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stephanie_25
New Participant
January 2, 2015
Answered

'Font contains bad/Widths' and 'Cannot find/create font' errors when saving pdf as Other > Reduced Size PDF

  • January 2, 2015
  • 11 replies
  • 29386 views

I am exporting .indd files from within Indesign as pdf files, opening in Acrobat Pro XI. I have no trouble creating the initial pdf file, however, when I go to Save Other > Reduced Size PDF I get error messages. Depending on the file, I receive either the message, "The font (Myriad Pro) contains bad/Widths" replacing the text with dots or "Cannot find or create the font (Helvetica) Some characters may not print or display properly" replacing text with dots or boxes.

My confusion is that the file is exporting to pdf from Indesign without error, it is only when I try to Save Other> Reduce Size PDF that the error occurs.
Also, it is only occurring on five out of 120 pages. These same fonts are on other pages and I have no trouble at all with exporting or Reduce Size PDF.
More frustrating is that I have never had this problem occur in all my previous versions of Acrobat using the same process and typefaces.

I am reaching deadline on this and cannot find a solution other than to reload Acrobat 9 and ditch this upgrade.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer samuelc80207847

Hi Guys,

I have the same issue. My designer creates a document with InDesign with funky fonts, then he export it to PDF, I modify it with Acrobat and then, I have the font error message... even if it is not visible.

I am on Mac, so I solved my problem by opening the PDF with Viewer, then re-export it in PDF and VOILA, it solves the issue. Thanks to Mac.

Ridiculous that you need to go through a third party software to solve a problem in your own file format...

11 replies

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samuelc80207847Correct answer
New Participant
August 23, 2018

Hi Guys,

I have the same issue. My designer creates a document with InDesign with funky fonts, then he export it to PDF, I modify it with Acrobat and then, I have the font error message... even if it is not visible.

I am on Mac, so I solved my problem by opening the PDF with Viewer, then re-export it in PDF and VOILA, it solves the issue. Thanks to Mac.

Ridiculous that you need to go through a third party software to solve a problem in your own file format...

Jymnazium
Jymnazium
Participating Frequently
October 7, 2017

The issue seems to be caused by fonts you download through TYPE KIT... the only font that does it to me I downloaded from Type Kit.

paulstratford
paulstratford
New Participant
October 26, 2017

I've not revisited the problem, but my original issue wasn't with Typeset fonts.

Jymnazium
Jymnazium
Participating Frequently
October 26, 2017

Hey paulstratford​, I was referring to TYPE KIT, as in Adobe's Type Kit (Browse fonts | Typekit ) where you can download fonts as part of your CC subscription. Not Typeset fonts

The only font that gave me this error was one from Type Kit, once I replaced the font with the same font I downloaded from a font site, I stopped getting the error.

    mgrassman
    mgrassman
    New Participant
    June 13, 2016

    I was able to resolve this by open the PDF in Acrobat then in the menu do File -> Save As Other -> Press-Ready PDF (PDF/X) 

    Also have good luck with Archivable (PDF/A)

    Thanks,

      FrequentPDFer
      FrequentPDFer
      Participating Frequently
      October 9, 2015

      This problem continues for at least 2 versions of Acrobat and noone from Adobe seems to care. Do they never have to run an action with 5,000 PDF's and find out that the whole process stops 10 min after starting the action with a ridiculous "The font 'bla-bla-bla' contains bad /Widths." information??? Are we supposed to sit in front of a machine all day and all night to click the "OK" button???

      paulstratford
      paulstratford
      New Participant
      July 16, 2015

      I've not had the opportunity to revisit this one. Certainly, no-one's complained of it recently. If it happens again then I'll post something.

      I'll try to make one now...

      jamesr18332623
      jamesr18332623
      New Participant
      June 29, 2015

      Has anyone managed to find a fix for this yet?

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      B_Scannell
      New Participant
      May 28, 2015

      I've been experiencing the same issue while trying to reduce the size of PDFs (in Acrobat DC).

      Trying to troubleshoot this, however the results are random(??) - sometimes it works, sometimes not.

      I have had some success with simply printing the document as a PDF (with good results) as well as for saving the file as PDF/A (with average results).

      Can't test anymore unfortunately, would be great to have an update on this issue from an Adobe rep.

      S
      stephanie_25Author
      New Participant
      March 31, 2015

      tonyhorton, I hear you; my major client is also VERY unhappy.

      It has been 3 months since I initiated this thread and still no response from Adobe. Not even, a "we are working on it". Nothing!
      I have had to post large size pdfs online and my client is "..... off" (insert expletive). Really, really poor service from Adobe.

      I cannot revert back to previous version of Acrobat as the option is not there. I despise version Xl.

      Dov, as I subscribe to CC and pay a small fortune every month, is there ANY way I can please download version X BEFORE I LOSE MY BIGGEST CLIENT.

      Not only is Xl full of problems, it is unbelievably difficult to read on my monitor unlike the superior product Acrobat X.

      I guess I should not expect an answer anytime soon but it would certainly be appreciated.

      paulstratford
      paulstratford
      New Participant
      May 6, 2015

      I've just started to get the InDesign->Acrobat->Optimise->Bad Widths problem too. Did they ever get back to you?

      We're using those relatively unknown, rare typefaces that no-one's heard of, or ever been using anywhere... Myriad-Pro and Dax.

      (Of course, it's something for a big multinational client so we'd quite like it fixed)

      Warm Hearts Publishing
      Warm Hearts Publishing
      Known Participant
      March 10, 2015

      Has anyone found a solution to this? I have this same problem with I optimize some of my PDFs in Acrobat.

      S
      stephanie_25Author
      New Participant
      February 4, 2015

      Has anyone found a solution yet? Deadline has been and gone. Publisher not happy with the result.
      To add further problems, occasionally a file will not reduce and instead, will be slightly larger in memory size. Also, the text on the pdf is quite difficult to read.

      Acrobat Xl had proven to be a bad decision for me, wish I had never upgraded.

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