Acrobat Pro: How do I edit a form that was created using InDesign, keeping the original font?

[kuncbc]

Our designer has created a template using InDesign (Mac) that we want to use in the future using Acrobat Pro (Windows).

We have tried embedding the fonts using InDesign, which resulted in the file being restricted so I couldn't edit it in Acrobat.

On the other hand, if the designer doesn't embed the fonts, I can edit but not with the same font.

Can I embed the fonts using Acrobat? (They're available locally on my PC for use in other programs)

Or is there something that should be changed in the source by the designer using InDesign?

The goal is to have a form that uses a proprietary font, where all content will be editable using Acrobat Pro, and where Reader users can only fill in text fields, check boxes, etc.

How do we obtain that?

Thank you,

Charlotte

[MichaelKazlow]

I do not believe embedded fonts can be used in form fields on computers that do not have the field installed on their computer. That is not the original purpose of embedded fonts and I don't believe that Acrobat has been enhanced to allow for that possibility..

[kuncbc]

Thank you, Michael,

Did you mean "that do not have the field installed"?

We found out that I had the same fonts installed in TrueType as then ones I the designer was using, but in OpenType, so next I'm testing whether it will work after I've installed the OpenType versions.

It would be great, but less important if our customers can fill in the form using an embedded font.

The minimum we're hoping to obtain is that the form should use the company's proprietary font for all static content (which will be edited by me). Then at lest it will comply with the company standards when read on screen before it's filled in, and when printed out.

Is that possible?

[kuncbc]

Update: It seems to work when I have the fonts installed. Will do some further testing to confirm.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Fonts have been a murky issue for Acrobat for eons, and it appears they're getting more murky now than ever.

There are 2 parts of the issue:

1. The fonts used in the form fields when the end user fills out the form.
2. The fonts used in the narrative text of the PDF.

Form Field Fonts

Acrobat ships with a core set of fonts and these are the ones that should be used inside the form fields. They are available to all users, so there is no issue of a missing font when users fill in the form. Search this forum and you'll find many entries on this topic alone.

Do not set these fonts in InDesign because they won't be available to the end user; instead, set the form field fonts in Acrobat using the form field Properties:

Use only fonts that are above the first grey-bar separator line as shown above.

Fonts in the static portions of the PDF

Your designer must embed the fonts when the PDF is exported from InDesign. Set it to subset fonts when percent of characters used is less than 100%. (Note: if the designer exports to PDF (Interactive) rather than PDF (Print), the fonts are automatically subsetted.)

@kuncbc wrote: I'm testing whether it will work after I've installed the OpenType versions.

That should work. When you edit a PDF but without the same exact font that was used by the designer and embedded into the PDF, you'll get a restriction error from Adobe.

OpenType fonts are not platform specific so the same font can be used on either a Mac or Windows system. PostScript and older TrueType versions can't.

[kuncbc]

Your designer must embed the fonts when the PDF is exported from InDesign. Set it to subset fonts when percent of characters used is less than 100%. (Note: if the designer exports to PDF (Interactive) rather than PDF (Print), the fonts are automatically subsetted.)

oh... so if we want possible interaction, such as radio buttons, etc., then fonts can only be subsetted? Can I then embed using Acrobat?

[maxwyss]

As already stated, when a font for a form field is selected in Acrobat, it gets fully embedded.

It might actually be a good idea to not bother about fields in InDesign, but add them in Acrobat. This would ensure that you don't get any weird Flash artefacts.

[try67]

I think you're wrong about that one. When you select a font as the text font of a field it automatically gets fully embedded in the PDF exactly for this purpose, so that it works correctly even on a computer that doesn't have that font installed.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

try67  wrote

When you select a font as the text font of a field it automatically gets fully embedded in the PDF exactly for this purpose, so that it works correctly even on a computer that doesn't have that font installed.

It's subsetted and won't have all the characters that the end user needs to fill out the form.

And fonts are being restricted more and more...

[maxwyss]

This is incorrect. For form fields, the fonts are fully embedded, otherwise, they would be useless…

Try it out yourself, and you will see about what we are talking here.