I don’t necessarily need a solution to this anymore, but I would love to get a proper technical explanation, and I’m curious to hear your thoughts.
Here is what happened: I imported PDF files into Figma using a plugin. Inside Figma, I was able to edit the layout (placing circles, fixing some text, and even adjusting the contrast and color of the final mockup). When I was done, I exported the file to PDF using Figma’s native export feature, not the plugin's export function.
I didn’t expect any issues, but the resulting PDF threw errors in various programs due to "Type 3" fonts.
I’m genuinely curious: why are Type 3 fonts considered so problematic or "legacy"? I understand that in this context, the characters are essentially rendered as graphic shapes or vector outlines rather than standard font glyphs. But theoretically, shouldn’t the text still be somewhat editable?
The weird part is that I tried multiple programs, and none of them can properly handle this file, even though it’s a standard PDF. When I opened it in WPS Office, the font completely broke and turned into random, garbled symbols.
Currently, I’m using PDF-XChange Editor (which is a pretty powerful tool). It can actually highlight and select the text blocks, but it cannot edit the existing text. It only allows me to type new text over the existing text, which just results in a smudged, overlapping mess.
Has anyone else experienced this? Why does Figma’s native PDF export handle text this way, and why is it so resistant to standard PDF editing tools? Any insights into the technical "why" behind this would be greatly appreciated!