PDF printing issue: text is replaced with symbols

[NEENAHBOY]

My parents are having a problem printing PDFs, wherein the text is supplanted with the symbols found on the number keys. This doesn't happen with all files, but it does occur the majority of the time.

Running 10.5.8, all updates applied, and from what I can tell OS X is using the most current HP all-in-one driver (it's an OfficeJet 6100).

Any suggestions are welcome. 🙂

 

[MisterMe]

My parents are having a problem printing PDFs, wherein the text is supplanted with the symbols found on the number keys. This doesn't happen with all files, but it does occur the majority of the time.

...

What are the sources of the PDFs?

 

[Oryzarius]

Times New Roman?

I bet the problem occurs when they're using the Times New Roman font: that's well known to cause problems in many PDFs. Try just regular Times instead.

 

[PaKo7]

PDF text replaced with symbols

Likewise, I have noticed that when, using Preview, I copy text from some PDF files and paste the text elsewhere, I get the symbol gibberish.

As a workaround you might one of these options:
1. Opening the PDF in Acrobat Reader instead of Preview, then trying printing from Acrobat Reader.
2. Using either Preview or Acrobat Reader, press command-shift-4 and use the mouse to draw a box around the portion of the PDF that you want to print. After you let go of the mouse button, on the desktop you'll see a file called "Picture 1" (or another number if you've created more than one). You can open that file in Preview and either print it then or else "Copy all" then paste in another document.