March 2008, 01:57 AM

Yes Bills method will allow you to edit the text, though if you did, the kerning will change.
I see we have both missed the spacing with the 'es' in services.

**mvpdigital** · 03 March 2008, 02:58 AM

Sorry for the delay. I am not getting email updates of posts, although i have my Control Panel set for it?

It's a bit tricky, partly because of the fact that my old files were all created on another system, and because (as noted) the scriptina font is not readily available. So I appreciate people trying to help, regardless.

I know HOW to adjust the tracking (which is what I used originally, not kerning) to make the text look close to what it used to. But you have to understand, I have hundreds of different templates in all kinds of configurations, and it will take me forever to fix them all, and even then they will not be perfect.

I am trying to figure out why this has happened in the first place.

When I open the files on my old system (win98), they display properly. But those same files, when opened on my new system (win XP), lose all the text properties, or more accurately, change them (add bold, lose tracking settings). How is this info stored by Xara?

**mvpdigital** · 03 March 2008, 03:05 AM

Originally Posted by Soquili

Could you post a .xar file that has the original kerning/tracking?

The file you posted before does not have the kerning/tracking as shown in your text before screen shot. Not on any of my systems in any version of Xara X(treme).

What I see on my systems is the default for the font. Is it possible you did not save the file after you adjusted the tracking?

When I click "open", and highlight a graphic, the preview graphic shows the tracking as it should me. But when I open the file, it changes the Scriptina to 50 tracking and bolds it.

I will try to find some time to hook my old system back up and upload an xar file from there.