Font substitution when saving as PDF

[Guest]

When converting Word documents to PDF my Arial Bold font is being replaced by a Myriad font. How do I correct this?

[Bill12]

If you use ctrl-D in Acrobat, you can check the fonts and embedding. I assume this is the result that you are indicating. To embed the fonts, you have to use the options of Acrobat. For the Adobe PDF printer, select the properties and select the press or print job settings. You can do the same thing for the create PDF options in WORD. You can also use the Standard job settings, but may have to change the font embedding features of the job options and save to a new name if you want to keep the rest of the standard options.

If you happen to use a non-standard font, you may still not be able to embed the font if it is not qualified for embedding. I would be surprised unless you are not using the standard system font. You have to be careful with fonts since the name does not necessarily make the font identical.

I use a job settings file from IEEE as my default and always get all fonts embedded. You can modify or select an appropriate job settings and make that default in the printer settings on the START menu.

[Lindald22]

I've got this problem too and have been struggling with it for weeks. My document contains only Arial fonts, with numbered Headings in Arial Bold. When I print to PDF, everything converts correctly, but when I use PDFMaker, the Arial Bold fonts change to Times New Roman or something similar.

I've followed the instructions in Rick Borstein's article on embedding fonts, with the same results.

I created the templates for these documents when I was using Word 2003 and Acrobat 8.0. They worked perfectly for years and I never had an issue. Now I am using Word 2007 and Acrobat 9.0. I don't have access to the prior versions (new job).

When I first opened the template created in Word 2003, it converted correctly. But if I just look at the styles, then things start to fall apart. Also, if I save the document from a .doc to a .docx or vice versa, then the font changes in the conversion.

I really don't know if this is an Acrobat issue or a Word issue, but some guidance would be appreciated.

Linda

[Bill12]

It is not clear what job settings you are using. If it is the Standard settings, try one related to print or press. Font embedding is an issue of the job settings file. It is likely that your fonts are not even embedded (use ctrl-D to check - each font should include the word embedded if they are, possibly including "subset").

[Lindald22]

I created an "embed all" setting as per Rick Borstein's instructions here:

http://blogs.adobe.com/acrobatforlifesciences/2007/11/acrobat_font_embedding_for_fda.html

I used ctrl-D and all fonts are embedded:

Arial-BoltItalicMT (embedded subset)

Arial-BoldMT(embedded subset)

Arial-ItalicMT(embedded subset)

Arial-MT(embedded subset)

Type TrueType

Code: Ansi

This is keeping me awake at night!!!

Linda

[Lindald22]

I forgot to mention that if I change the font for the numbers to Arial Unicode MS, it then converts correctly. But I'm not especially happy with the Unicode font.

Linda

[Guest]

I am also using Word 2007 and Acrobat 9.0. I found that if I choose print and then select PDF everything converts correctly, but if I choose Save As and then slect PDF, the font conversion problem persits.

[Bill12]

I just checked it with OFFICE 2007 on Win7 with AA9. I got Arial embedded in both cases of using create PDF and Save As Adobe PDF. One important point. I set the preferences in create PDF menu (PDF Maker) to use the press settings. If you use the Standard settings, it may convert in the way you mention, but not get embedded. With the print it should be similar.

[Lindald22]

That did not work either. I get the same results. I would be happy to send you the document, if you want to test it.

Linda

[Bill12]

If I go back to your ctrl-D test, you had Arial listed as embedded subset. It thought that was what you wanted, so I guess I am confused. Maybe I need to go back to some of the older messages.

[Lindald22]

Yes, I do want Arial, just Arial. I used Arial fonts in the Word document, and the numbered headings all have the following:  Font: Arial, Font Style: Bold, Size: 11 pt.

It converts perfectly if I print to PDF, but when I use PDF Maker (which I absolutely need to do because I need the hyperlinks and bookmarks), the numbering changes to Times New Roman or some other serif font.

The Arial fonts are embedded in the PDF. So why do they keep changing to Times New Roman when I use PDF Maker?

I've gone over the Word document with a fine tooth comb and the styles all use Arial. This same template converted perfectly when I used it with Word 2003 and Acrobat 8. But now I am using Word 2007 and Acrobat 9. I have this problem on 3 different computers at 2 different companies, so it's not the installation.

This is like a mosquito buzzing in my head and I won't rest until I figure it out. Argh. <G> Thanks for your help.

Linda

[Lindald22]

To follow up on this thread, I received an email from Rick Borstein at Adobe who said that he believed this bug was fixed in a prior release, but since I am using the current version, 9.3.2., apparently the fix either didn't happen or was unsuccessful.

So to recap, if you are using Arial fonts in your Word document, expect issues when converting to PDF using PDF Maker.

Linda

[Bill12]

Thanks for the heads up. I may try to check it out further a bit later.

[rhxpt]

Hi Linda,

Was this issue ever resolved?

I have the same problem.

Thanks,

Jackie

[Guest]

This issue hasn't been resolved for me.

[rhxpt]

Thanks, well at least now I know it is not my problem and can stop going over all my settings, and stressing about what I am doing wrong

[Lindald22]

No, it hasn't been resolved, despite several emails to Adobe about it. My client finally downgraded to Acrobat 8

and no longer has the problem, Very annoying.

Linda

[rhxpt]

I changed all my headings from Arial Bold to Arial, and it works fine. (Hope this hasn't caused other problems down the line...)

[Guest]

We are currently having this problem with both Acrobat 7 and 8 (have not yet tried it on a PC with 9 yet). We use Excel 2007 and have Arial as the default font for all tables. When we Print to PDF, the resultant file is fine. However, when we then pull the PDF'd table into the primary PDF for the report (typically also created using Acrobat 7/8 with a Print to PDF from Word 2007), we get the randomly scattered boxes throughout the table.

Through further testing, I have found that I can use the text editor and select the table sections containing bad characters. If I then switch the font to Arial Italic (or some other choice in the drop down list), then back to Arial or Arial Bold (depending on the original use), the characters all appear correctly.  This is a total PITA and simply not acceptable to have to go back into a document and identify/fix all the bad characters. BTW it won't work if I simply reselect Arial at the start; I have to change the font to something else, then change it back.

This problem has only cropped up in the last month or so. I am not sure if this is caused by an Acrobat update or a Microsoft update, but I am suspicious it is the latter. It seems to revolve around the use of Arial as the font. One curious item about this is that from within Excel, I only have the option to select Arial (not ArialMT). Once the file is PDF'd and added to the main PDF doc, the font type is identified as ArialMT not Arial. This is true for plain Arial, as well as bold and italicized text (i.e., Arial ItalicMT, etc.).

Hoping for a solution soon. This is really screwing with our work product.

[jweke]

This post matches exactly my experience of today, March 2020. No solution to this problem since 2010?
I use Microsoft Office Pro 2016 Outlook in Windows 10, 1909.
I want to use PDFMaker to save e-mail messages. Most of them are HTML, using sans-serif typefaces like Calibri. But the resulting PDF's show a mix of serif and sans-serif typefaces. All fonts are embedded in the PDF.

All I want is to get  a PDF of what I see in Outlook (WYSIWYG).
If there is a solution, please share.