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hubercrista
Participant
January 16, 2020
Question

Fonts issues in InDesign to PDF

  • January 16, 2020
  • 3 replies
  • 538 views

I have a strange issue with a font that's used in both QuarkXpress and Indesign. When a file is exported from QuarkExpress to PDF, it renders correctly in the PDF, but when I use the same fonts to export from InDesign to PDF, they look terrible. 

 

Here is a sample from Quark generated file: 

and here is the InDesign generated PDF file: 

The most obvious issue is the registration mark, but the font looks generally variable in thickness, etc, across characters. 

 

Anyone have any idea why the same font would render differently? 

And oddly, I've tried to "create outlines" in InDesign, and it still renders the same error, but when I do flattener preview, it works, but only with massive artifacts. 

 

Thanks in advance! 

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

Lukas Engqvist
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 17, 2020

As said before you don't want to outline text. Also make sure text is above objects that are transparent, and that the font has the ability to be embedded. In your two samples you are comparing different size text, that could be part of the problem, When you outline text you remove hinting, which is the technology to help the strokes in the text be even at small sizes.

What font are we talking about by the by?

Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 17, 2020

With outlining text in InDesign you loose:

  • Frame strokes
  • Frame color
  • Text variables
  • Automatic bullets
  • Automatic numbers
  • Paragraph rules
  • Underlines 
  • Strikethrough
  • Cross references

and many things more.

Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 16, 2020

Never outline any text in InDesign. Never. The other issue I cannot follow.

 

Legend
January 16, 2020

The variable thickness shows that the text is outlined, which is almost never a good idea. So, to avoid that

- don't flatten

- don't export as PDF 1.3 or PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-3

Lukas Engqvist
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 17, 2020

Why not PDF/X1a ? It is a solid format, if you do not know the competency of your printer.

Legend
January 17, 2020

I'm suggesting to avoid all formats that will perform flattening of transparency. I'm assuming the original poster wants a PDF that looks good on screen, since the post is about screen problems...