SSRS Custom Font errors during the PDF processing export

Benoit 21 Reputation points
2021-01-14T14:09:27.57+00:00

Dear all,

we use a custom font, and during the export process to PDF, we have an issue : we have some black & white squares :

56641-image.png

Do you have an idea, how to fix it?

I'm using SSRS 2021 , Standard version.

thanks a lot

SQL Server Reporting Services
SQL Server Reporting Services
A SQL Server technology that supports the creation, management, and delivery of both traditional, paper-oriented reports and interactive, web-based reports.
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  1. Joyzhao-MSFT 15,596 Reputation points
    2021-01-15T02:43:55.02+00:00

    Hi @Benoit ,
    Fonts that are used in the report must be installed on the report server. When the report server generates a report in PDF format , it uses the information stored in the font referenced by the report to create character mappings within the PDF file. If the referenced font is not installed on the report server, the resulting PDF file might not contain the correct mappings and might not display correctly when viewed.

    When a font is embedded in the PDF file, the computer that is used to view the report (the client computer) does not need to have the font installed for the report to display correctly.

    When a font is not embedded in the PDF file, the client computer must have the correct font installed for the report to display correctly. If the font is not installed on the client computer, the PDF file displays a question mark character (?) for unsupported characters.

    Differences in PDF output occur most often when a font that does not support non-Latin characters is used in a report and then non-Latin characters are added to the report. You should test the PDF rendering output on both the report server and the client computers to verify that the report renders correctly.

    Do not rely on viewing the report in Preview or exporting to HTML because the report will look correct due to automatic font substitution performed by the graphical design interface or by Microsoft Internet Explorer, respectively. If there are Unicode Glyphs missing on the server, you may see characters replaced with a question mark (?). If there is a font missing on the client, you may see characters replaced with boxes (□).

    The fonts that are embedded in the PDF file are included in the Fonts property that is saved with the file, as metadata.

    By the way: If the report contains Unicode text with Arabic numerals, or contains dates expressed in Arabic numerals, when you export the report to pdf format or print the report, these dates and numbers will not be rendered correctly.

    If the font was created by the user, Microsoft provides guidelines for creating TrueType and OpenType fonts and includes standardization text for successfully exporting in PDF documents:

    Developing Fonts: Overview

    For character marker symbols to work correctly with a font using Latin characters, the ISO-8859-1 character set requires that the font must cover characters 33 – 255 (with exclusion of characters 126 – 160). Fonts are limited to 188 characters per TrueType Font Family (ttf).

    If glyphs have been renamed internally, the change can cause major problems in a Latin Text font. This affects how the characters are mapped to the keyboard. If renamed, the glyphs return a value of “Not Defined”.

    It is not permissible to cross (intersect) contours. This is a large issue which is displayed in the screenshot below.
    56930-03.png
    Regards,
    Joy


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