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viswanathan_1535
viswanathan_1535
Participating Frequently
April 27, 2026
Question

Tagged PDF export splits text into multiple Span elements when using Arnhem Pro Blond font

  • April 27, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 53 views

Hi,

I’m facing an issue while exporting a Tagged PDF from InDesign.

Issue:

When I use the font Arnhem Pro Blond, the exported tagged PDF splits each word into separate <Span> elements inside a paragraph <P>.

Example from Tags panel:

<P>
  <Span>Lithography</Span>
  <Span>is</Span>
  <Span>a</Span>
  <Span>technique</Span>
  <Span>used</Span>
</P>

Instead of expected:

<P>
  Lithography is a technique used...
</P>

Observation:

  • When I change the font to Minion Pro, the issue is resolved
  • The paragraph exports correctly as a single continuous text node
  • No changes in styles, XML, or export settings — only font change

Environment:

  • Adobe InDesign (version: ___)
  • Tagged PDF export enabled
  • Using structured/XML workflow

Impact:

  • Breaks accessibility structure
  • Screen readers may read word-by-word
  • Not compliant with proper tagging standards

Questions:

  • Is this a known issue with certain OpenType fonts like Arnhem Pro?
  • Does font encoding or glyph substitution affect Tagged PDF structure?
  • Are there recommended settings or workarounds to prevent <Span> splitting?

Any guidance or workaround would be really helpful.

Thanks!

    1 reply

    Abhishek Rao
    Community Manager
    Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    April 27, 2026

    Hi @viswanathan_1535,


    Thanks for sharing the detailed information. I understand how this can impact accessibility and your workflow, and I'm sorry you're running into this issue.

    To help investigate this further, could you please share the font file you're using for testing? Also, let me know if this behavior is specific to this OpenType font or if you've observed the same with other fonts as well.

    In the meantime, please try disabling the OpenType features for the font in InDesign by going to Window > Type & Tables > Character, and then export the tagged PDF again to check if that changes how the text is structured.


    Do let me know how it goes, and I’ll continue looking deeper into this.

    Abhishek

    viswanathan_1535
    viswanathan_1535Author
    Participating Frequently
    April 27, 2026

    Hi,

    Thank you for your suggestion.

    We would like to try disabling the OpenType features in Adobe InDesign as mentioned. However, we are not fully clear on the exact steps and settings to be adjusted in the Character panel.

    Could you please provide detailed steps or specify which OpenType options (such as ligatures, contextual alternates, etc.) need to be disabled?

    This will help us ensure we are testing it correctly from our end.

    Thanks,

    Abhishek Rao
    Community Manager
    Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    April 27, 2026

    Hi ​@viswanathan_1535,

     

    Thanks for sharing the details, I took some time to test this on my end as well.

    I tested with the same font on InDesign 20.5.3 and 21.3, and both behaved the same. I exported with all OpenType features enabled and then with them disabled, and in both cases the PDF exported correctly without splitting into multiple Span elements, matching your expected result. From your screenshot, it looks like the OpenType features are already disabled, and in my testing, it worked even when all were enabled.

    To isolate this further, could you please try creating a new InDesign document, add a simple line of text, apply the Arnhem Pro Blond font, export it as a tagged PDF, and check it in Acrobat. If the issue does not appear there, it would suggest the behavior is specific to the original file.

    Also, to ensure I’m testing with the exact same font version, could you please share the font foundry details or the font file itself as a zipped file if possible.

    Additionally, please confirm the exact InDesign version and OS details you’re using.

     

    Looking forward to your update.

    Abhishek

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