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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Photoshop and Character Palette problems

sofia9384737 - Apr 16, 2006 - 1:56 pm

Hi,
any idea why Photoshop doesn't display the characters I try to insert through Character Palette. When I insert into other applications like TextEdit it shows the right character but in Photoshop I get a question mark or the wrong character. (For example an arrow in Webdings 3 displays as something completely different in Photoshop). These question mark characters also causes problems with the Photoshop files. Last time I tried to insert from Character Palette this file caused Photoshop to crash. I could still work with other Photoshop files but every time I tried to open this particular file Photoshop just quit unexpectedly. I managed to save the file by following advice in another thread here on this forum by cleaning the font cache with Linotype Font Explorer. But my original problem, that I can't insert characters into Photoshop, still remains. I am getting tired of typing abcdefgh... into a document everytime I need an arrow or a symbol, plus I can't find them all. Thanks in advance!

earthsaver - Apr 16, 2006 - 3:35 pm

Character Palette provides access to Unicode-based characters. What version of Photoshop are you using? As far as I can tell, CS2 is the first version with full support for Unicode, across all Adobe Studio products. The first CS lineup had limited support, I think via specific Unicode typefaces.

- Ben

sofia9384737 - Apr 16, 2006 - 4:32 pm

Thanks for your reply. I am using Photoshop CS2.

Best,

S.

Natobasso - Apr 17, 2006 - 12:48 pm

Howdy!

Sounds like you're font isn't loading for photoshop. Make sure Webdings 3 is loading correctly. To see all it's characters use Linotype's preview function, not photoshop.

Usually a font that's partially or fully unavailable to photoshop will display as ??? or strange characters, also a font that's protected or corrupt will do the same.

Please describe what you mean by "insert". Are you copying and pasting the characters or typing them directly into photoshop?

sofia9384737 - Apr 17, 2006 - 9:15 pm

Thank you!! I think we are on to something here. All the symbol fonts (like Webdings and Wingdings) are displaying as ????????? in Linotype FontExplorer's preview. Why is that and what can I do about it?

Also, the tick box for Zapf Dingbats and Lucida Grande are ticked but they are grey and not available for Activation/Inactivation in the Linotype app. These two fonts are the ones that caused Photoshop to crash. All these fonts show up in other applications so they are somehow available.

By insert I mean that an application is open in the background. I go to Character Palette, I pick the symbol I need (an arrow for example). I click the button "Insert with Font" in Character Palette and the correct symbol is usually inserted with the correct font except in Photoshop where it displays a question mark.

Best regards,

Sofia

Natobasso - Apr 18, 2006 - 9:07 am

Which os x are you using? Where do you store your fonts?

Natobasso - Apr 18, 2006 - 11:01 am

Also, find your FontBook app (comes with the os x op system) and use it to turn off any conflicting fonts (but not system fonts like Lucida Grande).

Move all your user fonts (non-system fonts) outside System/Fonts and put them in your own folder, ie. "My fonts" etc. Then your computer won't load all your fonts and conflict with your FontExplorer fonts you have loaded.

Your fonts with the ??? are most likely corrupt. Have you tried repairing permissions? Apps/Utilities/Disk Utility/Repair permissions.

I've never heard of Character Palette-is that part of os x 10.4 Tiger?

sofia9384737 - Apr 18, 2006 - 11:29 am

I use 10.4.2. Character Palette is part of the operating system.

Sofia

Natobasso - Apr 18, 2006 - 11:46 am

Got it. Thanks much!

did you do the other things I mentioned? Did they help your font situation?

sofia9384737 - Apr 18, 2006 - 11:57 am

I haven't yet figured out how to find the fonts. I am quite new to mac... Is there an easy way to do that?

Sofia

Natobasso - Apr 18, 2006 - 12:00 pm

Go to your hard drive, then System/Library/Fonts to find all your fonts. Move any non-system fonts (find out which these are by opening FontBook--this app will show which fonts you can't move by greying them out when you try to enable or disable them) to a new folder just inside your hard drive titled "MY FONTS". Then relink those in Font Explorer.

sofia9384737 - Apr 18, 2006 - 12:01 pm

>Where do you store your fonts?

My last question was referring to your previous message. I am not advancing so fast here ...

sofia9384737 - Apr 18, 2006 - 12:09 pm

I checked System/Library/Fonts but I don't see any non system fonts there. I have only installed a few fonts myself by using FontBook. Maybe goes somewhere else?

Sofia

sofia9384737 - Apr 18, 2006 - 12:16 pm

I found a lot more font (my own and system fonts) in Library/Fonts. It doesn't seem to be a shortcut to the Library in System/Library/Fonts. As I said, I am quite new to os x.

Sofia

Natobasso - Apr 18, 2006 - 1:11 pm

FontBook doesn't install fonts, it just activates and deactivates them.

I have a feeling you have a corrupt font. Have you repaired permissions yet? Do that next. (I gave you instructions for this in a previous post.)

sofia9384737 - Apr 18, 2006 - 1:26 pm

>FontBook doesn't install fonts, it just activates and deactivates them.

Mine does, I think. With a new font, I choose File/Add fonts... in Font Book and they are installed.

If it was only one font I would think it was corrupt, but we are talking about quite a few, which makes me wonder...

Thank you, I repaired my disk permissions. I do that now and then anyway.

Sofia

Natobasso - Apr 18, 2006 - 1:34 pm

Yours doesn't. Believe me. When you "install" a font you're just adding it to your active list. When you add new fonts on your own that weren't on your hard drive before, that's called installing a font. What you're doing is adding fonts to your list that you can then activate; you're not installing new fonts.

It is possible to have many fonts corrupt at the same time.

Your next step is to do a full disk repair. Boot up with disk 1 of your installation disk set (but DONT reinstall os x). Just go to File/Open Disk Utility when you boot up (put the cd in and restart holding the c key; you'll then boot up using the cd instead of your hard drive). Repair Disk.

Let me know if that fixes the font issue.

sofia9384737 - Apr 18, 2006 - 1:53 pm

I guess I am not using the right terminology. By "install" I mean that I download a new font, not previously on my system. I start FontBook and choose File/Add font... and it copies the font from my Desktop folder and puts it in Library/Fonts. Thereafter I can delete the font file from the desktop (and Activate/Deactivate it in FontBook for that matter).

I will try your advice but it means finding the system disks in a messy drawer and doing backups which I need to do anyway so it will take a while. I will get back to you if it doesn't solve the problem.

Thank you for all your help so far!

Natobasso - Apr 18, 2006 - 3:14 pm

As for your fonts, find and move all the non-system fonts out of System/Library/Fonts. Then you know which fonts you add and which are system fonts.

Let me know what happens when you find the discs.