Embedding Fonts

[Cathix]

Hey folks. Hoping someone can help me.

I had been using Quark for years until I started doing pdf's for print-on-demand - then when Quark was giving me problems with font embedding I switched to InDesign, which worked great, for two months.

Now, in a matter of four weeks, I can no longer embed fonts. The last product I created for POD had fully embedded fonts. I've used the same Distiller setting for my next project, and the fonts aren't embedding.

I would do this: take my InDesign file, make a postscript file via Adobe PDF, then convert the postscript file to a pdf via Distiller. The same options I clicked on before no longer work. I reinstalled both InDesign and Acrobat, with no success. I installed InDesign onto our other computer, still no success.

In my pdf's I now keep getting embedded subsets instead of fully embedded fonts. If anyone can help me I'd appreciate it - I've got jobs out the wazoo and I can't deliver the goods if I can't get fonts to fully embed.

 

[D_Sinclair]

I'd say you got lucky. Adobe announced back with Acrobat 4 that they would start adhering to the embedding data flag hidden inside the various font types, which tells the software if and how a particular font can be embedded. So you either used different fonts that happened to be restriction-free on the PDF that did process the way you wanted, or you were using an older version of Distiller, since the distiller is the final arbitrator on the embedding of the fonts.

My suggestion is get yourself another PDF generator. Use that to generate the PDF with embedded fonts, then open the file with Acrobat to add the extras. Here at ARP, all the PDFs are output via PDFfactory Pro, then edited for bookmarks and the like with Acrobat 4.0.

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

I wonder if that's the same reason why I cannot embedd my fonts in Quark 5. Not a big deal right now, but I got some stuff coming soon that I want to POD and I'd like to find a solution before then.

 

[Cathix]

I wonder if that's the same reason why I cannot embedd my fonts in Quark 5. Not a big deal right now, but I got some stuff coming soon that I want to POD and I'd like to find a solution before then.

I'll tell you both, it's uncanny. With literally the same settings I used for our latest release's POD, I can't get a new pdf with embedded fonts. Even if I create a new InDesign doc and try to pdf it, no luck with the fonts.

By the way, I downloaded PDfFactory Pro's trial version (which I love the ease of use already), and even though I selected the fonts I wanted to embed, when I checked doc properties in Acrobat, I only got embedded subsets. I'm using InDesign CS and Acrobat 6.0.

What I read an article about was the possibility that if your machine is having RAM problems you may not be able to fully embed fonts. That is the only thing that's changed in this whole equation: when I did the layout for our book Oak Island I was using my brand new HP laptop. That had to go into the shop for a minor repair and I'm working on a much older machine.

It's driving me crazy that I have to wait 2 more weeks to see if that's the problem.

Meanwhile my better half and all-around fixit guy Sean Frolich has found a temporary fix: he selects text in Acrobat with the Touch Up Text tool, right clicks to get the properties, and unchecks the 'subset' box. Then when you look at the document properties again, the fonts show up fully embedded. So at least I don't have to quit my job and work for the city driving a bus...

That's just a pain in the ass, though. But if anyone's ever stuck in a similar situation, try that - it'll get the job done.

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

I was coming here to beat my virtual head against the virtual wall in frustration over the whole font embedding thing in Quark 5. I saw the above suggestion so I decided to hold off on the self-inflicted pain until I gave it a try. Here's what the machine told me:

Permissions: No system font available.

TouchUp cannot change the selection to the chosen font. The chosen font is embedded and subsetted and there is no compatible system font available.

So, I'm back to beating my head again. This is getting very annoying.

By the way, I am using a brand-new Dell notebook with 512 megs of RAM running only Quark at the moment and I'm still getting the problem, so I don't know if RAM is really an issue.

 

[pigames.net]

You guys still can't get the fonts embedded?

Cathix, it's been a while since I've used inDesign, but doesn't it save native PDF files rather than using the Distiller? Doesn't that embed the fonts?

Here are some ideas:

1. If your version of the distiller can save log files, switch it on. Distill the file and look through the log to see if any errors are ocurring.

2. Are all fonts not embedding (other than the built-in ones)? If some are, see what differences there are between them.

3. If you would like, PM me (do PMs even work here?) or use our contact form ( http://www.pigames.net/contact.php ) for my email address. If you send me one of the fonts, a 1-page quark file using the font, and the resulting PDF file, I'll see if I can help narrow down the problem.

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

Nope, not being able to do so yet. I know you were addressing Cathix above to try some stuff with InDesign, but I gave it a try with Quark 5 as well, just to see.

Quark 5 doesn't save as PDF, so that was out. The Export as PDF option is not working for me, so I'm gonna try to repair the program tonight, see what happens.

I can print to Adobe PDF, though I'm not showing up an option to print to the distiller. I have Adobe Distiller 6, but I can't seem to figure out how to generate a postscript file that the distiller can then turn into a PDF.

One annoying thing is that the PDF IS embedding some of the fonts, but not all. I am doing an adventure for Green Ronin's Testament, and they sent me their font files. The font used for the regular text is embedding completely, but the font used for the titles (Pythia) is only subsetting, as is Windings, which I am using for some bullets and such.

I don't mind releasing an ebook first while I work out the kinks in the embedding thing, but I'd like to offer this as a print book as well and if Quark is not working, and InDesign is not working, then I have no idea what to do. :/

I'll send you what you're asking for later tonight or tomorrow, Brett. Thanks for the offer.

 

[pigames.net]

I can print to Adobe PDF, though I'm not showing up an option to print to the distiller.

In which program and operating system?

Thanks for the offer.

Not a problem.

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

In which program and operating system?

Quark 5, Windows XP.

I'll try to put together that 1-pager this weekend.

 

[pigames.net]

I can print to Adobe PDF, though I'm not showing up an option to print to the distiller. I have Adobe Distiller 6, but I can't seem to figure out how to generate a postscript file that the distiller can then turn into a PDF.

1. You need the PDF Export xtension in your quark xtensions folder and active.
2. You need to set preferences for it, telling it where the Adobe Acrobat Distiller is.
3. The option to export should show up in the menu where the optional tools show up (I can't remember what it's called).

So, make sure about #1 above. This method of exporting is more reliable and faster than the print option.