Document uses fonts that are currently unavailable on your computer

[sunshine10021]

I am redesigning an InDesign document from another designer, and I am unable to use the fonts he used, so I am replacing the fonts on my computer with the ones he used.  He used Gotham Bold, Medium and Light. I added them to my Mac in Font Book and that did not work, so then I added them directly to Adobe InDesign CC 2019 Font Folder. However, it still shows them as not available. What else can I do? Thanks for your help.

[Steve Werner · Accepted solution]

He used PostScript Type 1 fonts. This is an older format which can have a couple issues: (1) They are platform specific. That is, if the designer was using Windows, you would need the Mac set of fonts (completely different). (2) If he/she was working on a Mac, they would need to give you both parts of the fonts. They require both a "screen font" and a "printer font." If only one of the components was installed that would not work.

Below is a picture of an old archive of Type 1 Mac Fonts (more than 25 years old!). You wouldn't see the green checkmarks (that's a Dropbox thing because I store them on Dropbox). But the screen fonts are stored in the FFIL file type and the printer fonts are stored in the LWFN file types.

[sunshine10021]

Thanks, Steve. He was using a Mac. But what you are saying is this would be really complicated for me do and it should really be done by the original designer? Or he needs to give me the screen and printer fonts?

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to respond to me. I have been trying to do this for hours.

[Steve Werner]

He needs to give you both the printer and screen fonts for the Mac. They should be stored in the same location. See if that works.

[BobLevine]

This should clear it up.

https://indesignsecrets.com/inquestion-solving-cross-platform-font-problems.php

[sunshine10021]

Hi Bob,

I did place the fonts (that I got online) into the InDesign Fonts folder on my mac. However, InDesign still says they are missing.

I am not able to get the fonts directly from the designer (as Steve suggested) as he is not available to do so. He did do the design originally on a mac.

Is there anything else that I can do?

Thanks!

[Steve Werner]

If you absolutely must have Gotham you can buy them:

What's Inside: Gotham Fonts | Hoefler & Co.

Otherwise, you can substitute a similar looking font. You can use WhatTheFont website to find a font:

https://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/

[BobLevine]

Can we see a screenshot of that folder?

You can also try creating a Document fonts folder in the same folder the INDD file is in.

[sunshine10021]

[BobLevine]

Get the files out of those individual folders.

[sunshine10021]

They are out but I still get the message they are not there. See screenshot of message and them out of the folders.

[BobLevine]

Those look like aliases, not the files themselves.

[Steve Werner]

Bob is correct. You didn't really get the files. Those are aliases.

But they're also the wrong fonts. If you look at your list of missing fonts it shows "Gotham (T1) Medium", "Gotham (T1) Bold", and "Gotham (T1) Light". The T1 means Type 1.

But the aliases are pointing to OpenType fonts (GothamBold.otf, GothamLight.otf, and GothamMedium.otf.

They aren't the same font type as what the file is looking for.

[sunshine10021]

Yes, when I pull them out they are aliases, Bob.

So Steve, I don't even have the correct type of files?

So, I guess I will need to buy the font then. Since these are incorrect.

Thank you both for all of your help.

It has been invaluable. I really appreciate it.

[Steve Werner]

And if you're buying them, I would suggest OpenType fonts which have been the standard since 2000, are cross-platform, support a much larger number of characters, etc. In fact, that's likely what you would paying for. I doubt they're even selling Type 1 fonts.

[BobLevine]

Did you drag them out or cut/paste?

If the former, that could just create an alias. So cut/paste them from the folders.

[Test Screen Name]

Bear in mind that if you buy the fonts they will STILL be missing - you then have to switch to use the new fonts. Hopefully they are equivalent in layout, but a bit of reflow and overset should be expected and checked for.

[sunshine10021]

Thank you for all of your help. I will look at the options of buying the font or find something similar.

Appreciate all of your input. You guys are the best!

[BobLevine]

FYI: While Mac Type 1 fonts are worthless on Windows the opposite is not completely true. Placing those files in the InDesign fonts folder on the Mac will allow it to use them.