Troubleshooting layouts designed for both Windows and OS X
The following topics describe common problems and solutions when designing layouts for use in both Windows and OS X.
Fonts don’t look the same on Windows and OS X systems
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The following table describes how FileMaker Pro handles fonts when you open a file created on another platform.
 
Note  If FileMaker Pro cannot find a similar font to substitute, it relies on Windows or OS X to determine what font should be substituted.
Layout text is truncated or cut off when viewed in Windows or OS X
Even when FileMaker Pro is able to match fonts, there can be subtle differences in font character width and line spacing when viewed on another operating system. This can cause lines of text to wrap differently or appear cut off, like the following examples.
Examples of truncated layout text
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Field names and columns don’t align in a columnar layout
Check the alignment of the field labels and their associated fields — they should both be aligned in the same direction. If you put a left-aligned label over a column of right-aligned numbers, for example, the report might look fine on your computer. But font substitution could cause field labels to shift when the file is opened on another computer. For more information, see Specifying paragraph attributes and tab settings.
There are gaps between text and data
To combine text and field data (such as to place a field in the middle of a sentence), don’t use separate text objects and field objects. Instead, combine the text and fields into a single merge field. For more information, see Placing merge fields on a layout.
Colors don’t look the same on Windows and OS X systems
Use only the colors available in the System Subset palette or the Web palette. These colors are virtually identical across platforms. Any other colors that you use may not look the same on both Windows and OS X. For information on specifying the palette that appears, see Setting layout preferences.
A script that prints a layout does not print the same in Windows and OS X
Scripts that include Print Setup and Print script steps commands may not be compatible across platforms. If you’re storing special print options with these script steps such as paper size, orientation, and number of copies, FileMaker Pro may not be able to recall these settings properly on the other operating system. (This can occur because each operating system uses different printer driver software for printing, even when printing to the same printer.) To correct the problem, do one of the following:
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If [Get(SystemPlatform) = 1]
Perform Script [“Print in OS X”]
Else
Perform Script [“Print in Windows”]
End If
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Do not use the Perform without dialog option for the Print and Print Setup script steps. This allows users to change the print options when they run the script to print.
For more information, see Print script step and Print Setup script step.
A layout does not print the same in Windows and OS X
Printing can vary because the each operating system uses different printer driver software to control printing. When you’re designing layouts to print data at precise locations, such as mailing label sheets or preprinted forms, you may notice discrepancies when printing the same layout from computers running Windows or OS X.
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