How Can I Fix Incorrect Printing of Hebrew Text from Word?

AA-02902


Some BibleWorks users have found that exported Hebrew text does not print properly from MS Word. For example, the Hebrew text may display properly in Word, but print with dotted circles in the midst of the Hebrew words.

BibleWorks 8 and 9 export Hebrew text in the SBL Hebrew font unless program options are set to export in a non-Unicode font. The SBL Hebrew font is a non-BibleWorks Unicode font that we license and include in the program (http://www.sbl-site.org/educational/BiblicalFonts_SBLHebrew.aspx).  BibleWorks has so far not been able to reproduce the reported behavior, but these suggestions may help if you are encountering this problem.

1. Make sure that your computer has the most recent printer driver for the printer that you are using by updating the printer driver.

Click here for instructions for Windows 7.

Click here for instructions for Windows Vista.

Click here for instructions for Windows XP.

2. Make sure that your copy of the SBL Hebrew font is up to date.

1. Go to Start | Control Panel | Fonts.

2. Find the SBL Hebrew Regular font in the list of fonts.

3. Right click on SBL Hebrew Regular and choose Properties.

4. Click the details tab and check the “File version” that is listed there. It should be “1.56a Build 016” or larger.

a. If it is lower than 1.56a Build 016, make sure that you have run the free updates for BibleWorks 8 or 9 including any font updates. See here  for how to install updates for your version of BibleWorks.

Be sure to restart your computer after you have run any font updates as this is a good step toward ensuring that you have the most recent version of the SBL Hebrew font that we have received for the version of BibleWorks installed on your computer.

b. Alternatively, you may download and install the latest version of the SBL Hebrew font from the SBL website here. That page has links to additional information from the developers of the SBL Hebrew font such as an FAQ section for the SBL fonts.

If updating printer drivers and the SBL font to “1.56a Build 016” or larger is not helpful, please note the following possible workarounds:

1. Use another Hebrew font to export Hebrew. BibleWorks 9 ships with the Ezra SIL SR Unicode font. You switch to export in this font by going to Tools | Options | General | Fonts | click the radio button for Export Fonts then change the Unicode Hebrew font to the Ezra SIL SR font.

2. If you are using Word 2007 or later you may save the document to PDF, open the pdf document in Acrobat Reader, and print the document.

3. Turn off the capability to export Hebrew text in a Unicode font if you have no requirement to use Unicode fonts. See here for how to set BibleWorks to export in non-Unicode fonts.

Last Updated, MC/September 26, 2012