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FIRA SANS number 1 bigger than other numbers in Indesign and PDF but prints a bit smaller!

Explorer ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

I have formatted at 700 page document for a company book. Their in-house style is Fira Sans. I downloaded this typeface from Adobe. The number 1 is larger than the other numbers throughout the document when looking at the document at 100%.  I thought this was the style but looking it up online it says the numbers should all be the same height and in fact when I increase the size to 300% hey presto all the number are the same size. BUT when printing the pages the number 1 looks sightly smaller than the other numbers and the number 2 is slightly bigger! What is going on?! First screen shot from Indesign at 100% and second at 300% and third close up photo of printed numbers. The numbers are all at 100% in Indesign on their vertical and horizontal.

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Print , Type
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Community Expert ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

Is it possible you have other versions of this font installed somewhere else on your machine (in other font folders)? Also, by saying "I downloaded this typeface from Adobe", do you mean that you activated it via Adobe Fonts?

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Community Expert ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

...and what are your InDesign and operating system versions?

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Explorer ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

I subscribe to Creative Cloud Pro so have the latest version and my MAC is macOS ventura Version 13.7.6 (22H625)

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Explorer ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

And yes, Adobe Fonts and it is the only version I have.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

Hi @Wilton PublishingServices , When you select all the numbers are they set as the same figure style in the Open Type menu?

 

Screen Shot 15.pngScreen Shot 16.png

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Explorer ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

yes that one but also I see Contextual Alternates is ticked but I understand this is to ensurethat it "improves the connection and overall appearance of text, especially in connected scripts or specific character sequences. By analyzing the characters surrounding a particular glyph, this feature selects the most harmonious alternative from the font's available glyph set, ensuring smoother and more natural-looking letterforms." 

Could that be a problem though? I don't really understand glyphs to be honest. But I think numbers are classed as glyphs in wich case you would think this would make the numbers even!

Should I untick Contextual Alternates. I just want to be sure it won't completely change the layout of 700 pages in 9 point text! And if I do untick it how do I do it for all of that typeface or can I just untick it for the numbers?

 
 

 

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Community Expert ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

yes that one but also I see Contextual Alternates is ticked

 

In your screenshot it doesn’t look like any text is selected?

 

A document’s texts or a selection could have a mix of figure styles—this selection has 3 different figure styles applied:

 

Screen Shot 17.png

 

 

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Explorer ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

All my text is as the screenshot I sent i.e. Default Figure Style and Contextual Alternates. I don't want to show the text as it is not for sharing but I have selcted ALL text and it is as mentioned above.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

If you check info in Find/Replace Font for Fira Sans is the Path Activated from Adobe Fonts—Version 4.301?

 

Screen Shot 21.png

 

I’m not seeing a problem on an Apple retina display:

 

Screen Shot 19.pngScreen Shot 20.png

 

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Explorer ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025
 
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Explorer ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

Not sure how to upload so it is clear like yours. It says' Added from Adobe Fonts' not 'Activated from'. Is that the same thing? 

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Community Expert ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

Looks like it’s your display resolution, there doesn’t seem to be a print problem.

 

Screen Shot 23.png

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Community Expert ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025

Also, your Display Performance settings might have an effect? The quality is set in Prefs>Display Performance

 

Screen Shot 24.png

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Explorer ,
Aug 27, 2025 Aug 27, 2025
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It was on Typical and I changed to High Quality (I usually stick with High Quality but must have changed it and forgot to put it back so thank you for that idea) but it made no difference to the display. I have no idea why it visually looks wrong but the printed version is OK I think. What you have shown heightwise looks good. Any other reason display could look so distorted with the number 1 at 100%?

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