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

[scotts67789321]

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?

[Bobby Henderson]

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.

[scotts67789321]

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.

[Bobby Henderson]

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.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

Harfbuzz has nothing to do with this.

[Monika Gause]

Harfbuzz is one of the reasons that T1 fonts have been abandoned. 

Thomas Phinney explains it at length here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2X_DZRN66o 

[scotts67789321]

Wow, that is a long video. I'm working my way through it.

And thank you VERY much for the video link.

[scotts67789321]

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.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse · Accepted solution]

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]

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.

[scotts67789321]

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

[scotts67789321]

Brad,

Thanks for the great explaination. I guess both me and my coworker were on cruise control and neither of us actually read the message. You know, we both have been in prepress for so long, and we know what the error dialog boxes mean. Oops, not anymore.

Dang it, now we will have to actually read the dialog boxes again.

And I looked at the font a little more closely. The customer did supply it, and it is an OTF. But getting the info and going through all the file folders in my head to pull out the old font notes. I have noticed that the font is dated 1991. And I don't remember OTF in 1991. So, it appears that the customer or someone translated it from PS to OTF. Obviously that is not going to work, as us creative people have hoped, and what information on the internet says will work. Here we go again, all the information on the internet is not accurate. Can't put on cruise there either. What is the world come to. 😉

Thank you everyone for all the great help and discussion.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

"You know, we both have been in prepress for so long"

me too!

"So, it appears that the customer or someone translated it from PS to OTF. "

Probably. AG Old Face did not end up The OpenType versions of Font Folio (probably because it was part of the  Berthold Exklusivs packages). The Font Folio were pretty simple conversions to OpenType (with the added "Std" in the name) so had the same glyphs and encoding making them exact matches except for the new name. Some did minor tweas like add the Euro symbol, etc. The current OpenType version of AG Old Face has Pro in its name, as well as the expanded character sets. Depending on what program they used to convert, the font "should" be okay, as technically Type 1 and OpenType PS flavour outlines are identical, and will embed in PDF exactly the same. It's only if they were saved as OpenType TT where things change (all new TT hintings, etc.).

Also, as a prepress guy, I make sure I have the older versions of InDesign and Illustrator around to handle any Type 1-centric legacy files! 😉

[gcc36773400]

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.  

[paultech]

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!

[paultech]

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!

[paultech]

Faking a file that everything looks fine might be ok for casual users but not a professional.