Font Assignment in Script not Working

I wrote a few scripts for replacing fonts. But with some fonts it works, with others it doesn't. I think the reason is that, at some point, the 'find-replace by script' feature was broken and became totally buggy.
Sometimes, but not always, exporting files to IDML and back to INDD fixes the problem.

A couple of questions.

Is this an old document that did use the Type 1 version?

What version are you using now? From Adobe Fonts or other? Where did the original Type 1 come from?

Does your Script also find the fonts in all Styles, used or not, and updates them?

Part of the issue is the way InDesign stores information internally for fonts, etc, etc. It will include the font type along with all its other relevant data.

You can see this if you save out an IDML file and open that in an XML editor (like BBEdit): the Resources > Fonts section will list all the fonts used in the document and also the type.

The problem lies in that this internal database doesn’t necessarily remove all the old references, so even if you do a Find/Replace and switch to Opentype version (which is what I assume you are doing), you have to get EVERY reference to it, which means updating all Styles that have Gotham applied, used or not. Regardless, InDesign is properly using the correct font outline as it recognizes fonts by the internal PostScript name, but since there’s a mismatch with the font type, it flags those by adding the “(T1)”.

THEN you have to save the file so the database gets properly rewritten. Sometime you have to save out as an IDML file and reopen it to clear out all the old cruft.

Hi Ken,

I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong here, per se, without seeing your code → this appears to be an InDesign font-mapping conflict.

What I would imagine is happening here is that when both Gotham (T1) and Gotham (OpenType) are present, InDesign’s internal font engine is seeing them as the same family. When your script assigns the new font, InDesign 'resolves' that name to the first version it finds in cache, or something along those lines, which is why it feels like it’s automatically reverting.

I think I’ve found that the only 100% reliable way is to deactivate/uninstall the Type 1 version of Gotham. Since Adobe ended Type 1 support recently, InDesign is particularly 'glitchy' when legacy and modern versions of the same family coexist.

The Script 'Force' Fix: Instead of assigning the font object (e.g., ps.appliedFont = targetFont), try assigning the string name and the style separately. This forces InDesign to re-evaluate the mapping:

JavaScript
ps.appliedFont = "Gotham"; 
ps.fontStyle = "Medium";

Type > Find/Replace Font. If you see the (T1) version there, use the 'Change All' button to swap it to the OpenType version manually. Once the document 'forgets' the T1 version, your script should stop fighting the ghost of the old font.

If you’re on a tight deadline, deactivate the T1 font in your font manager and embrace sanity!