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scotts67789321
Participating Frequently
April 18, 2025
Answered

Missing fonts not being highlighted and do not show in Find/Replace Font dialog box

  • April 18, 2025
  • 5 replies
  • 4954 views

We are using Illustrator 2025 (29.4), and a customer sent in an Illustrator file to replace a PDF that they sent us.

When we open the file, it warns us that the font is missing. We cancelled to see where it is being used, but no text was highlighted. Then we open the Find/Replace Font dialog box, and it does not flag the fonts as missing.  So our user assumed that the fonts got loaded from the Creative Cloud, and made a PDF. The PDF has the wrong font showing, as it substituted a default font. And now we have to reprint the piece because of this issue with Illustrator.

 

So doing some testing to figure out where the problem lands. I checked all the same dialog boxes that the user did. But I also checked the Missing Fonts dialog box, and it shows the ones that are missing, but still no text is highlighted.

Next, I 'Reset All Warning Dialogs', and got the same issue.

Then, I 'Reset Preferences', and got the same issue.

I'm pretty sure it's an Illustrator 2025 issue at this point.

But to double check, I open the file in Illustrator 2024 (28.7.5) and it flagged the fonts like in 2025, but it also highlighted the text that was using the missing fonts. And in the Find/Replace Font dialog now shows a warning sign next to the fonts.

 

To fix the issue in our shop, we have stopped using Illustrator 2025 and have gone back to Illustrator 2024, until this issue is fixed.

 

Who else has had this issue?

 

 

Correct answer Brad @ Roaring Mouse

So, this is what's happening:

Before CC2025, if you open a file that uses Type 1 fonts (which AG Old Face is), they would show as missing in the manner you have known so far.

CC2025 does things a bit differently. When you open an .AI file, if the fonts are either missing from the System, or Type 1, it will pull the outlines from the PDF portion of the .AI file (as they are embedded in the file after all), much like how it works when viewing a PDF in Acrobat. This is why it says "PREVIEW". You can make a PDF of the file at this point and these will carry over. What you CAN'T do (just as in Acrobat), is edit the files in any way unless those fonts are available in the System. If you attempt to do so, it will warn you and replace them with the default font. And since they are Type 1, you wouldn't be able to anyway.

This is also why if you place an .AI file in InDesign, it works as it's using the embedded outlines in the .AI file.

What you may want to do is uncheck the box that says "Don't Show" so when you open the file it will bring this to your attention. But now that you know this, you can watch for it going forward.

 

 

Also: not sure why you didn't just get your client to send you another PDF, nor why you didn't have the client approve a proof.

5 replies

mdhumpy2
mdhumpy2
Participating Frequently
September 17, 2025

A good work around might be getting in the habit of selecting "Resolve Missing Fonts" as your automatic first step any time you open a file that was supplied from outside. I know this is yet another discipline/step people like printers will need to do but I think this could help. It seems to work.

 

F
Firsties
Participant
October 24, 2025

This is so dumb.  We get no visual cues on open??

It was clearly substituted.

The setting is checked to highlight substituted fonts.

Illustrator is clearly able to highlight the missing block of text when resolving.

Get this fixed please.

So dumb.

G
gcc36773400
Participating Frequently
July 14, 2025

I have the same problem actually. and it is a problem handling missing font.

 

what I think is because adobe illustrator only highlight the font when it is replaced, when the font is not replaced, rather the font is missing in the system or not, it just not being highlighted.

 

I just hope adobe could add a option for highlighting all missing font, instead of just for replaced font.  

    P
    paultech
    Participating Frequently
    July 31, 2025

    This is taking away a very functional feature. Missing fonts are are a constant battle. Visual cues are a vital check! Especially on intense package design files! Give us a option to turn the highlight back on pls!

      P
      paultech
      Participating Frequently
      July 31, 2025

      Now user will unknowingly send for an expensive proof too late to notice something is wrong!
      This process will add time to preflight files, which we all know we are time crunched as it is!

        Brad @ Roaring Mouse
        Community Expert
        Brad @ Roaring MouseCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
        Community Expert
        April 21, 2025

        So, this is what's happening:

        Before CC2025, if you open a file that uses Type 1 fonts (which AG Old Face is), they would show as missing in the manner you have known so far.

        CC2025 does things a bit differently. When you open an .AI file, if the fonts are either missing from the System, or Type 1, it will pull the outlines from the PDF portion of the .AI file (as they are embedded in the file after all), much like how it works when viewing a PDF in Acrobat. This is why it says "PREVIEW". You can make a PDF of the file at this point and these will carry over. What you CAN'T do (just as in Acrobat), is edit the files in any way unless those fonts are available in the System. If you attempt to do so, it will warn you and replace them with the default font. And since they are Type 1, you wouldn't be able to anyway.

        This is also why if you place an .AI file in InDesign, it works as it's using the embedded outlines in the .AI file.

        What you may want to do is uncheck the box that says "Don't Show" so when you open the file it will bring this to your attention. But now that you know this, you can watch for it going forward.

         

         

        Also: not sure why you didn't just get your client to send you another PDF, nor why you didn't have the client approve a proof.

        Ton Frederiks
        Community Expert
        Ton FrederiksCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        April 21, 2025

        To add to what Brad said. You can reset the dismissed warning messages in Preferences > General > Reset All Warning Dialogs.

        Type1 fonts are not supported in Illustrator, but they are in Acrobat as long as they are installed in the System.

        S
        scotts67789321Author
        Participating Frequently
        April 22, 2025

        Thank you for the info. I had done that but it didn't change the message.

        S
        scotts67789321Author
        Participating Frequently
        April 21, 2025

        I have added some extra screenshots that shows the 'Missing Fonts' dialog, for both Illustrator 2024 and 2025. Also, have included screenshots from 2025 that does not show the missing fonts highlighted and also from 2024 that does show the missing fonts highlighted.

        B
        Community Expert
        Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        April 18, 2025

        Have you tried placing the Illustrator file into a new document? You can use the Place command to insert the file into a new document. The link box needs to be checked when doing so. That may allow the document to be placed with fonts intact. Then the Flatten Transparency command can be used to convert missing fonts to outlines.

         

        Another possible problem: the fonts in the document may be in Postscript Type 1 format. AG Old Face is not available thru Adobe Fonts. Akzidenz Grotesk Next was recently added to Adobe Fonts, but it is not the same as the Akzidenz Grotesk BE fonts included with 30+ year old copies of Adobe Illustrator. The same goes for AG Old Face. Adobe applications no longer support Postscript Type 1 fonts.

        S
        scotts67789321Author
        Participating Frequently
        April 21, 2025

        Bobby,

        Thank you for the suggestion. I tried placing the Illy doc into a new one, and now the fonts show as missing. The only problem with that, is, we get so many files that have the fonts loaded, or loaded from the Creative Cloud, and when we find out an issue like this, the job is already printed and in the customer's hands. Which makes us look like we don't know what we are doing.

        Making it a policy to place all Illustrator documents into a new document to check for fonts seems like Adobe is going backward.

        And I understand the font problems. I've been in digital graphics since the mid 90s. And I've learned early on, that fonts can and will always be an issue if you are not careful and paying attention. But thanks for the reminder.

        B
        Community Expert
        Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        April 21, 2025

        Harbuzz, a modern text-shaping engine, is the root of the problem with legacy Type 1 fonts. Old Postscript Type 1 fonts are not compatible with Harfbuzz. Many applications are adopting Harfbuzz, including those from Adobe.

         

        Postscript Type 1 fonts support no more than 256 glyphs per font file. They don't support Unicode, which is a key requirement of Harfbuzz. Type 1 fonts are also not cross-platform compatible. I have a lot of old Type 1 fonts, some of which were bundled in Adobe applications like Illustrator and PageMaker. It definitely hurts to see those fonts rendered obsolete. The Windows platform no longer officially supports Type 1 fonts, although they can still be installed. At some point, possibly in the near future, it won't even be possible to install the fonts in an upcoming update of the OS. Going forward the only way to keep those old fonts usable is by either buying new versions of them in OpenType format or using conversion software to convert the fonts to TTF or OTF files.

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