PDF font scrambling

We are seeing more and more clients transitioning to what I call a “PDF Workflow” where we get customer formatted PDF files that we need to print and mail. We scrape the name/address off the PDF for postal automation, then place the updated address over the original PDF version. All this works fine.

We then make a new PDF file for the customer’s proofing process or a complete set. More and more often now we are getting scrambled fonts. The PS file(s) are fine, and print okay. But the PDF files when we make those for customer review is where the font issue appears. My guess is the font names or something in the original PDF have some odd (non-Adobe) settings causing this issue.

We have found a workaround using Ghostscript to convert PS files we build before calling the GS step in the workflow, the process is SLOW and the resulting PDF files are huge.

Have others seen this issue and have suggestions on how to address this Telling my customers their PDF’s are bad is really a non-starter.

We are still on version 7, but if Connect and it’s related Workflow have a solution to this, we would upgrade most likely. .

Any thoughts welcomed.

Have you tried getting a demo version of Connect and test if the problem exist as well with connect?