Right-to-Left Language Texts Disappear in .pdf Conversion

Can you share a sample file with the exact steps to reproduce the issue.

As a rule it is always better to use a pdf creator rather than doing something in word and exporting or saving as pdf.

Greetings, Elemantal, and thank you for your concern. :-)

I have a file prepared that shows exactly what happens in Word and .pdf, but I do not see anywhere in this reply screen where I can upload a file. So I will copy in an example...

Following is a paragraph of the original text of the work I am translating. (In the book, the original text goes on left-hand pages, and the translation on the right-hand pages.) You should be able to see that most of this paragraph is in Greek, which of course is a LTR language, but there is one sentence in Aramaic, which is a RTL language.

λεγει αυτη ο ιησους καλως ειπας οτι ανδρα ουκ εχω 4:18 πεντε γαρ ανδρας εσχες και νυν ον εχεις ουκ εστιν σου ανηρ τουτο αληθες ειρηκας ARAMAIC:ܡܛܠ ܕܚܡܫ̈ܐ ܒܥ̈ܠܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܠܟܝ܂ ܘܗܢܐ ܕܐܝܬ ܠܟܝ ܗܫܐ ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܒܥܠܟܝ܂ ܗܕܐ ܫܪܝܪܬܐ ܐܡܪܬܝ

Here is what this paragraph looks like after it is converted to .pdf --

As you can see, in the second, the Aramaic got chewed down to one word. In this example, some of the Greek (and the English word identifying the change of language) also got eaten. In most instances throughout the three books in this series of translations, any RTL language gets cut down to just a word. The exception is, sometimes but not always, when the quotation of the RTL language is only one or two words.

The exact steps are -- I type the document in Word. I edit in word. All of the RTL texts are typed in or sometimes pasted in. All of the fonts are fully embedded. In fact, the Hebrew font is Times New Roman. I keep the switch set at LTR, because when I flip it to RTL, it throws the ENTIRE PARAGRAPH into right-justified with the Greek (or English or whatever) going RTL; in short, it makes a big mess.

Once the document is properly prepared in Word, I go to "Save As" and save it as a .pdf file. That's where words and phrases in the RTL languages disappear.

Thanks again! --James

Hello James,

Since you have tried multiple PDF Convertor tools let us try the following step.  

1. Check if your PDF Convertor package includes a PDF Printer > from the main Windows Start screen navigate to Devices and Printers in Control Panel.

2. In Devices and Printers check if you have a PDF Printer option.

3. If found, then right-click on the PDF Printer driver and set it as default printer.

4. Close all windows and then try printing the document to PDF.

5. Check how the right-left language text appears.  

Try the above steps and let us know if it works.

Thank you.

Greetings, Mohan --

First, thank you for being so kind as to reply. I was starting to despair whether I'd even receive a reply here, let alone a solution.

Second, I have tried this basic procedure you outline before in various permutations, including by the .xps approach, and they did not work. I tried your procedure nevertheless, exactly as you stated it. It did not work. Furthermore, it lost my setting of 6"x9" page size, with the .pdf appearing as 8 1/2"x11", with the 6"x9" text in the middle, surrounded by gigantic margins.

PLEASE PLEASE, if you have further thoughts, please let me know. My books have had to be pulled off the market as defective, the publisher has to replace sold copies (when this issue is straightened out), and I have to come up with a proper .pdf of the books SOON, because I'm in huge issues with the publisher. Thank you!

Have you tried converting the document with Word 2010?

Could you share at least a page (with made-up text if confidential) that contains the problem? I'm trying to reproduce the problem but everything is going perfect. Instructions on how to upload a file are found here:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/forum/ie8-windows_7/how-to-upload-a-file-to-microsoft-answers/65403f1a-68ce-4dc7-acae-8c8991f5ed73

Have you tried converting the document with Word 2010?

Could you share at least a page (with made-up text if confidential) that contains the problem? I'm trying to reproduce the problem but everything is going perfect. Instructions on how to upload a file are found here:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/forum/ie8-windows_7/how-to-upload-a-file-to-microsoft-answers/65403f1a-68ce-4dc7-acae-8c8991f5ed73

Greetings, Barkoosh, and thank you for your reply.

I don't know, of course, but I suspect things are fine on your end because you don't have right-to-left languages in your sample.

Here is the link to a sample in Word, which of course shows what this text SHOULD look like:

https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?cid=F442B0B5B7704DBB&resid=F442B0B5B7704DBB!4397&app=Word

And here is the link to the same sample in .pdf, which of course shows the same text with chunks of the Aramaic (right-to-left) missing:

https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?cid=F442B0B5B7704DBB&resid=F442B0B5B7704DBB!4398&app=WordPdf

Have you tried using the free PrimoPDF converter that will install itself as a printer and then use it to "print" the document to a pdf file.

Good morning, Doug Robbins --

I have tried, PrimoPDF too, and it gets exactly the same unfortunate results. The Primo results look identical to the second (.pdf) test page I linked above to "Barkoosh". But thanks anyway.