Xara Designer Pro 11 - Convert text to curves

[aimcleod]

Hi,

I have exported a logo to .PDF format and my printing company is asking me to convert text to curves. Corel Draw has this function. When they open my file in illustrator the text changes.

What is the best way to export a vector with text to be edited in illustrator?

Thanks,

Andrew

[MetalBuddha]

Hi Andrew, Have you tried converting the text to a shape before exporting as a pdf?

[mwenz]

In Xara products, what you want is to select the text and choose:



Why a decent printing company is opening a PDF into Illy for printing is beyond me in this day and age and should be using Acrobat at the least. Be that as it may, if they are needing to edit it or otherwise incorporate it in a design, then it is more or less understandable...

Mike

[mwenz]

BTW, this process is not reversable if the file is saved and closed. So make a copy of the logo on another page, or save a copy of the file and rename it.

[aimcleod]

Hi, thank you for the help. I did try convert to editable shapes and even made sure that each individual letter was converted by right clicking selecting Ungroup and the shape tool. No reply from the support ticket, the importing and exporting compatibility has always been a problem over the years. I thought that by purchasing the latest version I would be ok. The vector is to be included in other projects that is why they are importing into Illustrator.

Cheers,

Andrew

[mwenz]

No reason to ungroup per se. Is the file you converted the text to shapes the one you've sent to the printer?

[gwpriester]

Welcome to TalkGraphics

My understanding is you you export a PDF/X file the fonts you have used are embedded. Mike will know better than me if this is the case. I did several books last year and all the fonts I used printed just fine when the books were published via CreateSpace.

[aimcleod]

Yes it was. I have been using Xara Xtreme for years so I am not new at this. I don't have illustrator so I can't test the file myself.

[mwenz]

Feel free to upload the pdf. That said, if the text has all been converted to shapes, there is no live text to change from one font to another. Which is what I am taking your original post to mean.

Or do they mean something else? Does the logo have effects that will become bitmaps or something?

[mwenz]

Welcome to TalkGraphics

My understanding is you you export a PDF/X file the fonts you have used are embedded. Mike will know better than me if this is the case. I did several books last year and all the fonts I used printed just fine when the books were published via CreateSpace.

Embedding of fonts can happen regardless of the pdf ty0e, depending upon the settings in the profile and the embedding permissions in the font.

However, unlike most 3rd party PDF import/export routines, Adobe products use those permissions as to edit abilities. In general, whether converting to curves upon import or leaving the text live, one needs the font active on the computer that Illy is opening a pdf on.