Creating vector graphics from score

• Apr 18, 2016 - 19:16

This may have been raised before, but I cannot seem to create a vector graphics file of sufficient print quality.

Related problems have been reported here in the past:

The results of my export to SVG or PDf are attached as a screen shot. The files are screenshots from the exported files opened in Adobe Illustrator (and similarly Inkscape).

Screenshot of PDF

Capture1.PNG

Screenshot of SVG

Capture2.PNG

The issue with PDF: some embedded fonts are missing. Why Acrobat is able to display the score is a bit beyond me. I tried to load some TTF fonts through a Font Manager (so I need not install the fonts), but that did not solve the issue.

InDesign does display the placed PDF correctly and seems to create a usable PDF.

Is there a work-around to make vector graphics work in vector graphics applications such as Illustrator or Inkscape? I either need a clean SVG file or a workable PDF file (with embedded fonts).

System: Windows 10 Pro (build 10586.218) 64-bits.

Cheers,

Dave

Comments

• Apr 18, 2016 - 20:36

For the PDF export, are you using the built in export facility (File / Export)? That is the only supported method. You also should be sure *not* to have MuseScore's internal fonts installed on your system - this will cause conflicts if there is any discrepancy in versions.

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• Apr 18, 2016 - 21:25

Thanks Marc,

Yes, I used File > Export to create the PDF.

I did not install any music fonts in Windows.

As a rule, I keep the installed fonts to an absolute minimum. Whenever I need a special font, I use a font manager unless some application like MuseScore does the font handling for me.

For some reason, the CID) fonts are somehow not embedded (properly) in the PDF.

Adobe Acrobat X, shows these fonts as being embedded in the PDF:

Embedded Fonts PDF.png

However, when open the PDF in Adobe Illustrator, it warns me that these fonts are missing:

Missing Fonts Illustrator.png

The result is a messy score.

Cheers,

Dave

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• Apr 18, 2016 - 22:06

Can you post a score and PDF file you are having problems with? It all works fine for me.

Or maybe you are saying that the PDF *displays* fine but Illustrator is having trouble dealing with the embedded subset? Might be a question to ask on their forums. FWIW, we use the Qt libraries to create the PDF, so however we embed fonts is preusmably the same as all other applications that use the Qt libraries.

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• Apr 18, 2016 - 22:33

The PDF looks fine to me, so I'm guessing it's a problem with Illustrator as I saqid above. Or at least, perhaps something we/Qt are doing that other programs seem to be fine with but Illustrator for whatever reason cannot handle. Something you should probably follow up with on an Illustrator support forum, to find out if it is a bug there or soemthing we/Qt are supposed to be doing differently.

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• Apr 19, 2016 - 06:57

Thanks Marc,

The PDF looks good indeed.

However, it is not just Illustrator that has a problem with the pdf.

Once opened in Inkscape the fonts are (very) messy too:

Capture.png

Illustrator gives a warning upfront to make clear where the problem is. It's a bit harder to find in Inkscape.

What I do not understand: how can the PDF look good if there is an issue with the embedded fonts somehow? Maybe it is an issue of an embedded font subset?

Bottom line: the issue

I want to use score to create e.g. a vector illustration, but don't have a quality vector file to begin with. The SVG is low quality and the PDF is unusable.

Cheers,

Dave

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• Apr 18, 2016 - 23:47

Musescore 2.0.3

I get the same results as you. Native SVG export has too huge notes. But not on all scores, some are ok, although all use Emmentaler.

But for your scores:
Using Inkscape can work from PDF to usable SVGs when checking "use poppler" in the import Dialog. But you can always only import one page.
Or you can use the command line tool poppler to convert PDF to SVGs
http://blog.alivate.com.au/poppler-windows/

Using Poppler (in builtin version in Inkscape or as command line tool) will convert any fonts of your PDF to paths in the SVGs.

Inkscape PDFimport (Poppler checked).PNG

Attachment Size
Beethoven - Inkscape (Poppler checked).svg 537.79 KB
Beethoven_Symphony_No_8_in_F_Major_002 (Poppler commandline).svg 388.53 KB

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• Apr 19, 2016 - 00:47

Well, I couldn't wait.

All I can say is: it works!

So I can open the pdf in Inkscape using the Poppler import option.

I never used this option before. It turns text into vector paths, which is what I want in the first place.

Now I can create a good basis for vector illustration based on score.

Thanks again.

Cheers,

Dave

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• Apr 19, 2016 - 09:39

That is what I would think. However, Illustrator cannot find the embedded fonts so creating outlines (paths) from the fonts it does not have, will not work. The result is the same as shown in the screenshots of the first post, but now converted to paths.

Never mind Illustrator, Inkscape does the job well with the Poppler import option, so I will have good quality vector graphics to work with. This is my work-around I was looking for.

You have my MuseScore file to analyse the SVG file. One can read the score in the SVG, but it is of low quality.

Cheers,

Dave

Reply

• Apr 20, 2016 - 21:46

Correct; it isn't.

There are two different problems:

  1. Opening PDF and its embedded fonts in vector graphics applications like Illustrator. Somehow, the pdf shows nice score, but I cannot open the file as-is by Illustrator or Inkscape. The file will look messy as the applications are missing the embedded fonts somehow. Only Inkscape's Import with Poppler will it create a nice score, but by then the file has been transformed into paths.
  2. The other problem is the SVG export, which indeed is paths only, but the score is far from perfect as you can see from the screenshots.

Before the Inkscape Poppler import option for PDF, I had no clean vector file to work with to create illustrations from score.

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• Apr 20, 2016 - 22:54

I have reproduced the issue in SVG Export and will provide details when I have them. OK I just read that my latest fix fixes this. I was running against the latest master first. I just tested it against my PR code, and yes this test case is solved by the new code.

...and to be fair, I may have fixed this issue, but I also created it. I tested your file against 2.0.2, prior to other SVG changes I made, and the file exported properly too.

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