[-Q-]

Not so much a design question as a font question.

I'm attempting to join multiple PDF files (created from web pages using Apple's Preview) into one archive. Things were going well until I get to certain documents that give me the following error:

"These documents contain subset fonts that have the same name and cannot be merged."

What is a subset font? Any suggestion for merging these PDFs?

Thanks!

Q

[godzookie2k]

Why apple's half ass PDF creation tools desperately need a *real* version of distiller, Reason # 2137192874837

http://www.prepressure.com/pdf/info/fonts.htm


Basically a subsetted font is a way to embed a font without beefing up the filesize too big by only embedding characters that are used. Merging two documents with subsetted fonts forces *one* of the subsets to be used, not guaranteeing that *all* characters of the font will be there. Basically, if you merge the two pages, on the page you will be adding, you'll be missing random characters. Try using the *real* Acrobat (not reader) and merging the documents that way, I think it is a smarter program than preview. If that doesn't work, most adobe software imports pdf just fine, you could import the documents into an indesign document probably. OR rasterize the PDF in Potatoshop and save as a Photoshop PDF.

[bluedog]

Rasterized PDF in photoshop?!? The files will either look pixelated or be huge in size (which negates the exact reason many prefer PDF formats)

Your best bet is to use Acrobat official version.

If not, I'd recommend recreating your PDFs from the original files when possible.

By putting several together you may actually have larger files than necessary. Your encountered issue highlights the fact that it puts all the embedded fonts into the pdf and at least in version 4 of Acrobat it would leave you with several copies of the same font if it got a different embedded name.

If your purpose is simply to archive these documents, then go ahead, but for web use or if space is an issue the best bet is to compile your documents when you make the PDF. (put all the stuff you want together into one document for creation).

[BuonRotto]

Try PStill.

[-Q-]

Thanks for all the responses.

And thanks, godzookie2k for clearing up the subfont definition.

My apologies for not being more clear in my original post. The error message regarding the subfont issue was received in Acrobat 5. The original creator of the PDF files was Preview and I was attempting to join them into one large archive (defintely for archival purposes, they're reports of direct mail campaigns that were conducted) with an TOC for easy navigation. Attempting to join the files was where I received the error.

The problem with assembling the document before converting to PDF is that the reporting system ultimately outputs the final report as an HTML document, making appending the other reports problematic (and I've currently found no way to make it add one report after the other, but that may just be an ID 10 T error rather than a system limitation ).

Thanks again for the feedback. I'll give PStill a shot if I can't build the reports before conversion.