How to save a file in Corel

Go to the "File" menu and select "Publish to PDF." If the design only has lettering created from fonts and a couple other objects made within CorelDRAW there won't be any need to worry about dpi settings. The objects are vector-based, not pixel based.

 

I get this response sometimes with print shops too...I think they just really haven't looked at the file.

Like Bobby said, If you didn't use any bitmaps in the design, tell the shop DPI isn't even a factor.

 

Might I add that it's a good idea to convert fonts when making the pdf. As long as your design isn't "text heavy" converting them will ensure no problems. Don't even try and tell me about embedding the fonts! I've gotten many pdf's that even If choosing import as curves the text is "scrambled" or "broken" in some way. Especially characters like "fi". The dot in the "i" disappears and becomes part of the "f".
As a last resort I'll try illustrator and get the same results. Sometimes I can use my Acrobat Pro and do some finagling to get it.
If none of that works I have to use photoshop to rasterize the whole bit.

Just convert the fonts and save me the hassle!

 

If you want an image imbedded in the PDF, in the PDF object tab, make sure you have it set to "no compression", assuming the image was 300 DPI in Corel, it will remain 300 DPI in the PDF.

 

Find a new vender to print for you. They obviously haven't a clue!
No drop shadow effects? Just 2 lines of text?
How about a snip of the design? Use the free microsoft snipping tool, much better than screen shot. Just copy and paste here.

 

I can't recall ever having a problem placing a PDF with embedded fonts into Adobe Illustrator. The Flatten Transparency trick works reliably at converting the embedded fonts into vector outlines. The only way I can imagine the function running into trouble is if any of the embedded fonts within the document were corrupted.

As for an "fi" character getting "scrambled" and missing a dot it's possible CorelDRAW automatically applied an OpenType ligature to that two letter combination when the PDF was opened. Not all font files have the same character sets, but plenty of them do have "fi" ligatures where the two letters are joined into one glyph and the top of the "f" consumes the dot on the "i".

Generally when I have to send graphics files to print shops or anyone else I always find out what graphics software they're using and which version. Last time I checked CorelDRAW doesn't have any built-in way convert fonts embedded within PDFs to curves to avoid font substitution issues. So, yeah, if I'm sending graphics to someone using CorelDRAW I'm going to convert any fonts to curves. I tend to convert all active type to outlines in my own sign layouts once I'm finished with the design. The only exceptions are layouts featuring large passages of body text.

 

What the what!? Why would you do that? 10years later when they want the same design "just change the text" Uh...I don't remember what the font was.

 

I do the same thing. I do keep a master file as well and also a layer that has notes on the design. It may seem like a lot of extra work, but once its apart of one's workflow, nothing to it.

 

Yes, that's what I thought. Have one as is and a duplicate with fonts converted.
Yes, notes too. Print profile used, specific material and/or substrate, matte or luster laminate etc.

 

Why would I do that? Several reasons.

For starters I work with several other people who have to pull up my artwork on other computers when fabricating the job. No one is going to have the same exact collection of fonts from one computer to the next. Leaving lettering as active editable text creates needless hurdles for coworkers.

Next reason: issues with type in old archive files. In the 1990's I used to leave type objects active and editable in many CorelDRAW documents. That was until I started seeing problems when opening old files in a significantly newer version of CorelDRAW. Sometimes the little changes to type would be really subtle, like slight shifts in kerning in artistic text objects or leading changes in paragraph text objects. If the "live" effects were more complicated, such as text on path effects, envelopes, etc chances were even greater the type-based objects would open completely whacked out of normal. Converting type to curves and "finalizing" effects solved that problem for the future.

Another big issue: needing to install the EXACT same version and format of fonts used in the design years earlier and possibly on a previous computer system. Font files change. I really hate Arial, but I'll use it as an example. The version of Arial bundled in Windows95 or WinXP is generations removed from the version of Arial bundled in Windows 10. The version in Win10 has a far larger character set. Little tweaks can happen to the letters to improve how they render on screen. Changes can happen to any common font files bundled in operating system and changes can happen to fonts bundled in with graphics programs as they move from one version to the next.

And then there's the issue of numerous vendors selling what appears to be the same typeface. Several different companies have their own take on Futura. They all look very similar but all have very subtle yet critical differences -differences big enough to be an issue if you're replacing a hail-damaged face on a channel letter sign. There are many Helvetica clones out there. They all have their own subtle differences. And legit versions of Helvetica are different too. The original 1957 cut is nothing like the 1983 "Neue" design. And the 2019 Helvetica Now release is different too (and includes some new alternate characters).

If I need to update text in a particular design or add something new it's very easy for me to do so. I keep good records of the type I use in my own designs. I don't size and place type objects in my designs in a random, eyeball fashion like so many others do. I also don't squeeze and stretch the fonts, partly because the practice is ugly and unprofessional, but also because I won't have to remember how much I squeezed or stretched some letters to get a new addition to match.

 

I must be doing something wrong, because importing as curves almost never works for me,
it still asks what font I want to substitute with.

I don't delete the customers original PDF file, so I would just re-import and it tells you what the fonts are.

 

publish to PDF
then go to preferences ( bottom right of your window )
Document = Current page or Selection ( depend if you have selected your design )
Color Tab = colors as NATIVE
Objects Tab = no compression ( that will keep any bitmap as is )
and put a check on export text as curves

 

That's one of the biggest reasons why I use Adobe Illustrator to open and manipulate artwork saved in PDF format. The Flatten Transparency trick works reliably at converting embedded fonts in the PDF to outlines, even if those fonts are not installed on the computer. As far as I can tell CorelDRAW has no way to equal this function.

Then there's the plug-ins available to Illustrator. Vector First Aid (by Astute Graphics) can automatically clean up a lot of common issues with PDFs, like convoluted clipping groups pigged with multiple copies of the same object positioned on top of each other, often with no fill or stroke. It's a PITA manually cleaning up such messes.

When I do have to manually fix elements in PDF artwork one common task is moving the stacking order of objects within the same layer and/or other layers. Corel's Object Manager panel is still pretty clunky. I like using Illustrator's layers palette more. But that's just my preference.

 

Fonts should be kept in a network folder here. If a coworker is missing the font, FontManager will offer to install it. Provided you have set up FontManager properly.

 

I'm not using Corel's Font Manager over a network. It runs slow enough as it is just "seeing" fonts on the computer's local hard disc, never mind trying to sniff fonts out across a network.

 

I don't know about you, but all of my purchase fonts, according to their EULA, don't allow for that. I'm all for network shares, but for many reasons I stay within the EULA. I think that's why I also have some fonts that the creators have DRM attached to them that have installers and "you" have to go through the installer to add/remove your fonts. Which is a pain, but I can understand that.

 

The only font-related thing I use where the fonts are stored remotely is Typekit, aka Adobe Fonts. In that particular case if I did leave certain text objects active and the fonts were synced from Adobe Fonts two other designers at my workplace could at least sync those fonts from their own Creative Cloud accounts. But I'm just in the habit of converting the the fonts to outlines once I'm finished manipulating the text objects. Converting to outlines removes almost any technical issue regarding fonts. Not every application on every computer can use the latest and greatest features in font technology. For instance, CorelDRAW still doesn't support OpenType Variable fonts. That's despite the fact there is a growing number of variable fonts entering the market. I have to use Illustrator to put variable fonts to use in a project, and then I have to convert the text to outlines in order for it to port to other non-Adobe applications.