Basic question about fonts

[RickYoung]

I'm working on a barcode viewing issue to identify the cause of our dilemma.

A user has Adobe Acrobat Reader DC version 2018.011.20038.  They are reading a PDF created by our billing application.  The billing application converts a numeric field to a '3 of 9' barcode.  The multi-page billing file, when reviewed in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, does not show a '3 of 9' barcode.

Does the exact same '3 of 9' barcode (same vendor/provider) installed on the server, which generated this billing file, have to be installed on the desktop computer where Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is being used to view the billing file?  Or, can any '3 of 9' font be installed on the desktop computer and the numeric field should be rendered as a '3 of 9' barcode?

[Test Screen Name · Accepted solution]

If a font is not embedded you must have the EXACT SAME font installed. But the normal and highly recommended process is to embed the font; think of this as mandatory for a barcode font. This is up the software making the PDF.

[RickYoung]

this is exactly what I needed to know.  the vendor is using an OLD PDF builder tool and cannot embed the barcode fonts.  So, following your advice, I found the barcode fonts on the server and installed them on all of the workstations that need to view the barcodes and print the bills with barcodes.