Hi forum
I’m attempting to use LO across multiple platforms, Linux, FreeBSD and Win10.
When I create a new document in Win10, I use DefaultParagraphStyle, Arial Narrow, 12pt.
I have 56 lines of text on A4 page. (Of course this can vary with margin changes.)
When I open this same .odt file in FreeBSD, it displays same details : DefaultParagraphStyle, Arial Narrow, 12pt.
BUT I can only get 42 lines of text per A4 page.
How can I make this LO document work same way across multiple platforms ?
Do I need to somehow copy and share some same settings for DefaultParagraphStyle ?
Thanks for any tips or clues.
Edit. Arial Narrow, then later changed to Liberation Sans Narrow for reasons in post below.
If you create a PDF of it, is it still different?
From LO for Win10, I can go File, Export directly as PDF.
The PDF has the correct number of lines. 56 lines per page, same as LO.
Also, the PDF contains embedded font LiberationSansNarrow
So I try using LiberationSansNarrow as selected font in LO in Win10.
Check there’s still 56 lines per page, so Save the file.
Open same file using LO for FreeBSD.
With LiberationSansNarrow, each page has only 44 lines.
Does LO writer work successfuly across multiple platforms, or will the layout and formatting always be inconsistent ?
Edit. Win10 using LO 7.4.6.2, FreeBSD using 7.6.2.1.
Does the font actually exist on all the machines your are using?
Thanks for the suggestion.
Yes, Liberation Sans is installed in both Win10 and FreeBSD (KDE/Plasma).
I just checked the System Settings, Fonts, in both platforms.
I can use 2 screens, side by side, and view copies of the same document using LO in Win10 and FreeBSD.
Visually, it appears that the lines are closer together (ie less space between lines) in the Win10 version.
Does this give any clues to help solve the problem ?
Have a look at the DefaultParagraphStyles in both Systems to Indents and distances, all the same?
In the question, you describe Default Paragraph Style as being configured for Arial Narrow and in later comments you mention Liberation Sans Narrow. Is this automatic substitution or have you applied some direct formatting?
After loading your file in the second computer, have you appled any change manually?
In case you didn’t modify anything and rely on default configuration on both platforms, is Default Page Style the same on both, notably margin sizes?
I was originally using Arial Narrow, but subsequently changed to Liberation Sans Narrow after saving the file as PDF, and discovering the LSN font was included in the PDF.
Margins should not be an issue, since this test “document” is simply 1 and 2 digit numbers with enter key (aka paragraph markers) at end of each “line” as follows :
1
2
3
4
5
etc
After loading the file in different platform, I’m not changing anything, so yes I need to investigate the Default Page Style in each.
I’ll also try this test file with LO in OSX.
I’m grateful for comments above, especially as it seems there should be a solution.
Remember there are also top and bottom margins. So this could make a difference.
Liberation Sans Narrow development stopped at version 2 (2012) due to licensing issues. This Liberation font bug might apply as the fix was just afterwards, but I think not for the narrow version, 1336042 – Liberation Fonts not displayed correctly
I suggest to use a different font, look on Google Fonts for a sans serif family that includes a narrow version, maybe Roboto
Thanks for this useful information regarding Liberation.
From the ChatGPT :
Question : How do I select a font that will be suitable for identical display of documents across multiple platforms, Windoze, Unix, and OSX
ChatGPT Answer
Selecting a font that displays consistently across multiple platforms can be challenging, as different operating systems may have different default fonts installed. To ensure consistent display, it’s essential to choose a font that is widely supported and commonly installed on most operating systems. Here are a few tips to help you select a suitable font:
- Use Web-Safe Fonts: Web-safe fonts are commonly supported across various operating systems. These include Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, and Courier New. They are more likely to display consistently across different platforms.
- Consider System Fonts: If you want to use a specific font, consider choosing a system font that is commonly available on Windows, Unix, and macOS. For example, you could use Arial on Windows, Nimbus Sans on Unix, and Helvetica on macOS. This can help maintain consistency.
- Use Standard Font Families: Stick to standard font families like sans-serif, serif, and monospace. Different operating systems may render these fonts slightly differently, but they should provide a consistent look and feel across platforms.
- Provide Font Alternatives: If you need to use a specific font that is not universally available, consider providing alternative fonts in your document. Specify a font stack with similar font options that are available across different operating systems.
- Embed Fonts: If you are creating documents for online distribution or presentations, consider embedding the fonts in your document. This will ensure that the document displays as intended regardless of the platform.
- Test Across Platforms: Always test your documents on different platforms to ensure that the fonts render correctly and look consistent. This will help you identify any potential issues before finalizing the document.
By following these guidelines, you can increase the likelihood that your documents will display consistently across various operating systems, ensuring a uniform and professional appearance regardless of the platform used.
I prefer top Google arial narrow alternative - but choice ist up top you.
PS: Imho 5. should include a hint on Fonts wich don’t allow embedding (license)
Note that this bug does not apply to the other Liberation fonts that were fixed, they are well tested across platforms. Only the deprecated Liberation Sans Narrow was not fixed due to licensing issues.
BTW Install the static version of fonts, not variable as there is not complete support for variable fonts.
Points 1 to 4 can be summarised as “ensure the template upon which the document is based is the same on all platforms”. This encompasses the case of the default template, which may be more difficult to assess. Note also that relying on user templates is much stronger than working “bare metal” and should guarantee consistency (at least it is easier).
I’ve setup a small test.
Single document, with numbered lines 1 ~ 60.
2 screens, windows and FreeBSD, running LO 7.4.x and 7.6x respectively.
Checked all the formats and styles and confirmed consistent in each.
All formats and styles are default settings same as clean install of LO.
Ctrl-A in each version to select entire document, then test various fonts and watch the lines per page as the font is changed.
Results:
Some reliable fonts such as Times New Roman, Verdana, Arial, and Liberation Sans have identical line spacing as expected.
We’ve been using Liberation Sans Narrow at 12pt (in Windoze) since it gives 4 more lines per A4 page than those other fonts, and is more “economical” space-wise. More words per page.
Now that I am beginning to understand the issues, we’ll reconsider the font options.
Liberation Sans Narrow doesn’t play nicely in Linux or FreeBSD, but it does work as expected in Windoze and OSX.
Hope this discussion helps some other folks avoid the same woes.
I am a bit surprised by Times New Roman, Verdana and Arial which are proprietary fonts and therefore not present in FreeBSD and Linux. If you have not installed them, they’ll be substituted. Font metrics are not guaranteed to be exactly the same. Then document look will slightly differ. Have you configured your *nix machines specially?
FreeBSD has a webfonts package.
Here’s the vitals :
Name : webfonts
Version : 0.30_14
Origin : x11-fonts/webfonts
Architecture : FreeBSD:13:*
Prefix : /usr/local
Categories : x11-fonts
Licenses : EULA
Maintainer : olgeni@FreeBSD.org
WWW : UNKNOWN
Comment : TrueType core fonts for the Web
Options :
CLEARTYPE : off
COMIC : on
DOCS : on
EXTRAFONTS : off
NEWVERDANA : off
Annotations :
repo_type : binary
repository : FreeBSD
Flat size : 5.69MiB
Description :
This is a collection of high quality and free to use TrueType fonts created by
Monotype and Microsoft Typography. It consists of the following families:
Times New Roman, Courier New, Georgia, Trebuchet MS, Comic
Sans MS Arial, Arial Black, Verdana, Andale Mono, Impact,
Calibri, Cambria, Consolas, Constantia, Corbel