diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 32a3833..a61f79f 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Package: gridpattern
 Type: Package
 Title: 'grid' Pattern Grobs
-Version: 1.1.0
+Version: 1.1.1
 Authors@R: c(person("Mike", "FC", role = "aut", comment = "Code/docs adapted from ggpattern"),
         person("Trevor L", "Davis", role=c("aut", "cre"), email="trevor.l.davis@gmail.com",
                comment = c(ORCID = "0000-0001-6341-4639")),
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 1523dd1..da45eac 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+gridpattern v1.1.1
+==================
+
+* "text" pattern example now skipped if ran within certain graphics devices like `pdf()`
+  that can't handle the playing cards Unicode glyphs (#68).
+
 gridpattern v1.1.0
 ==================
 
diff --git a/R/pattern-both-text.R b/R/pattern-both-text.R
index 4953705..3d19eb6 100644
--- a/R/pattern-both-text.R
+++ b/R/pattern-both-text.R
@@ -11,17 +11,19 @@
 #' @param fontface The font face.  See [grid::gpar()] for more details.
 #' @return A grid grob object invisibly.  If `draw` is `TRUE` then also draws to the graphic device as a side effect.
 #' @examples
-#'   if (require("grid") && capabilities("png")) {
-#'     x_hex <- 0.5 + 0.5 * cos(seq(2 * pi / 4, by = 2 * pi / 6, length.out = 6))
-#'     y_hex <- 0.5 + 0.5 * sin(seq(2 * pi / 4, by = 2 * pi / 6, length.out = 6))
+#' if (require("grid") &&
+#'     capabilities("png") &&
+#'     gridpattern:::device_supports_unicode()) {
+#'   x_hex <- 0.5 + 0.5 * cos(seq(2 * pi / 4, by = 2 * pi / 6, length.out = 6))
+#'   y_hex <- 0.5 + 0.5 * sin(seq(2 * pi / 4, by = 2 * pi / 6, length.out = 6))
 #'
-#'     playing_card_symbols <- c("\u2660", "\u2665", "\u2666", "\u2663")
-#'     grid.newpage()
-#'     grid.pattern_text(x_hex, y_hex,
-#'                      shape = playing_card_symbols,
-#'                      colour = c("black", "red", "red", "black"),
-#'                      size = 18, spacing = 0.1, angle = 0)
-#'   }
+#'   playing_card_symbols <- c("\u2660", "\u2665", "\u2666", "\u2663")
+#'   grid.newpage()
+#'   grid.pattern_text(x_hex, y_hex,
+#'                    shape = playing_card_symbols,
+#'                    colour = c("black", "red", "red", "black"),
+#'                    size = 18, spacing = 0.1, angle = 0)
+#' }
 #' @export
 grid.pattern_text <- function(x = c(0, 0, 1, 1), y = c(1, 0, 0, 1), id = 1L, ...,
                               colour = gp$col %||% "grey20",
diff --git a/R/utils-misc.R b/R/utils-misc.R
index bd0cf0f..8ae78a2 100644
--- a/R/utils-misc.R
+++ b/R/utils-misc.R
@@ -5,3 +5,29 @@ assert_suggested <- function(package, pattern) {
                i = glue('Install with the command `install.packages("{package}")`')))
     }
 }
+
+# base R's Cairo/Quartz devices as well as {ragg} / {svglite} / {vdiffr} devices
+# should support Unicode without complaint
+# Notably `pdf()` is a device that does not...
+# Any other devices to add?
+device_supports_unicode <- function() {
+    device <- names(grDevices::dev.cur())
+    if (device %in% c("agg_jpeg", "agg_ppm", "agg_png", "agg_tiff", # {ragg}
+                      "devSVG", # {svglite} / {vdiffr}
+                      "quartz", "quartz_off_screen", # Quartz
+                      "cairo_pdf", "cairo_ps", "svg", "X11cairo") # Cairo
+    ) {
+        TRUE
+    } else if (device %in% c("bmp", "jpeg", "png", "tiff")) {
+        # on unix non-"cairo" type have different device names from "cairo" type
+        # but on Windows can't distinguish between `type = "windows"` or `type = "cairo"`
+        # Windows device doesn't support new patterns feature
+        if (getRversion() >= "4.2.0") {
+            "LinearGradient" %in% grDevices::dev.capabilities()$patterns
+        } else {
+            .Platform$OS.type == "unix"
+        }
+    } else {
+        FALSE
+    }
+}
diff --git a/cran-comments.md b/cran-comments.md
index 0563eb6..3227b79 100644
--- a/cran-comments.md
+++ b/cran-comments.md
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-* Example that triggered a "Examples with CPU time > 2.5 times elapsed time" NOTE
-  is now wrapped in `\donttest{}`.
+* "text" pattern example now skipped if ran within certain graphics devices like `pdf()`
+  that can't handle the playing cards Unicode glyphs (#68).
 
 ## Test environments
 
 * local (linux, R 4.3.1)
+* local (linux, R devel)
 * win-builder (windows, R devel)
 * github actions (linux, R oldrel)
 * github actions (linux, R release)
diff --git a/man/grid.pattern_text.Rd b/man/grid.pattern_text.Rd
index dccfea5..d2de5d7 100644
--- a/man/grid.pattern_text.Rd
+++ b/man/grid.pattern_text.Rd
@@ -120,15 +120,17 @@ A grid grob object invisibly.  If \code{draw} is \code{TRUE} then also draws to
 \code{grid.pattern_text()} draws a text character pattern onto the graphic device.
 }
 \examples{
-  if (require("grid") && capabilities("png")) {
-    x_hex <- 0.5 + 0.5 * cos(seq(2 * pi / 4, by = 2 * pi / 6, length.out = 6))
-    y_hex <- 0.5 + 0.5 * sin(seq(2 * pi / 4, by = 2 * pi / 6, length.out = 6))
-
-    playing_card_symbols <- c("\u2660", "\u2665", "\u2666", "\u2663")
-    grid.newpage()
-    grid.pattern_text(x_hex, y_hex,
-                     shape = playing_card_symbols,
-                     colour = c("black", "red", "red", "black"),
-                     size = 18, spacing = 0.1, angle = 0)
-  }
+if (require("grid") &&
+    capabilities("png") &&
+    gridpattern:::device_supports_unicode()) {
+  x_hex <- 0.5 + 0.5 * cos(seq(2 * pi / 4, by = 2 * pi / 6, length.out = 6))
+  y_hex <- 0.5 + 0.5 * sin(seq(2 * pi / 4, by = 2 * pi / 6, length.out = 6))
+
+  playing_card_symbols <- c("\u2660", "\u2665", "\u2666", "\u2663")
+  grid.newpage()
+  grid.pattern_text(x_hex, y_hex,
+                   shape = playing_card_symbols,
+                   colour = c("black", "red", "red", "black"),
+                   size = 18, spacing = 0.1, angle = 0)
+}
 }