How do you handle font rendering for web-based PDF documents?

When handling font rendering for web-based PDF documents, similar principles apply to those for web-based presentations and slide decks. Here's how to handle font rendering effectively:

1. **Embed Fonts**: Embedding fonts into the PDF ensures that they are displayed correctly regardless of whether the user's device has the font installed. Most PDF generation tools, such as Adobe Acrobat or libraries like wkhtmltopdf or Dompdf, support font embedding.

2. **Choose Web-Safe Fonts**: Similar to web-based presentations, select fonts that are web-safe or available from reputable web font services. This ensures consistent rendering across different devices and platforms.

3. **Font Subsetting**: To optimize file size and rendering performance, consider subsetting fonts by including only the characters used in the document. This reduces the file size of the PDF while still ensuring that the necessary glyphs are available for rendering.

4. **Font Encoding**: Ensure that the font encoding used in the PDF is compatible with the characters and language used in the document. Different languages and character sets may require specific font encodings to display correctly.

5. **Font Size and Scaling**: Set appropriate font sizes and scaling for readability, especially when generating PDF documents for different paper sizes or screen resolutions. Test the document on various devices and zoom levels to ensure that the text remains legible.

6. **Contrast and Legibility**: Maintain sufficient contrast between text and background colors to ensure readability, particularly in printed PDFs. Avoid using light text on a dark background or vice versa, as it may cause issues with readability in print.

7. **Print Stylesheets**: Provide separate print stylesheets for PDF documents to optimize the layout and typography for print. Adjust font sizes, margins, and other layout elements to ensure that the document prints as intended on different paper sizes and printers.

8. **Browser and Device Testing**: Test the generated PDF document on different devices and PDF viewers to ensure consistent font rendering and layout. Pay attention to any font substitution or rendering discrepancies and adjust the document accordingly.

By following these best practices, you can ensure that fonts render correctly and maintain readability and consistency in web-based PDF documents, providing a positive user experience for your audience.