Hi, I'd appreciate any help with the following problem.

I'm typing up some slides using Palatino Linotype (henceforth, PL) as
my font. But when I use the section sign ('§'), it switches to Arial
and refuses to be switched back to PL. Here's a vivid way of
appreciating the problem. I type Alt-0165 and get a nice yen sign in
PL, and then Alt-0166 and a broken bar in PL, but then Alt-0167 and the
section sign is inexplicably in Arial. The diaresis (Alt-0168) is also
in Arial, but then the copyright sign (Alt-1069) is in PL. Or
alternatively: I click Insert > Symbol, and insert the same characters
I just mentioned: yen sign in PL, broken bar in PL, but then section
sign and diaresis in Arial, and then copyright sign in PL. I'm doing
the same thing with each character, it's just that some of them go into
Arial for unknown reasons.

All I want is a section sign in Palatino Linotype. I can do this in
Microsoft Word, and also in Wordpad, and even in Notepad! But
Powerpoint simply refuses. (It's not that Palatino Linotype lacks the
section sign; it's that Powerpoint rejects it)

FYI: The same problem arises for Palatino.

Also FYI: the 'Arial switch' starts occurring again later, 18
characters into Latin Extended-A. Palatino Linotype works fine up to
and including the Croatian lower-case d with a stroke. But from the
next character on, Arial shows up and forces itself upon you.

And finally: when my slide is bereft of text, Arial is listed as the
font; but when I type my first character, it switches to Palatino
Linotype. I have no idea why this happens. I want nothing to do with
Arial.

Just for info I'm using 2003 SP2 and I dont get this in either PL or PL
linotype alt 167 in either gives me a section sign in that font

As with John, I'm not seeing this here in PL on PPT 2003/SP2.
If you have a different version, mention that and perhaps one of us can check.

Meanwhile, let's test another theory. You mention that (I'm summarizing here;
stop me if I get it wrong) when no text is selected, you see Arial in the font
dropdown but when you start typing in the text placeholders the text becomes
PL.

Try this:

With nothing selected and the font dropdown showing Arial, change the font to
PL.

See if that helps.



In article <1159592495.309416.193100>, wrote:
[..]
> Also FYI: the 'Arial switch' starts occurring again later, 18
> characters into Latin Extended-A. Palatino Linotype works fine up to
> and including the Croatian lower-case d with a stroke. But from the
> next character on, Arial shows up and forces itself upon you.
>
> And finally: when my slide is bereft of text, Arial is listed as the
> font; but when I type my first character, it switches to Palatino
> Linotype. I have no idea why this happens. I want nothing to do with
> Arial.
>

-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

I have PPT 2002 SP-2.

So I'll leave aside the section sign. Right now the dropdown shows
Arial until I click on some PL text at which point it shows PL. I'm
using the "Title and Text" layout. When I click on the periphery of the
slide (outside the Title and Text dashed rectangles), and then select
PL as my font, it does indeed change to PL. There are no problems
there. However, if I click on an empty Title rectangle (reading "Click
to add title") and then select PL as my font, nothing happens and the
dropdown still shows Arial. The same goes for an empty Text rectangle
(reading "Click to add text").

This doesn't happen only with PL. It also happens with Garamond and
many other fonts (obviously, I haven't tested them all): when I click
on a Text or Title rectangle and select (e.g.) Garamond as my font,
nothing happens and the dropdown still shows Arial.

Of course, despite the fact that the dropdown shows Arial, as soon as I
type my first character, it dutifully goes into PL or Garamond or
whatever I selected. It remains in the selected font until I 'backspace
away' all those characters, at which point it reverts to Arial.

Even more bizarre: There are some fonts where this doesn't happen, e.g.
MS Gothic. That is, when I click on a Text or Title rectangle and
select MS Gothic as my font, the dropdown now shows MS Gothic just like
it's supposed to. But (here's what's bizarre) if I then select Arial,
it still shows MS Gothic! Now I can't switch the dropdown back to
Arial! Of course, once I select Arial and start typing, it goes into
Arial and remains there until I delete all the characters and it
reverts to MS Gothic.

But if click on a Title or Text rectangle (it shows Arial), and then
select MS Gothic, and then select Simsun, it shows Simsun. I can switch
the dropdown back and forth between MS Gothic and Simsun without any
problem. But when I select Arial, nothing happens to the dropdown.

So when you select *some* fonts, they don't show up in the dropdown
until you start typing. And when you select *other* fonts, they *do*
show up in the dropdown but then prevent you from switching to Arial
(of all fonts).

I've always had this problem, but it's never been a big deal (until the
section sign thing) because it switches when you start typing.
Nevertheless, it's very confusing.



Steve Rindsberg wrote:
[..]

And I forgot to say, thanks for your help.

In article <1159642052.785587.310760>, wrote:
> I have PPT 2002 SP-2.
>
> So I'll leave aside the section sign. Right now the dropdown shows
> Arial until I click on some PL text at which point it shows PL.

That's normal. PPT shows you its default font setting that it *will* apply to
text in textboxes and other shapes until you actually select some text; at that
point it shows you the font the text has actually been set TO.

> I'm
> using the "Title and Text" layout. When I click on the periphery of the
> slide (outside the Title and Text dashed rectangles), and then select
> PL as my font, it does indeed change to PL. There are no problems
> there. However, if I click on an empty Title rectangle (reading "Click
> to add title") and then select PL as my font, nothing happens and the
> dropdown still shows Arial. The same goes for an empty Text rectangle
> (reading "Click to add text").

OK, that's where the Bizarre-o-meter starts to bounce against the peg. That's not
normal.

First thing I'd do is save a copy of the presentation then follow the instructions
here:

HTML "Round-tripping" to repair corruption
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00526.htm

See if round-tripping to html and back (and yes, I *do* realize how unlikely it
sounds <g>) makes it behave better.

[..]
> until you start typing. And when you select *other* fonts, they *do*
> show up in the dropdown but then prevent you from switching to Arial
> (of all fonts).
>
> I've always had this problem, but it's never been a big deal (until the
> section sign thing) because it switches when you start typing.
> Nevertheless, it's very confusing.
>
> Steve Rindsberg wrote:
>

-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

In article <1159642315.634548.284530>, wrote:
> And I forgot to say, thanks for your help.

You're very welcome. Assuming any of the suggestions help, that is. <g>

-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================

I also experience the "section-sign" problem, but for several different
symbols, and not restricted to any particular font. I have tried the
following on several different machines running PPT XP/2002 and PPT 2003
(SP2), all WinXP, with exactly the same result.

Open a new blank presentation (at this point the default font is usually
Arial), then insert a text box. In the text box, type (using
"Insert|Symbol..." or Alt-0167) a section sign (or, in fact, a diaeresis,
plus-minus sign, acute accent, or degree sign), which appears, as it ought
to, in Arial. Then select that symbol and choose, say, Times New Roman from
the font drop-down on the toolbar (or from "Format|Font..."). On every
machine I have tried, nothing happens. The font of the symbol remains Arial
and the text in the font drop-down still says Arial.

I think it's unconnected to the other problem that you describe, because I
haven't noticed that on any of the machines I've tried.