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Participant
Jul 22, 2010 3:37 AM UTC
Question

How to un-do outlines fonts?

Help! I'm under deadline to update my wine labels and my designer from last year "created outlines"

so now all of my fonts are un-editable. They just appear as thousands of blue dots when selected.

Is there a way to change them back to regular text?

17 replies

Participant
Jun 23, 2024 12:30 PM UTC

Always save 2 files, the original file in the text file and the copy file with the created outlined text, The printer normally asks for the outlined text file so it will not ask for the fonts, 

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cameronprudames
Participant
Nov 12, 2021 9:04 AM UTC

What I ldo .. before I outline the text I will copy all of the text into a new layer (does not need to have an artboard) make that layers visibility hidden. That way you only have to have one document which has the outline text and also editable text

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Michael Riordan
Inspiring
Aug 2, 2010 6:02 PM UTC

Outlining fonts is a sometimes necessary evil. What I've learned to do is duplicate the type BEFORE i outline it and move that duplicate text to its own layer. When I turn of the layer, Illustrator does not trouble with it, does not say I'm missing fonts, ignores it basically. Then I go ahead and outline the original  type that's on the original layer. If anyone comes along and asks for a change, I can switch my hidden type layer back on and work with text. If it gets shipped anywhere else and they don't have the font, the can at least turn on the layer and check the type specs and the name of the missing font.

Just a good working practice.

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Inspiring
Aug 2, 2010 6:56 PM UTC

Michael Riordan wrote:

Outlining fonts is a sometimes necessary evil. What I've learned to do is duplicate the type BEFORE i outline it and move that duplicate text to its own layer. <snipped>

That's an interesting way to go Michael...

I tend to use the other option of two files... must try this and see if it fits my ways...

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Scott Falkner
Community Expert
Community Expert
Jul 22, 2010 4:34 AM UTC

No. You will need to retype the text and reformat. Now you know not to do that in the future and to tell all your designers not to.

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Participant
Jul 22, 2010 5:13 AM UTC

Thanks Scott....that's what I was afraid of, and what my

Illustrator teacher also told us never to do. I wonder why printers

want the fonts outlined...because they might not own the font?

It seems like Illustraor should have an "undo create outline" feature!

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_scott__
Legend
Jul 22, 2010 5:18 AM UTC

It's common to have a 2-file workflow... similar to photoshop. One file to edit then save as to create an output file with type outlined. Always return to teh original file for edits then save as again and overwrite the output file.

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