Hi. I had tried to get some info on this problem on the beginners' board, but the problem only arises when the graphic is inserted into a Word document. I created a vector graphic in Inkscape and saved it as an eps. The text in the graphic remains as intended in the svg and eps formats, but when the eps is inserted into a Word doc, the text switches to a different font. I've tried using different fonts, but they switch the same font. Does anyone know how to resolve this?

Many thanks. Best wishes 

Mike

Hhmm, I don't know.  If you're on a different computer when you open Word and insert the image, maybe that computer does not have that font installed on it? 

Or else possibly Word somehow does not have this font available to it.  In a separate Word document, are you able to find that font in the menu?

One solution would be to convert the text to paths in the SVG or EPS file.  Then Word won't recognize it as text, and can't change it.

Hi. Thanks Brynn. It's all on the same computer, and the fonts that it switches from are all available to, and otherwise useable in,  Word - this is why it's so puzzling. If I convert the text to paths when I save to eps, do you know if this affect final print quality.

Thanks again. Best wishes

Mike

No, it should not affect the print quality at all, to convert the text to path.  You would not be able to tell the difference by just looking at the image.  It would be virtually identical, visually.

Well....with the exception very small size text.  When I think of someone using text in an SVG file, I tend to think of large text, like titles or posters.  But if this is a lot of small text, like a few paragraphs or even a page of small text, it's possible you might be able to notice a difference, if you look very closely.  (But then, I'm not sure why you would put a page of small text in an image file, within Word, when Word could more easily create the small text.)

I guess it can't hurt to try it, with a test file, though.

However, the original problem is very curious!  There must be some reason for it.  But I have no idea where to look.  Possibly it's a bug, with one program or the other.

brynn

When I think of someone using text in an SVG file, I tend to think of large text, like titles or posters.  But if this is a lot of small text, like a few paragraphs or even a page of small text, it's possible you might be able to notice a difference, if you look very closely.  (But then, I'm not sure why you would put a page of small text in an image file, within Word, when Word could more easily create the small text.)

A significant number of Inkscape users put charts and annotated diagrams into documents, particularly in the scientific community.

I suggest using a copy of the svg saved as WMF or EMF.

More info here: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/support-for-eps-images-has-been-turned-off-in-office-a069d664-4bcf-415e-a1b5-cbb0c334a840

Have a nice day.

TD

Hi Brynn. Thanks - yes it is just 12pt text so quite small. It's labels on diagrams. I'll try and print a copy but suspect it will make the text noticeably heavier.

Hi Tyler. Thanks. Unfortunately, when I save it as a wmf it only shows in the document as a thumbnail when I insert it, and Word doesn't seem to recognise emf. I'll check out that link now.

Thanks again both. Best wishes

Mike

Hi again Tyler. According to the article you gave a link for, my Word document should accept emf, wmf and svg, so I'll give those a try tomorrow. Thanks again.

I've had that issue with Word, but I'm using a really old version - my issue turned out to be due to Word and not Inkscape.  I ran out of memory and Word closed off many of my fonts, and then Word was/is a bit unstable.  I suggest you also go to a Word forum and ask. 

Hi Flamingolady. Yes my version of Word is quite old and has never been updated. According to the article linked above, an updated Word doc wouldn't even accept an eps, but will accept an svg, which would be ideal. Will post how I get on later.

Thanks for your input. Best wishes

Mike

Hi Mike,
I thought it was only the newest version of MS Office that accepts svg files. And then only if you have the pay-per-year version, what is it called..
Office 365 or something like that.

But you can always make a vector image without the text and import it in Word. And than, in Word, add that text on top of it.
Or just, as Brynn already suggested, save to eps and convert to paths. Paths are vectors, always sharp when you print them, but you cannot change the text afterwards.

Hi. Thanks Kirstie. According to the link in Tyler's post Word 2016 and 2019 will also accept svg. I've ordered a single pc code for 2019 from a dealer on Amazon, so I'll give that a try. Unfortunately, adding text to diagrams in Word would be very difficult due to the nature of the diagrams - e.g. some text follows a circular or eliptical line on a diagram, plus other complications. I'll definitely test out turning text to path, though, if I can't get Word to accept svgs, especially as Word apparently no longer accepts eps. Will come back to this thread with an update when I've got somewhere.

Thanks again. Best wishes

Mike

Hi again. Yes, you are right Kirstie - only Word 365 will accept SVG images. I did a free trial of Office 365 and it does work as long as you drag and drop into the page (rather than use 'insert'). But the print quality wasn't good - the font was heavier and less clear, as though it had been outlined by Word. So after much denial and wasted effort, I have resigned myself to using Indesign as my typesetting software, so that once I've redrawn all my diagrams in vector format, I can be sure that the print quality will be perfect.

Thanks again to all who helped on this thread. Sorry for creating extra admin, Brynn. Best wishes

Mike

Hi Mikeey,

Well this time I am sorry to hear that I was right. It would have been easier for you if it had worked.

If you have Indesign, that is very good software of course.

Free open source office software is LibreOffice, which can easily import svg and other formats too, like older wmf vectors etc.
As I don' t have the money for Adobe software, I always use LO and I am every time pleasantly surprised by the versatility of it.

Thanks Kirstie. I'm downloading LibreOffice to have a look. If it's simpler than InDesign (e.g. no master pages and extra text boxes for page numbers, as in Word), then it will suit me better. And I could do without the extra cost of an Adobe subscription.

Should have said SVG in my previous post rather than EPS, so I'll edit that now.

HI Mikeey,
As you have decided on trying LO, I have done some tests with fonts.
It works best if you save your files in Inkscape as svg (always as a backup) and as a pdf*.
In LibreOffice you can open and work in that pdf file, in LO Draw.

*And yes, pdf files also work with vectors. Only filtereffects, such as blurring, will be rasterized. But that is always the case.

LibreOffice eats all kinds of extensions, but pdf is the most consistent.
Good luck man.

Hi. Thanks, that's really helpful. I tried LO and my three hundred page Word manuscript dropped straight in (almost - need to re-do page numbers). I was amazed!

Well that's very nice! I have to say, you can import vector files in LO Writer, which is what you're working in when you open your Word doc.

But I've found out that I was too optimistic about the font-thing in LO.
Here the fonts only shows up in LO Draw. And that only after a lot of fiddling.

Do you want to be able to edit the text in your vector file? Or is it OK to just have sharp vectors?
Because then, in Inkscape, you can convert text to paths (always do this on a copy and save your original svg with editable fonts).
Then you can easily import the svg files into LO Writer.

So, look in my next post 😅 😁

Sorry, it is quite complex. The vector editing in office programs is not yet grown up I think.

I have found out the importing svg files does work, with fonts. BUT...
You have to use normal text. That means, not flowed text.
That somehow makes sence. -Sigh of relief-

Hi Kirstie. I've tried inserting a pdf (created in Inkscape) into LibreOffice but it prints quite fuzzy - especially the text. I tried the same thing in InDesign and the text in the diagram is just as clear as some text I typed beneath it. I couldn't get LibreOffice to display a wmf or emf version. Do you know if there something I should change in the settings of LibreOffice so that the pdfs print as clearly as they do in InDesign? Even my original 300 dpi diagrams are pretty clear in Indesign when I save them as pdfs in Photoshop and then print them in InDesign documents. (It was the poor print quality of these pixal images - inserted into Word before the whole manuscript was converted to pdf for Amazon - that forced me to embark on this search for a better option). But I can't get anywhere near the same print quality in LibreOffice, even with pdfs.

I'll also try inserting svg images into LibreOffice before I give up on it. Some of them have text on paths, but I don't think that's the same as flowed text, is it? 

Not trying to throw a wrench into anything, but just wondering how many pages of text do you have?  I'll usually type my text in Word and then copy and paste it into Inkscape.  Would that be feasible at all?  Just a thought.  If you already have a remedy, please disregard, this is just what I do and it works for me.

Hi. Thanks Flamingolady. The text in the diagrams is very sparse- one or two words here and one or two words there. The main body of text has been fine when I've turrned the manuscript into a pdf in Word, but I've only managed to get the diagrams to print well in the final pdf when using InDesign. Other ways of doing it yield grainy and fuzzy lines and text to varying extents. Even the ways that give relatively reasonable quality thicken the text, as though it has been outlined. I've been surprised by how not-joined-up the world of file formats is :(

Hi Mikeey,

There are several questions, I think.

1. If you directly import your svg file, does your text show up in LO? If so, it is OK.
   Normal text in Inkscape means, that you use the texttool and just click somewhere and type.
   That is the best way of making text.
   If you want to know more about this, there is this good manual that explains it all:
   http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html/Text-Creating.html
2. If your text does not show up, you could convert text to paths in Inkscape.
   Always do this on a copy, so you still have the original file for editing the text.
   That converted-to-paths-file should render correctly in LibreOffice.
3. If you zoom in in LO, does your imported vector design still look sharp?
   Because if so, the problem with the fussiness lies somewhere later in the process.
4. You could try going to
   menu > tools > options > LibreOffice > Print
   Make sure that you do not reduce the print quality of bitmaps.

It always takes some effort to let these programs and files do what you want them to.
But once it works, you can happily save a lot of money. Try multiplying the fee for other software by 12 months and then by 10 years. :-)
That's why I always use open source software!

Hi Kirstie

I gave up on Office365 and cancelled the trial subscription because none of the options for importing images into Word 365 give better print quality than importing an eps (saved from Inkscape) into Word 2010 (which is old enough to allow eps files). I'm sending off for a very small proof to see how this looks when KDP have finished with it, and if the image comes back looking OK, then that's an option - redrawing my diagrams as vectors in Inkscape and then inserting them into Word 2010, and then saving the manuscript to pdf in Word. This won't give quite as perfect print quality as inserting images into InDesign, which somehow manages to not change the text at all. (Even the original bitmap images look quite good when saved as pdfs and inserted into Indesign before printing.) Doing the Word-esp thing makes the text slightly heavier - it does this for cases where the font can be embedded as well as cases where text has to be converted to paths. But using Inkscape and Word 2010 means no outlay and no need to learn how to use InDesign. As far as I can see so far - after limited experiments with LO, it has the same limitation as Word, and will not leave text that is within a diagram looking exactly the same as the same font used in the main body of text. If you know of a way to create a vector image and insert it into LO in such a way that the text looks the same as if it has been typed into LO, then that would be great to know, but as far as I can see, it can't be done.

Many thanks for your input. Best wishes

Mike    

KDP ??   Kindle Direct Publishing?

Changing the text to path should work.

Hi Brynn. It did work when I converted text to patgs but it made the text a little heavier, and because the text is only 11pt the difference between that and the typed text can be seen. When the proof comes back from Kindle Direct Publishing, hopefully the superior quality of their printer compared to mine will mean that it looks fine.

Best wishes

Mike

Hi Mikeey

So if you export to pdf, it is the same as with printing. The export settings are important.
If the test result turns out sharp, that is fine.

But as you are indeed printing a complete book, perhaps it is best to stick to Indesign, if that gives you the best results.
It can be done with an Office Suite, but is a job in itself to make sure that everything is perfect for professional printing.

Good luck with all the finishing touches!

Thanks Kirstie. I've chosen Crimson Pro Light for the main text, and also for the text in the diagrams, so a slight thickening of the text in the diagrams may look fine (rather than using a normal weight and then having it turn out semi-bold in the diagrams). Apart from the issue with the text in the diagrams, Word 2010 is perfect for me, as it's so easy to use - for example letting me put page numbers etc exactly where I want them more easily than with InDesign, and it makes referencing, cross-referencing and navigation so simple. So I've just got my fingers crossed that the sample proof will come back looking good, and I can get on with finishing up. Thanks to you and everyone else for taking the time to contribute to this thread, and helping me narrow my options down.

For those also struggling with this type of issue, who come across this thread in the future, my understanding is that software such as Word and LibreOffice can't accept a vector image without doing something with the text which changes the appearance of the text, and which in some cases involves changing the font itself. This seems to happen even when the font is embedded and the software can work with the font. But InDesign seems to accept the images without changing the text in any way. If InDesign is too pricey or complicated, and if the changes to text are acceptable then Word or an open source porgram like LibreOffice may be the better option. Newer versions of Word won't accept eps, which is a shame as it worked well for me in Word 2010. You can do a simple test where you type text in the graphic software, insert the graphic into, say, a Word document, and then type the same font directly beneath it. The document can then be saved as a pdf and printed to see if there is any difference. Often the difference on the screen is much greater than the differnce in the printed copy, so it's worth doing a print test. The eps graphic that I inserted into a Word 2010 document looked terrible on the screen, but looked fine once printed. And of course if it's ultimately going to be printed professionally, their print quality will probably be better than what you can achieve at home. (Others with more experience may want to correct these thoughts).

Best wishes

Mike

I can't speak to the issues you mentioned with the different programs.  But for Inkscape itself:

mikeey

It did work when I converted text to patgs but it made the text a little heavier,

Possibly there was a stroke on the text?  And if so, it could be removed.

Hi Brynn

The KDP proof sample came back today. The difference between the text typed into the document and the text that was part of the graphic is marginal - less than in the stuff I printed at home - so I'm happy with using Inkscape for the vector images, saving as eps and then inserting into Word, before converting to pdf for KDP.

It did look like the text in the diagram had been stroked, but if so, I'm not sure at which point in the process I could reverse or prevent that. Something that is possibly relevant is that when I used the Carson Libra font in an image in Inkscape, the font remained the same when I selected the embed font option when saving to eps, so I didn't need to convert the text to paths - but the text still got slightly heavier.

But in any case, if you know of a way to remove or prevent any stroke that may have been added somewhere along the way, I'd certainly like to give it a try.

Thanks for your continuing input. Best wishes

Mike

You can check for the stroke, and remove it immediately after converting to path.

I guess the most fundamental way to handle strokes (adding, removing, coloring, styling, etc) is using Object menu > Fill and Stroke > Stroke Paint or Stroke Style tab.  But there are various shortcuts.

For example, on the left side of the status bar (bottom-left corner of window) you see the Fill and Stroke area.  If it indicates there's a stroke there, you can right-click on the Stroke bar > Remove Stroke.  Or notice that tiny X chip at the far left end of the palette.  Shift + click that little X will remove the stroke (without Shift, it removes the fill).  And I think there may be a couple of other shortcuts as well.  But that's 2.

I don't know of a way to prevent the stroke....not an easy one, anyway.  But that should take 2 seconds to check for a stroke and remove it if there is one.

Hhmm, I can't speak to the issue of embedded fonts or why it got heavier.  I've never tried that and not familiar with it.