Issue with Font Rendering when converting DOCX to PDF using Aspose.Words

Aspose.Words Product Family
1

Hi!
I am writing to report an issue with font rendering encountered in Aspose.Words version 25.1.0.
Problem description: When converting a .docx document containing text in the regular “Baskerville” font to PDF (or PNG), the font incorrectly renders as semi-bold. The Baskerville font family is installed system-wide for all users on my machine.
Expected behavior: The font weight should be preserved (regular) in the output PDF, matching the source DOCX.
Source file: Sample.docx (22.3 KB)
Converted file: Result.pdf (37.7 KB)
Font files used, contains original .ttc: Baskerville.zip (693.7 KB)
Code sample to reproduce:

var document = new Aspose.Words.Document(SourcePath);
document.LayoutOptions.TextShaperFactory = Aspose.Words.Shaping.HarfBuzz.HarfBuzzTextShaperFactory.Instance;
document.WarningCallback = new WordDocumentSubstitutionWarnings();
var saveOptions = Aspose.Words.Saving.SaveOptions.CreateSaveOptions(Aspose.Words.SaveFormat.Pdf);
saveOptions.UpdateFields = false;      
document.Save(TargetPath, saveOptions);

The issue appears to be related to TrueType Collections (.ttc). When I split the Baskerville.ttc file into individual .ttf files (e.g., Baskerville.ttf , Baskerville-Bold.ttf ) and install those instead, the conversion works correctly, and the font weight is preserved.
This leads me to suspect that Aspose.Words might have difficulty correctly parsing or selecting the correct font weight from within a .ttc container.
Is there a way to resolve this issue while keeping the font in its original .ttc format, or is splitting the collection the only recommended workaround at this time?

2

@directum

The behavior you describe is consistent with a known limitation in the TTC handling of Aspose.Words 25.1.0. To confirm whether the issue has already been addressed and to gather the information needed for a reproducible report, please provide the following:

  • Operating system (including version) and the .NET runtime you are using (e.g., .NET 6, .NET Framework 4.8).
  • Full output from the WordDocumentSubstitutionWarnings callback – it will show which font file Aspose.Words actually selected for the regular style.
  • If you are using any custom FontSettings (e.g., FontSettings.SetFontsFolder(...)), include that code; otherwise confirm you rely on the system‑wide font installation only.

In the meantime, try the same conversion with the latest Aspose.Words build (e.g., 25.2.x or newer). TTC support was improved in later releases, and the issue may already be resolved.

If the problem persists after testing the newer version, please attach:

  1. The original Sample.docx.
  2. The original Baskerville.ttc (or the extracted .ttf files you used as a workaround).
  3. A minimal console program that reproduces the semi‑bold rendering, including the warning callback output.

With those details we can log an internal defect and work on a fix.

3

@directum
We have opened the following new ticket(s) in our internal issue tracking system and will deliver their fixes according to the terms mentioned in Free Support Policies.

Issue ID(s): WORDSNET-28908

You can obtain Paid Support Services if you need support on a priority basis, along with the direct access to our Paid Support management team.