Does creative cloud subscription provides free "Helvetica" fonts to the InDesign users?

[ninal4699632]

How do I get "Helvetica" fonts for free when I use InDesign by the creative cloud?

***** Title renamed by Moderator "VS" *****

[Steve Werner]

Helvetica is not installed by default by the Creative Cloud or InDesign.

You can add additional fonts with Typeset in InDesign or other CC applications. In InDesign, choose Type > Find Fonts from Typekit to see what's available. Only fonts marked as "Desktop" can be used in desktop applications like InDesign.

[Willi Adelberger]

There is a Helvetica included in the Mac OS, but this is not supposed for print.

You need to buy Helvetica, Helvetica Neue (= "Helvetica new font") which is similar as OTF best.

If you have the typekit, try other san serif like Myriad Pro or others which are included.

[TᴀW]

I think Acrobat does actually come with Helvetica. Not sure where it's

installed to, though.

[Willi Adelberger]

AAIK these fonts are installed inside the program package (hidden for normal users) and only available for Acrobat itself, not for any other application. I think in version XI Helvetica is replaced with a type of Mayriad (not the Pro version).

These fonts are needed for form filling purposes.

They must not moved to any other place as Acrobat will search them here.

[Steve Werner]

Wilhelm,

Acrobat X and XI replace Helvetica with Myriad Pro. You must have to go back to an earlier version of Acrobat to find it in Package Contents.

[Willi Adelberger]

Yes, it is Pro, I did a look:

The fonts are here (Acrobat XI Pro Mac as example):

• /Applications/[Adobe Acrobat\ XI Pro]/Adobe Acrobat Pro.app/Contents/Resources/Resource/Font

Following Fonts are included:

• AdobeArabic-Bold.otf
• AdobeArabic-BoldItalic.otf
• AdobeArabic-Italic.otf
• AdobeArabic-Regular.otf
• AdobeDevanagari-Bold.otf
• AdobeDevanagari-BoldItalic.otf
• AdobeDevanagari-Italic.otf
• AdobeDevanagari-Regular.otf
• AdobeHebrew-Bold.otf
• AdobeHebrew-BoldItalic.otf
• AdobeHebrew-Italic.otf
• AdobeHebrew-Regular.otf
• AdobePiStd.otf
• AdobeThai-Bold.otf
• AdobeThai-BoldItalic.otf
• AdobeThai-Italic.otf
• AdobeThai-Regular.otf
• CourierStd-Bold.otf
• CourierStd-BoldOblique.otf
• CourierStd-Oblique.otf
• CourierStd.otf
• MinionPro-Bold.otf
• MinionPro-BoldIt.otf
• MinionPro-It.otf
• MinionPro-Regular.otf
• MyriadArabic-Bold.otf
• MyriadArabic-BoldIt.otf
• MyriadArabic-It.otf
• MyriadArabic-Regular.otf
• MyriadHebrew-Bold.otf
• MyriadHebrew-BoldIt.otf
• MyriadHebrew-It.otf
• MyriadHebrew-Regular.otf
• MyriadPro-Bold.otf
• MyriadPro-BoldIt.otf
• MyriadPro-It.otf
• MyriadPro-Regular.otf

[Dov Isaacs]

Actually, no, Acrobat doesn't normally use Myriad Pro as a replacement font for Helvetica!

Normally, if Acrobat needs Helvetica and Helvetica (by that name and not Helvetica Neue or Helvetica LT Std, etc.) is not available, it will attempt to find and use Arial. Why? The Arial distributed by Microsoft and also installed on MacOS has major similarities to Helvetica's design and this particular Arial version was manipulated to have the same “set widths” as the Type 1 Helvetica font originally found in Adobe PostScript-based printers and RIPs.

        - Dov

[Dov Isaacs]

Helvetica does not come with any recent version of Acrobat. The last version of Acrobat that bundled Helvetica was Acrobat 3 back in the mid-1990s.

            - Dov

[TᴀW]

@Dov: No Helvetica? When a textfield form field is created in Acrobat

XI, the first option in the dropdown of the font menu under properties

for that field is Helvetica (4 flavors).

[joelglass]

if you sign into the creative cloud - I believe it will show up in keynote and whatever apples version of word is

[Dov Isaacs · Accepted solution]

To directly respond to your question, there is no “free” version of Helvetica bundled with Windows and the version of Helvetica bundled with MacOS is a .dfont variant of TrueType Helvetica that may problematic for publishing use.

Otherwise, Helvetica is a trademarked, commercial font. It is not “free” and anyone offering you a “free” copy or version of Helvetica is doing so outside the law.

Adobe does not bundle any version of Helvetica with any applications. Nor is it available via TypeKit.

You can license Helvetica, Helvetica Neue, etc. from commercial font vendors including Adobe, Monotype, etc.

If your needs are not exact and you are on a strict budget, Arial may do. Arial is bundled with both Windows and MacOS.

            - Dov

[joelglass]

@ incorrect to the 10X

[Chipmunk101]

Update 2015 answer on Helvetica Font availablity: I would like confirm the Helvetica font is boundles with InDesign.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

No, it's not. That is incorrect.

Only a handful of essential fonts are installed (permanent desktop installation, that is) with Adobe InDesign, and Helvetica is not one of them.

Nor is Helvetica available through Adobe's downloadable fonts utility, Adobe Fonts (aka, TypeKit).

On the Mac, a version of Helvetica is installed with the Mac OS, but it is a dFont and not usable for print or digital material, so it's nearly useless for designers.

If you want Helvetica (or Helvetica Neue or Helvetica Now), you must purchase a legitimate license of it from Linotype.com (or other font resellers licensed to sell it). It's a copyrighted font; there are no freebies available. https://www.linotype.com/1308886/helvetica-family.html

Please read the above comment about this on February 2015 from Adobe engineer Dov Isaacs. it is now 2020 and nothing has changed since his post 5 years ago.

[Chipmunk101]

[BobLevine]

That proves NOTHING. The fact that it's on your computer only means that it's on your computer.

You might just as well claim that InDesign is shipped with every computer since it's on yours.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Dear Chipmunk101

Your sample is of a serif font, not Helvetica which is a sans serif font.

Sample of Helvetica Neue.