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Can fonts in a PDF be converted to outlines with Acrobat Pro 9?

Forum|Forum|14 years ago
February 23, 2012
4 replies
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Acrobat Pro 9.....Sometimes I get a PDF that I will have to do some edits to. Because I dont have some of the fonts used, I cant edit the file without losing the fonts used. Is there a way to have Acrobat maybe resave itself with all the fonts converted to outlines so this wont be a problem along with any othe font errors I may get?

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Correct answer JR Boulay

Converting fonts to outlines is frowned upon do to the loss of font hinting, loss of editability, and inherant fattening of the font.

In your seat, you have to do what has to be done.

http://indesignsecrets.com/converting-text-to-outlines-the-right-way-updated.php

I may have read that this hack is not working in CS5 or 5.5

Place the pdf into InDesign. Create a box or small stroke on the page, in the case of non native ID elements (this pdf) the object needs to touch/overlap the pdf. Color the object, perhaps .1% black, apply transparency to it, as little as 1%. You effectivly have something unseeable, but will force the Transparency Flattener to kick in.

Create a new Transparency Flattener Setting, see my example,

Check the effect with the Flattener Panel, see my example

Place the pdf into InDesign...

Argl! Never do that, this is a total heresy!

==> Using Acrobat Pro:

- apply an invisible transparent object to all pages to force flattening (e.g. apply a little white square with an 1% opacity as a watermark in a corner),

- then go to the Transparency flattening : http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Acrobat/9.0/Professional/WS58a04a822e3e50102bd615109794195ff-7b87.w.html

and use a flattener preset that convert fonts to outlines.

A

alfredoremigio

Participant

There's no need to work with the transparency flattener.

In the preflight panel of acrobat there's (a well hidden option) text to outlines.

You can download it here:

Dropbox - Text to curves.kfp

In acrobat - preflight choose " new profile" and import this.

Works perfect!

Bernd Alheit

Community Expert

It is not hidden. In the preflight tool search for outlines.

A

alfredoremigio

Participant

You're right Bernd! I didn't notice that before

S

sawa_mac

Participating Frequently

in InDesign i always use the transparency flattener,

Do not use 1% white - this will surely change the color values

- use a white rectangle with multiply on a top level layer

- go to edit -> transparency flattener presets -> create a new one with "convert all text to outlines" checked

- use your new preset in the transparency flattener window to preview

- in PDF export dialog go to Advanced and in flattener options choose your new preset

- export your pdf with outlined text

JR Boulay

Community Expert

My pleasure.

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe

Daniel Flavin

Inspiring

I haven't looked at this in the Preflight and Fixup panel. I would look through there; but as it is frowned upon officially, I wouldn't gaurantee to find it.

Are you familiar with the InDesign convert fonts to outlines via transparency flattener technique (hack)?

kellyjaye1Author

Known Participant

I dont see anything in the preflight about it. Also I frown on a lot of the "print ready" stuff clients send to me ;-). I would think it would be a useful enough feature to see in there somewhere though.

I know about ID converting fonts to outlines, I do it now and then but this wasnt created by me and I dont have an ID file of it (Im guessing Publisher). Not sure of the hack technique you mentioned though

JR Boulay

Community Expert

I won't argue the merits of whether it is better to do the flattening from ID or from Acrobat. Many designers are more familiar with, and more comfortable working in, InDesign than they are in Acrobat (and though it isn't relevant for kellyjaye, there are plenty of designers without access to a full version of Acrobat).

I haven't attempted to do an outline conversion on a PDF by flattening in ID, so I don't know for sure that it would work, but it seems like a reasonable suggestion worth trying if that suits your comfort level. I simply take exception to your saying that placing a PDF in ID and working with it would be somehow damaging to the PDF. If that were the case, it would be impossible to create most documents like magazines or newspapers where content is supplied by a diverse universe of contributors. I'm fairly sure you would agree that these publications are created everyday without any problems at all (and without having to outline any type set in a properly embedded font).

Personally, were I faced with the problem in the original post, I'd send the PDF back to the originator for corrections, but I understand that may not be possible. Given that fonts may be lost, I probably STILL would do something like either changing the font in Acrobat to one that is available and similar in appearance, or, better, attempt to open the PDF directly in ID using the pdf2id plugin and make the edits and font substitutions there where you have real control over the layout.

(and though it isn't relevant for kellyjaye, there are plenty of designers without access to a full version of Acrobat).

So, in this case they should outline fonts when exporting the .indd document to PDF, not later by re-importing the PDF…

I simply take exception to your saying that placing a PDF in ID and working with it would be somehow damaging to the PDF. […]
I'm fairly sure you would agree that these publications are created everyday without any problems at all (and without having to outline any type set in a properly embedded font).

In a prepress intent this is OK, but importing/exporting a PDF into InDesign may cause many data loss (accessibility, bookmarks, hyperlinks, form fields, JavaScripts, multimedia objects, etc.).

That's what I meant.

Acrobate du PDF, InDesigner et Photoshopographe

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