Rendering Unicode Symbols in PDF Output

Ambience 2020+
,
1

This guide is to resolve issues when generating a PDF, Unicode symbols are rendered as empty boxes (□) (or not even render at all), even though they displayed correctly in the GLINT viewer.

For Linux users, please follow the guide in this entry to install fonts: Troubleshooting Missing Fonts on a Linux System - Ambience 2020+ - Elixir Support Forum

Steps to Implement

Step 1: Verify the Font File Exists Physically

We will be using the Segoe UI Symbol font. Ensure that this font has been installed on your system. On Windows, the file is typically located at:

C:\Windows\Fonts

Note: If the font is missing, download an alternative Unicode font that has these symbols from a trusted source.

Step 2: Set the Fonts Directory Path

Update your etc/application.conf file to point to the directory containing the font file, and add the font map entry.

elixir.rml {
  fonts.path = "C:\\Windows\\Fonts"
  javascript.debug = "no"
  xlspipeline.merge-trailer = "yes"

  pdf {
    font-map {
      "Segoe UI Symbol" = "Identity-H"
    }
  }
}

Important: Use double backslashes (\\ ) in the path for proper escaping.

Step 3: Render the PDF

Generate your PDF as usual. The symbols should now render correctly instead of displaying as empty boxes.

Additional info:

Attached to this entry is a sample RML for reference.
Unicode_sample.zip (1.7 KB)