Font Size Changes When Creating a Second Object From Symbols Studio

[Muscolino]

I'm not sure is this is a bug or user error but I run into whenever I try to use Symbols.

I create symbol from the footer of artboard 1 to duplicate and sync on footers of other artboards. I can create the symbol fine but when I drag the newly created symbol from the Symbols Studio panel to artboard 2, the text becomes a much smaller font size. If I try to correct the font size in the artboard 2 footer symbol, the font size in the artboard 1 footer symbol is increased.

I've attached a screenshot as well as a Designer file.

Symbols Problem.afdesign

[carl123]

If you create a text-based symbol on an Artboard that has previously been resized by using the outer bottom-right resizing handle (not the normal bottom-right handle) then the font size in the symbol will no longer match that of the original text you just used to create the symbol.

I suspect this is what you are seeing or something equally quirky

[Muscolino]

@carl123

That's a good thing to know! In my case though, these artboards were all created via a PDF import without any manual resizing ... which still may be causing the quirkiness.

 

I should also mention there are constraints applied to the 2 text boxes in question. 

[Sean P]

Hi anthony.t,

It certainly sounds as though there is some form of scaling (that is not visible) being imported from the PDF, that is causing the problems you're seeing as carl123 has said. I can recreate this on a new document by scaling the Artboard.

Would it be possible for you to attach a copy of the PDF please?

[Muscolino]

I've attached the original PDF file that was created and exported from ArcGIS. The symbol in question I created from scratch within Designer. Basically I recreated the footer and frame you'll see in the PDF which is comprised of several text shape layers. I then grouped all those elements and created a symbol from that group. The weird text scaling comes about when I drag the symbol to the second artboard.

Also, thank you.

Demo_Scaling.pdf

[Sean P]

Thank you very much for the PDF - at a guess I think there is some scaling factors being imported from the PDF, but I can't actually delve deep enough to see. I will pass it on to development to investigate what is happening!

I did find that if you draw out a new Artboard and drag those objects on to it (prior to making them a symbol), when you then make a symbol from them the scaling will be correct.

Thanks again!

[Muscolino]

Thanks @Sean P

Your suggestion worked! I drew out a new artboard and created the footer group on the new board. Created a symbol from that group and I'm successfully able to drag that symbol onto the other artboards and they sync perfectly. I still can't figure out where the scaling comes from but this solution is very helpful!