Why wont my fonts outline?

[Mr. Juicebox]

macOS 10.13.6

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2019.008.20080

I'm trying to outline/flatten all fonts in an 80 page document. (So that no text can be selected/copied) But I can't get it to work.

What I've tried:

1. Open PDF

2. Open Print Production > Flattener Preview

3. Check box for Convert All Text to Outlines

4. Check box for All Pages in Document

5. Hit Apply

I've tried saving and reopening and the fonts are still in the document.

Note*: When I check the box for Convert All Text to Outlines, the preview turns white/blank.

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Test Screen Name]

This is the transparency flattener only. Nothing you are using is designed to outline fonts UNLESS they happen to need to be flattened because of transparency.

[Dov Isaacs · Accepted solution]

To expand on the previous response on behalf of Adobe, the Flattener Preview was never designed to convert text to outlines in the general case, but rather, as a side effect of flattening transparency in which text is involved. No transparency to flatten or no text interacting with such transparency, no converting of text to outlines.

However, there is a built-in Preflight function that will do conversion of text to outlines directly and very easily in one step.

Go to Print Production => Preflight. Select the group Acrobat Pro DC 2015 Profiles and under the section PDF fixups, you will find Convert fonts to outlines. Select that profile and press Analyze and fix. You will be prompted for a new file name (and location) and this profile will immediately convert all text to outlines for you.

            - Dov

PS:    Note that in general, conversion of text to outlining is absolutely not recommended as a general workflow practice. Text quality can be severely degraded. Text is not longer either searchable or editable within the PDF file. File size and RIP / display time can both dramatically increase. It is regrettable that some Luddite prepress professionals still believe that such text outlining buys anything at all.

[codye94982740]

There are still workflows where the simple action of outlining text is needing. For example, we sometimes receive files from clients in word or pub. We then create a pdf and send through out postcard processing system and from time to time encounter an error with fonts. I don't think outlining of text for a postcard will cause any system meltdown from a slight file size increase.

[Dov Isaacs]

If you create a PDF file with fonts embedded from an application and that PDF file can open and display properly in Acrobat and can properly print from Acrobat to even a cheap office printer, there is no reason why you would or should have any font issues in your RIP/DFE. If the text can be outlined in Acrobat, then there is no good reason why it would fail at the printer. In fact we have never seen such a case.

[codye94982740]

It fails because it is going through a postcard address merging system. Too many programs touch the file and that's why the simple solution is to just be able to right-click and outline. Why that option is not there is beyond me. I would have to agree that no one should use for a multi-page document.

[Dov Isaacs]

Sounds like your “postcard address merging system” has severe bugs in it that you should address with the provider of that software/service.

Again, there is a single Preflight fixup that does exactly what you want. Given that outlined text workflows are considered lossy and harmful, there is virtually no chance that Adobe will put time and effort into a “right click to outline” function. Exactly what version of Acrobat do you believe once had such a feature. I never recall anything like that at all. 

[codye94982740]

Thanks Dove

[Samer_M]

Hi Dov,

i was using this method for long time but recently when i do it i can see that the file changed from its size (pdf file with text almost 1 to 2 MB when it is converted in acrobat pro DC it go to 20MB ) but when i open it back in illustrator or the printer we can see that the font is still available but in acrobat pro you can't selet the text

[JR Boulay]

This is because this PDF was made with the "Illustrator compatibilty" checked.

So you have 2 files in one : the outlined PDF file and the not outlined Ai file.

Editing the PDF part of a PDF/Ai file will not report changes into the Ai file.

[andrewo31439192]

Hi there @Dov Isaacs 
Could you provide insight or clarity to this discussion,
Converting to outlines as suggested above increases the file file. 

Is there a methodology to eliminate the need for embedded fonts in the extracted PDFS whilst retaining the files size benefits. 

See link out to this discussion. 
https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/reduce-file-size-of-extracted-pdf-pages/m-p/12381...

thank you for your insights here

[Test Screen Name]

Dov Isaacs has left Adobe, I believe.

"Is there a methodology to eliminate the need for embedded fonts in the extracted PDFS whilst retaining the files size benefits. "  What?? Embedded fonts are the recommended and normal way forward. Outlining sometimes can be used, but of course the file size may get huge, but who cares?

[jaquesd11847159]

If you ever read this Dov, know that making it obtuse to outline fonts makes my workflow extremely difficult. Client sends over artwork that I need to manipulate in Illustrator - font doesn't carry over and I have to scour the internet for the exact version of the font they used or it won't resolve properly, if its not stuck behind a paywall to begin with. A simple outline font tool in Acrobat that works more than 50% of the time would save me a lot of time. The preflight outline font tool doesn't work well and its way too hidden for such a useful feature. 

[Baards]

Acrobat Plug-in PitStop from Enfocus will outline your fonts.

Convert fonts to outlines in PDF | Enfocus

[rami zins]

Great solution - Thank you (I had the same propblem)

[Christopher P]

I have recently used the preflight method and find it doesn't really work. It does indeed appear to outline the fonts as far as Acrobat is concerned, but if you open the newly saved PDF in Illustrator, the fonts are still active. (Which I find a bizarre.)

(And for the record, your comment about "Prepress professionals" is demeaning and was unnecessary.)

[Christopher P]

and just found the reason why in another thread... Because the PDF was created in AI, it will always default to the original file. You wouldn't think that would be the case, but there you go. Adobe, SMH

[Aaron25285247txie]

I found if you save the PDF again as optimized, then hit Settings - you have the option to unembed fonts.
Once you do this and save, then re-open the new PDF and convert fonts to outlines, then resave again and open - the next time you open it in Illustrator it'll ask whether you'd like to preserve Illustrator elements or discard. Hit discard and you'll have a completely outlined version. It's a long work-around, but works.

[Verdoux Kai]

Thank you SO MUCH for this. I just needed images from my PDF, and kept getting text errors on my images! 

[JR Boulay]

"I'm trying to outline/flatten all fonts in an 80 page document. (So that no text can be selected/copied)"

lol

You should try the powerful Acrobat's OCR with your outlined files…

😉

And remember that disabled people will not be able to read such file.

[AlGrant2007]

If you outline the fonts using preflight but then export as an eps you get vector outlines of the fonts in when opened in Illustrator. Unlike saving as a pdf where illustrator opens text as live text with missing fonts.