Collecting Fonts for Printer

[jdavison@hayhouse.com]

Is there a way to collect adobe fonts if you are working with a printer that doesn't have Cloud?

Some of our printers are not able to use these fonts.

[Dov Isaacs · Accepted solution]

The short answer is absolutely no!

The longer answer is that since you can embed the fonts in the PDF file (preferably a PDF/X-4 file) that you send to the printer, there is no good reason to send any fonts to a print service provider.

Printers should be competent enough to perform prepress functions and print directly from properly-prepared PDF files. Sending source files, fonts, and other assets (linked images, artwork, etc.) was and continues to be a recipe for disaster!

I will also add that if your print service provider doesn't have licenses to Adobe Creative Cloud, there is no way that they can deal with your source files created with any even semi-recent version of Adobe application software. Any license to Adobe Creative Cloud or Acrobat Pro DC comes with access to the Adobe Fonts Service.

[Florence344592172m8o]

Embed the fonts in your document before sending it to the printer. Most design and document creation software allows you to embed fonts to ensure they are available even if the printer doesn't have the specific fonts installed.

Convert the text to outlines or paths. This converts the text into vector shapes, ensuring that the printer doesn't need the original font files. However, this method makes the text uneditable.

[Florence344592172m8o]

• Many design software packages allow you to create a package that includes the document file along with all the fonts used. This is often referred to as "Collect for Output" or "Package" feature.
• In Adobe InDesign, for example, you can use the "Package" feature to gather the document, fonts, and linked graphics into a single folder.

[Abambo]

Not for Adobe fonts. You should send a PDF X/4 with embedded fonts. Printers need to accept that and no printer should feel the need for outlined fonts or the font files (which could well break the copyright). 

As for any other use (Indesign sharing amongst a group), the group should use the same (licensed) fonts. If they are with Adobe fonts, and all participants have access to Adobe fonts, that works fine. If not, you all need to acquire the font and the license to the font. Every computer running the font needs the licence. If the printer requires the font, they need to acquire the licence.