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viswanathan_1535
viswanathan_1535
Known Participant
April 27, 2026
Question

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

  • April 27, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 78 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!

    2 replies

    viswanathan_1535
    viswanathan_1535Author
    Known Participant
    April 29, 2026

    ​@Abhishek Rao 

    Thank you for your suggestions.

    I have reset the InDesign preferences as per the provided steps, but I am still experiencing the same issue in the original file.

    I have attached the full package, including the required fonts and files, for your reference.

    Additionally, I tested by creating a brand-new InDesign document, applied the affected font, and exported it as a tagged PDF. In this case, the export worked correctly and the issue did not occur.

    This seems to indicate that the problem may be specific to the original document rather than the font or application settings.

    Kindly review the attached package and let me know your thoughts.

    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
    Known Participant
    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 30, 2026

    Hi ​@viswanathan_1535,

     

    Thanks for sharing the files, I really appreciate it. I opened and exported them on my end, and when checking in Acrobat, I’m seeing the same tag structure for both the Arnhem Pro Blond and Minion Pro files.

    Could you please confirm if you are using Adobe Acrobat to view the tags? Also, if possible, please share a short screen recording showing how you’re opening the Tags panel for both files and pointing out the differences you’re observing between the Arnhem and Minion exports.

    That will help me understand exactly where the mismatch is happening on your end and take this further with the team.

     

    Looking forward to your update.

    Abhishek

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