PigFontViewer Troubleshooting: Fix Common Preview Issues

PigFontViewer Troubleshooting: Fix Common Preview Issues

1. Confirm installation and permissions

• Check installation: Ensure PigFontViewer was installed from the official source.
• Run as administrator (Windows) / with correct permissions (macOS/Linux): Right‑click → “Run as administrator” or use sudo if previews fail to load fonts installed system‑wide.

2. Verify font files

• Supported formats: Confirm the font is a supported format (TTF, OTF, WOFF/WOFF2 for web previews).
• File integrity: Re-download or re-export the font if corrupted. Try opening it in the OS font viewer to confirm it renders.

3. Refresh the font cache

• Windows: Open Command Prompt as admin and run:

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  fc-cache -f -v 

  (If fc-cache isn’t available, restart the system to force a cache refresh.)

• macOS / Linux: In Terminal:

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  sudo fc-cache -f -v 

  Then restart PigFontViewer.

4. Check font installation location

• System vs. app directory: If PigFontViewer only previews fonts in a specific folder, move fonts into the app’s watched directory or add that folder in the app’s settings.
• Permissions: Ensure the app can read the folder (adjust folder permissions or run the app with elevated privileges).

5. Resolve rendering and display issues

• Anti-aliasing/ClearType: Toggle ClearType (Windows) or font smoothing (macOS) to see if rendering improves.
• Scaling/DPI: High-DPI scaling can distort previews. Adjust app scaling or system DPI settings and relaunch the app.
• Fallback glyphs: If characters show boxes or question marks, the font lacks those glyphs—test with different sample text or install a proper fallback font.

6. Fix preview list and indexing problems

• Rebuild the app index: Use PigFontViewer’s “Rescan” or “Rebuild Index” feature if available.
• Limit watched folders: Too many files can slow indexing—temporarily narrow watched folders to isolate problematic fonts.

7. Address export and printing failures

• Permissions for export location: Ensure the target folder is writable.
• Export format compatibility: Use a supported export format (PDF, PNG, SVG). For PDF issues, try printing to a virtual PDF printer.

8. Update PigFontViewer and dependencies

• App updates: Install the latest PigFontViewer version—bug fixes often resolve preview problems.
• Runtime libraries: Ensure required runtimes (e.g., .NET, Java) are installed and up to date.

9. Check for font licensing or DRM

• Restricted fonts: Some fonts include DRM preventing preview/export. Check the font’s license or test with a known unrestricted font.

10. Collect logs and reproduce steps

• Enable logging: Turn on verbose or debug logging in PigFontViewer if available.
• Document reproduction steps: Note OS, PigFontViewer version, sample font file, and exact actions leading to the issue.

11. Quick fixes summary (try in order)

1. Restart PigFontViewer and your system.
2. Reinstall or re-download the font.
3. Run font cache rebuild (fc-cache).
4. Check permissions and run the app as admin.
5. Update PigFontViewer and system runtimes.

12. When to seek help

• Provide these items when contacting support: OS/version, PigFontViewer version, a problematic font file, screenshots, and log files. This speeds diagnosis.