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Participant
August 25, 2026
Question

InDesign will not load all the installed fonts.

  • August 25, 2026
  • 4 replies
  • 53 views

No matter how I install the fonts, InDesign won’t make them available. I’ve used third-party font managers, Font Book, installed fonts directly into the system library and added them to the Fonts subfolder in the InDesign folder.

The fonts appear I all my other applications including Illustrator and Photoshop.

Interestingly, unavailable fonts become available in previously created documents that use a particular font. I can select the text and change the wight of the font, but it still doesn’t show up in the font list pull-down menu. I can also copy and paste the text into a new document to use a specific font. However, If I want to use a newly added font, there is no way to access it in InDesign.

I have tried all the standard trouble-shooting methods including uninstalling and reinstalling InDesign.

I am on a Mac with all the latest software updates.

4 replies

jmlevy
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 26, 2026

What type of fonts did you install?

rob day
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 26, 2026

Hi ​@***Jake*** , Also double-check that you don’t have a font filter turned on—Character panel fly out menu. Here my text is set in Cochin, but I am filtering for Adobe Fonts only.

 

 

nik.m
Community Manager
Community Manager
August 26, 2026

Hi ​@***Jake***, sorry about the trouble with the fonts. Please try the step suggested by Leo. If you continue to experience the same behavior, please let us know the macOS version you’re working on. 

You can also try to check for duplicate/conflicting font files across /Library/Fonts, ~/Library/Fonts, and any font manager's private storage. A stale duplicate can block the new one from registering in InDesign. 

 

Let us know how it goes! 

Thanks, 

Nikunj 

leo.r
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 25, 2026

I know you mentioned all the standard trouble-shooting methods, but just to make sure: did you try to clear InDesign caches:
https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-indesign-rebuilding-preferences-cache/