Hi all - just downloaded Inkscape. When I launch the program, all the supposed text in the opening dialogs are just strange characters - see image. Any ideas - MAC M3 Pro, Sonoma 14.6.1 I tried older versions and the latest beta version as well - all the same.
There seems no instant cure or general receipt to tackle down this from to take happen. One could be a third party font manager, which you probably can disable while installing Inkscape. If that‘ s the case I highly recommend to deinstall Inkscape completely from your Mac (I use free appCleaner.app to get rid off all hidden Library files) restart Mac and install Inkscape again.
Thanks for the info- I do not use a 3rd party font manager. What font should that splash screen be using? I can check to make sure it is installed. FYI - I have another MAC - M2 Pro, Sonoma 14.7 and it works fine.
I can help, but not sure when - let me know what you need me to do/try.
1.4 has just been released . Maybe give it a try. Not saying any changes were made in this regard. I‘d uninstall (with free appcleaner.app) Inkscape before 1.4. though. Good luck - fingers crossed.
I ran appcleaner - installed 1.4 - same issue. I captured this screen shot which might be interesting seeing that some of the text is ok. Is there some sort of system font that Inkscape is expecting? I clicked thru the gibberish to get an Inkscape document open and all the fonts in the interface are the same way.
It seems a GTK4 bug to the developer as it tries this ".AppleSystemUIFont 12". Do you have by any chance "Helvetica Fractions" font installed which you can disable for a moment if that´s the case and check if that will cure the UI look? You need to deinstall Inkscape first (don´t forget all Library files and empty the trash) before reinstalling.
I was able to resolve this issue. In the USER Library on the MAC, there was a Font folder. After process of elimination - the font causing the issue was "Helvetica Comp Bitmapped Fonts"
Trashing this font allows Inkscape to launch correctly. Note - I did not have to delete or reinstall Inkscape, or restart the machine. Moving the font between trash and the User/Library/Font folder would either allow Inkscape to start properly (with the font in the trash,) or not start properly with the font moved back to the folder.
There are 3 font folders in macOS and why Inkscape‘s internal setting choose this one from the user library instead one from the system folder is beyond me. I’d like to inform the dev team (though there‘s no macOS dev onboard afaik) and hopefully they have a clue of what is going on. Thanks for your great report.
Hello. I have an iMac with iOS Sequoia 15. I have been able to solve the problem mentioned above by uninstalling some of the Helvetica font variants. Specifically Helvetica Compressed. I can now open the program correctly and the texts appear instead of strange symbols. But now from the program I cannot access the different folders, for example the Desktop. It tells me that access is not allowed. Is there a solution?
@BittorDg • This has nothing to do with Inkscape but with macOS´ security settings. macOS will ask if you allow access to the hard disk and redirect you to the macOS Preferences: Security & Privacy->Privacy tab->Full Disk Access+Files and Folders. Unlock, navigate to Inkscape and activate the entry or when it´s not listed hit the + icon and find Inkscape in you program folder.
Beginners' Questions Strange font characters when launching Inkscape
Inkscape.org
Hi all - just downloaded Inkscape.
When I launch the program, all the supposed text in the opening dialogs are just strange characters - see image.
Any ideas - MAC M3 Pro, Sonoma 14.6.1
I tried older versions and the latest beta version as well - all the same.
There seems no instant cure or general receipt to tackle down this from to take happen. One could be a third party font manager, which you probably can disable while installing Inkscape. If that‘ s the case I highly recommend to deinstall Inkscape completely from your Mac (I use free appCleaner.app to get rid off all hidden Library files) restart Mac and install Inkscape again.
@gadgetman are you willing to help in the team–devel–mac chat towork on this bug? https://chat.inkscape.org/channel/team_devel_mac
Thanks for the info- I do not use a 3rd party font manager.
What font should that splash screen be using? I can check to make sure it is installed.
FYI - I have another MAC - M2 Pro, Sonoma 14.7 and it works fine.
I can help, but not sure when - let me know what you need me to do/try.
Thanks
1.4 has just been released . Maybe give it a try. Not saying any changes were made in this regard. I‘d uninstall (with free appcleaner.app) Inkscape before 1.4. though. Good luck - fingers crossed.
I ran appcleaner - installed 1.4 - same issue. I captured this screen shot which might be interesting seeing that some of the text is ok.
Is there some sort of system font that Inkscape is expecting? I clicked thru the gibberish to get an Inkscape document open and all the fonts in the interface are the same way.
Can you please tell me where you got this version from exactly?
It seems a GTK4 bug to the developer as it tries this ".AppleSystemUIFont 12". Do you have by any chance "Helvetica Fractions" font installed which you can disable for a moment if that´s the case and check if that will cure the UI look? You need to deinstall Inkscape first (don´t forget all Library files and empty the trash) before reinstalling.
Version came from here - arm64 version:
https://inkscape.org/release/1.4/mac-os-x/
Initial check - I do not find Helvetica Fractions in the system, but will try a couple things regarding the fonts and let you know.
I was able to resolve this issue.
In the USER Library on the MAC, there was a Font folder.
After process of elimination - the font causing the issue was "Helvetica Comp Bitmapped Fonts"
Trashing this font allows Inkscape to launch correctly.
Note - I did not have to delete or reinstall Inkscape, or restart the machine. Moving the font between trash and the User/Library/Font folder would either allow Inkscape to start properly (with the font in the trash,) or not start properly with the font moved back to the folder.
There are 3 font folders in macOS and why Inkscape‘s internal setting choose this one from the user library instead one from the system folder is beyond me. I’d like to inform the dev team (though there‘s no macOS dev onboard afaik) and hopefully they have a clue of what is going on. Thanks for your great report.
Hello. I have an iMac with iOS Sequoia 15. I have been able to solve the problem mentioned above by uninstalling some of the Helvetica font variants. Specifically Helvetica Compressed. I can now open the program correctly and the texts appear instead of strange symbols.
But now from the program I cannot access the different folders, for example the Desktop. It tells me that access is not allowed. Is there a solution?
@BittorDg • This has nothing to do with Inkscape but with macOS´ security settings. macOS will ask if you allow access to the hard disk and redirect you to the macOS Preferences: Security & Privacy->Privacy tab->Full Disk Access+Files and Folders. Unlock, navigate to Inkscape and activate the entry or when it´s not listed hit the + icon and find Inkscape in you program folder.
Thank you very much.
As it has not happened to me in any other program, I thought it was a fault of the program.
Thank you again.
Bittor----
So you´re able to get access to your HD+folders to save Inkscape files?