LaTeX PDFs look bad, but print okay?

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Kind of a non-issue but still bugging me. Basically, whenever I create a LaTeX file certain things will look a bit naff in PDF viewers, such as matrices will appear with the large square brackets broken in the middle, also text can appear bold when it isn't, dashes look odd etc. However, when i print these to paper they always look perfect. Obviously i'd be more annoyed if it were the other way around but as i publish some of my files only online it leaves them looking a little less professional.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this issue or any workarounds or reasons for this. Thanks.

Just for info i use TeXworks (pdfLaTeX) with MikTeX and for viewer i use the built in PDF viewer with Chrome, i do also experience this with Adobe Reader though.
 
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rapid said:
Kind of a non-issue but still bugging me. Basically, whenever I create a LaTeX file certain things will look a bit naff in PDF viewers, such as matrices will appear with the large square brackets broken in the middle, also text can appear bold when it isn't, dashes look odd etc. However, when i print these to paper they always look perfect. Obviously i'd be more annoyed if it were the other way around but as i publish some of my files only online it leaves them looking a little less professional.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this issue or any workarounds or reasons for this. Thanks.

Just for info i use TeXworks (pdfLaTeX) with MikTeX and for viewer i use the built in PDF viewer with Chrome, i do also experience this with Adobe Reader though.

You could try using a different font. Are you using Times New Roman, or the default?
 
It's the default. But even in the math environment "\left[" would look broken up. I'm not sure if i am allowed to use a different font, unless there are different 'better' fonts that look the same? But like i say, when i print the PDFs they come out looking exactly as they should.
 
rapid said:
It's the default. But even in the math environment "\left[" would look broken up. I'm not sure if i am allowed to use a different font, unless there are different 'better' fonts that look the same? But like i say, when i print the PDFs they come out looking exactly as they should.

How are you creating the pdf? Pdflatex? Or are you printing the dvi file using an Adobe (or free) pdf printer? Whichever one you're using, try using the other method and see if that does any better. Does your dvi file look wrong?

You can specify a different font by including the line \usepackage{fontname} in your document. For example, I do

\usepackage{times}

in the header (before the \begin{document} line), and that makes all the fonts Times New Roman.
 
Ackbach said:
You could try using a different font. Are you using Times New Roman, or the default?

I use Palatino for the Roman font in LaTeX that is going to be pdf-ed using pdflatex. The default font always looked dreadfull onscreen (Printers being smart could usually sort out the font on printing).

CB
 
rapid said:
Kind of a non-issue but still bugging me. Basically, whenever I create a LaTeX file certain things will look a bit naff in PDF viewers, such as matrices will appear with the large square brackets broken in the middle, also text can appear bold when it isn't, dashes look odd etc. However, when i print these to paper they always look perfect. Obviously i'd be more annoyed if it were the other way around but as i publish some of my files only online it leaves them looking a little less professional.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this issue or any workarounds or reasons for this. Thanks.

Just for info i use TeXworks (pdfLaTeX) with MikTeX and for viewer i use the built in PDF viewer with Chrome, i do also experience this with Adobe Reader though.

By Chrome viewer, does that mean you are viewing the pdf in the browser? If you are viewing a pdf in the browser, it will general look shoddy. Similar if you are using the adobe viewer from the browser.