Applying existing styles gives pink box; must then clear character overrides

[Xinamc2018]

This only started happening the last two times I've used InDesign. Why? I have not updated to latest version as I have a coworker whose PC is old and can't handle the latest, and we don't want to convert docs between us. So updating not my preferred fix. I've looked at settings to no avail. Any wisdom? This really adds a step. Thanks for any insights. 
Version 13.1, 64 bit

[Peru Bob]

I've moved this from the Using the Community forum (which is the forum for issues using the forums) to the InDesign forum so that proper help can be offered.

[Xinamc2018]

I'm sorry for that error . . .thank you!

[jmlevy]

Text highlighted in pink means a missing font. Did you uninstall some fonts? Can you post a screen shot, including the control panel, with the character tab selected, like this

[Xinamc2018]

in process of applying style, see pink, and I can't even tell what character style is indicated.
I have not removed any fonts (to my knowledge) This pub is 95% Times New Roman, and this error happens on the main text para style too.

[Xinamc2018]

in process of applying style, see pink, and I can't even tell what character style is indicated. 

I have not removed any fonts (to my knowledge) This pub is 95% Times New Roman, and this error happens on the main text para style too. 

[jmlevy]

Looking at your screenshot, we can see that InDesign does not “know” which weight to apply for Times: bold, italic, bold italic?

and we also can see that the missing font is mainly on the notes, so you should start to check this character style. 

[Xinamc2018]

MUST a character style be set, like a default style to apply when one specific one is not selected?

I just use paragraph styles and only apply character styles for Big Caps. But I'll look at everything. Thank you!

[jmlevy]

No, you must not, it is up to you to use character styles. On your screenshot, at the top of the character styles panel, we can see that there is a mix of characters stles whic are applied. I think you really need to check that. You also could go to the Text menu > find font (not sure of the exact English term, I have a French version) to see all the fonts used in your document. The missing one will be listed with a warning sign.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

What does it show in the font menu if you select just one character in the suspect copy?

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

Hi Xinamc2018,

if you select a lot of text like in your screenshot and there are different styles applied to that selected text, the Character panel or the Control panel is not able to show a distinct style. So just set your cursor inside the text without selecting more than a character and let us know what you see.

A missing style's name is always in square brackets.

Hm. Also show the Type > Find fonts… dialog.

Usually you get a hint there if some fonts are missing.

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Xinamc2018]

Hi, Missing font is . . ."Times New Roman Nothing". lol. I tell InD to replace it with TNW regular, but the error keeps repeating over and over. Can I delete "Nothing"? Can I globally tell it to replace Nothing with Regular?
So far, just clearing character styles after every style application is much quicker than trying to figure this out, so I'll probably drop this. I gather fonts are an issue in InD so . . .thanks everyone for the help. Solution remains evasive. 

[Xinamc2018]

Good  morning all, I have received some good helpful replies, but am really still confused. Why won't InD globally replace Times New Roman Nothing (what does that even mean?) with Times NR regular?

Any ideas welcome. 

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

Can you copy and paste a section that is not working right into a new document and post it here for us to look at?

[Xinamc2018]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9uxjxg2g78jfn3q/InDesign%20new%20doc%20page%20for%20clear%20character%20is...

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

I would check your Character Style for Hyperlink. It's may have been applied automatically when you make any hyperlink, so even though YOU didn't apply it, it was done. (The reason a charcter style didn't show as applied to your selection is probably because you have more than the hyperlink in that selection). My guess is it's based on a font from another style and will have a Font Style that's in square brackets. Update that to the font it should be and you should be fine.

[Xinamc2018]

Character style is saying hyperlink for imported text from Word even where there are no hyperlinks. Dead end there, but thanks

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

And how is that character style defined?

With a style that only Word has and InDesign cannot see in the applied font?

EDIT: Did not read your reply that was nested in thread before writing this.

If that character style is of no practical use I would remove it.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Laubender]

Xinamc2018 said: "… I have received some good helpful replies, but am really still confused. Why won't InD globally replace Times New Roman Nothing (what does that even mean?) with Times NR regular?

Any ideas welcome. "

A test InDesign document would really help, I think.

Put one on Dropbox or a similar service and post the download link.

Also helpful: How was the document created in the first place?

Was the InDesign document created with InDesign CS4 and then opened with CC 2018 ?

Was there a Word doc or docx import at some point in the workflow?

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Laubender]

Any ideas welcome. "

A test InDesign document would really help, I think.

Put one on Dropbox or a similar service and post the download link.

Also helpful: How was the document created in the first place?

Was the InDesign document created with InDesign CS4 and then opened with CC 2018 ?

Was there a Word doc or docx import at some point in the workflow?

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Xinamc2018]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9uxjxg2g78jfn3q/InDesign%20new%20doc%20page%20for%20clear%20character%20is...

The document was created by reusing an older issue, deleting all the pages but one and then adding in new. That way I keep the template and the paragraph styles, etc. and it stays in version CC2018. 

The text was placed, from a Word file. docx. 

Thanks

[Xinamc2018]

Oh should have added that I applied 2 different paragraph styles to the first two boxes (which then turned pink as they need character override and the font is again "TNR Nothing", and the rest of the page is not yet formatted. 

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

See my reply in the main thread. Word has imported a Character Style with the odd fomt request.

[Brad @ Roaring Mouse]

Okay... it's exactly as I suspected.. you have applied the Character style "Hyperlink" to some text and THAT is where the [Nothing] font is coming from.

If you don't need that Character Style applied to that copy, put your cursor in the affected paragraph and, in the Paragraph Styles palette, right-click on the style applied and select "Apply "xxx" style, Clear Character Styles".

That should get rid of the misapplied Character style.

You could do this one by one for any affected paragraph, or since you said you are not intentionally using Character Styles anyway, just select ALL your copy and click "None" in the Character Styles palette.

You could just delete the Hyperlink Style. but you DO actually need it as your original sample showed you had hyperlinks in your copy. InDesign  by default will apply the Hyperlink Character Style to any URL it converts to a hyperlink, SO you still need to fix the problem with the Hyperlink Style.

See attached:

As you will notice, there are Blank areas in the definition of the Style. That means the Character Style is using the underlying fonts, etc, of the Paragraph inless you selected something different: say you wanted all your hyperlinks to be bold, you would select Bold in Font Style. The one that is not blank in yours is Font Style... yours has picked up this odd "[Nothing]" font style (my guess it came in with the Word imported styles). Just change that to whatever font style you want.. I selected regular for this example.

[Xinamc2018]

I will try that--haven't yet thought to edit character style, just paragraph, so thanks!

[Laubender]

Hi Xinamc2018,

inspected your CC 2018 document with my German InDesign CC 2018 on Windows 10.

Yes, I totally agree with roaringmousegraphic's expertise.

That all could happen if one is importing Word documents with all styles.

It could create a mess like that.

Imported paragraph style "Normal" is another source of issues.

Missing font: [?????? Pro W3]

Font style [Regular]

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )