How to Fix a Font-Related PDF Generation (Printing) Problem
© Ugur Akinci
Sometimes you will not be able to generate a PDF copy of a MS Word or Adobe FrameMaker technical document because of a font problem.
More specifically, your PDF will not be generated because you have the “Rely on systems fonts only” setting turned on in your printer preferences.
This will create an issue if ALL of the fonts you have used in your document are not system fonts (like Times Roman or Arial, etc.).
When that preference is turned on, your PDF engine will not use the fonts used in your document — unless all of them are the same as your system fonts.
As a result, you will not be able to generate a PDF copy.
Follow these steps to fix this problem:
(1) Go to your application’s Print Setup dialog box (the way this screen looks may change from one application and operating system to another):
NOTE: Make sure Adobe PDF is selected in the Printer drop-down list.
(2) Click the print Properties button to display Adobe PDF Document Properties dialog box:
(3) Unselect the “Rely on system fonts only; do not use document fonts” check-box.
(4) Click OK.
Now if you go back and try to generate the same PDF file again you should be able to do so without any problems.
Thank you for sharing this information. I’d been vexed by this issue since I got my new PC!
Jennifer, glad to help. Thanks for reading TCC. Best regards, Ugur
How do I know what my system fonts are? Where do my system fonts reside?
I’m trying to use Palatino Linotype font that is included in my FramMaker 9 font list, but when I Save As PDF, I get the font replaced with strange symbols. When I go to Control Panel > Fonts, I see a Palatino Linotype font there. So are there other fonts in other places that the PDF converter should be finding?
Bonnie, excellent question. First off, your fonts are stored in their own folder at (assuming you are using Windows 7 OS) C:\Windows\Font directory. Do you see Palatino Linotype saved in that directory? That’s the first thing you should check.
A problem like this sometimes is not easy to resolve quickly due to the presence of other factors involved. It seems like your Acrobat Distiller (which is the document engine under the surface that creates the PDF by translating everything into Postscript) is making a bad substitution for a font (Palatino Linotype) that it interprets as “missing.”
Here is what you can do to make sure that your Distiller engine is “seeing” your Adobe fonts, which are used by FrameMaker as well.
(1) FIRST OFF — backup all your files in case they crash or get corrupted during the procedure.
(2) In your Adobe Acrobat (Professional), select Advanced > Print Production > Adobe Distiller to launch the Distiller application.
Once Acrobat Distiller dialog box displays:
(3) Select Settings > Font Locations to display the Font Locations screen. Make sure that one of the paths listed in the text box is something like “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Fonts
(4) Select Settings > Edit Adobe PDF settings. In the left navigation pane, click the FONTS folder. Make sure the “Embed all fonts” check-box is selected since without that, Distiller cannot make a correct substitution for the missing fonts. Select “Palatino Linotype” from the FONT SOURCE list, click ADD to make sure it is transferred to and listed under the ALWAYS EMBED list. Click OK when done. Hopefully that should solve your problem and eliminate the substitution of Palatino Linotype with strange characters.
Also, here’s a good video about how to use Adobe’s Preflight tool to fix such font problems:
http://tv.adobe.com/watch/acrobat-x-tips-tricks/quick-tip-how-to-embed-fonts-in-a-pdf/
I hope this helps. Good luck. Ugur