Embed Font for Use in Form Checkboxes

[KenWK]

We have a PDF form created from InDesign that uses check boxes. Unless the Adobe Pi font is loaded on the computer the check boxes do not display check marks, they show as dots or squares. When you initially click the check box it briefely shows a check box (so Acrobat is getting one from SOMEWHERE) but when you de-select the text box it turns into the dot or square. This seems to happen even when the checkbox is created in Acrobat.

I've tried adding other Adobe Pi text to the page so that the font gets embedded but the check boxes do not appear to pay attention to that, possibly because it embeds as AdobePiStd. I even tried some JavaScript after the fact to change the text box font, but it appears (and I saw one post that confirms this) that the .TextFont property does not affect check boxes.

Is there any way to embed a font and have the check boxes work even if the Adobe Pi font isn't loaded?

Thanks for any insight,

Ken

[Thom Parker]

Try opening the properties dialog for the checkbox in Acrobat and changing the border color. This will trigger Acrobat to recreate the appearances for the checkbox.  

https://www.pdfscripting.com/public/Editing-Fields-Properties.cfm

[KenWK]

Thanks a bunch for answering, Thom. Doesn't seem to have fixed the problem, though it did change something because now opening it on a system without the Adobe Pi font I'm getting a message about not being able to find or create the ZaphDingbats font when I click the modified checkbox.

I'm not sure I'm following what you were thinking and may not have done things correctly. I created the PDF from InDesign with Adobe Pi font embedded as it's usual PS name of AdobePiStd. I then edited one of the check boxes outline color and saved the PDF hoping it might start using that embedded font. Is that what you were thinking might fix it?

Also, can you confirm my statement above that you can't change the font of a check box even through JavaScript?

Thanks again,
Ken

[Thom Parker]

Very interesting. I think InDesign screwed up the checkbox. I was hoping that changing an apperance property would get Acrobat to fix it up.  Perhaps you should try changing the checkbox font, then change it back. Or just delete the checkbox and add it with the Acrobat Form tools.  

The embedded document fonts are different from the form field fonts. Embedding a document font doesn't provide any support for the form field. The font dictionary has to be placed in the correct location and it has to referenced correctly it the Resources dictionary for the "Checked" appearance stream.   

So ZaphDingBats is  AdobePiStd.  Here's how it shows up in my font list :

Since it is a type1 font it doesn't need to be embedded. It's one of the fonts that's built-into Acrobat. 

[KenWK]

I don't see anywhere to change the checkbox font in InDesign or in Acrobat. The properties in Acrobat shows Adobe Pi but the drop-down is grayed out.

Is ther some other way to change the font?

[Thom Parker]

You're right. It can't be changed. The next option is to delete the existing checkbox and add a new one using the Acrobat tools.

[KenWK]

Hmmm, given there are 13 forms with 40 check boxes I'm thining we'll likely let it ride and figure that most people will have the Adobe Pi font loaded, which I'm guessing gets loaded with Reader and DC.

Thanks again for your time!

[Thom Parker]

The recreation of checkboxes can be automated. You could do all the forms at once with a batch script.  But you should try it first to see if it works.