Re: PDF extraction bug

Subject: Re: PDF extraction bug
From: Sheila Carlisle <scarlisle -at- axialinfo -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 05 Apr 2002 21:26:12 -0800


The missing "fi", and quite possibly other characters of this sort such as "fl" and many others, are because the client has used an application that can apply "ligatures". A ligature is a single typeset character that is an optimized combination of two characters which when set separately often produce overlapping or touching areas, such as the end round part of the "f" and the dot on the "i". The "fi" ligature almost always has the dot removed.

Applications sometimes have the ability to turn on/off the use of ligatures; their use depends, also, on whether the font in question has the ligature set available. A similar situation results in the missing apostrophes and quotation marks, as the software has substituted other codes for these keys to make them the proper typeset "curly" characters rather than plain straight quotes/apostrophes. Do a Google search on "ligatures typeset" and you'll find lots of info.

There are other PDF text extraction tools available; check http://www.pdfzone.com to see an extensive list. I don't know whether any of them can compensate for ligatures and other typesetting characters, though. Be sure to check your copy for other typesetting characters such as em dashes and en dashes to see if they are also being lost on the text export.

Sheila

Martin Finke wrote:

I use Gemini to extract text from PDF from a regular client who uses the TBodoni font.
Every time I extract from one of their files to RTF format the two
consecutive characters "fi" are deleted. Apostrophes and quotation marks are deleted also.
Sheila Carlisle
Axial InfoSolutions Inc.
Automated Publishing Solutions / Authorized Miramo Reseller
http://www.axialinfo.com http://www.miramo.com




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