Incorrect Size of Printed Documents Results from Unknown Font

ID: Q177679

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0
Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information on how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" online Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" online Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SYMPTOMS

When you import a document from another computer and then print it, the printed document has different dimensions from those seen when the same document is printed from the originating computer.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if the document contains a font that does not exist on your computer or printer. Depending on the fonts installed on the computer or the printer, the GDI Font Mapper may substitute different fonts for the unknown font on different computers.

Depending on the font chosen, text may be rendered larger or smaller in width and/or height, causing the printed document to expand or shrink relative to the expected dimensions.

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, check the document for fonts that you do not have installed, and then create an explicit font substitution in the registry as follows:

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" online Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it.

Run Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).

Go to the following key in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes

NOTE: The above registry key is one path; it has been wrapped for readability.

On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and use the following entry:

Value Name : <Facename of the unknown font> Data Type : REG_SZ String : <Facename of the substitute font>

For example, if your system is mapping an unknown font named Geneva, to Helvetica, but Helvetica-Narrow would be better for your purposes, add a value as follows:

Value Name : Geneva Data Type : REG_SZ String : Helvetica-Narrow

STATUS

This is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

Depending on the fonts installed on computers and in printers, different font lists will be created internally within Windows NT on different computers. When the time comes to make a substitution for an unknown font, you can make different substitutions on different computers, because of the different font lists that Windows NT creates.

Additional query words: substitution substitutions

Keywords : kbprint kbbug4.00 ntprint kbbug3.50 kbbug3.51 NTSrvWkst
Version : WinNT:3.5,3.51,4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbbug