Font Weight Problem InDesign CC 2017 12.1.0.56 x 64 Build

[cdeatherage]

I'm finishing up a three volume book series using  InDesign CC 2017 12.1.0.56 x 64 Build and Windows 10, which appears to be the most recent build. All paragraph and character styles were replicated exactly from the first volume. Volumes One and Two have been published. Now that Volume Three is ready, my software is not displaying every "w" with the same apparent font weight as all the other characters. (By comparison, all the other characters look bold, and the w looks "thin.") Paragraph style calls for Arial Regular 11pt (13.2pt), and there are no overlying or underlying character styles applied. Any ideas how to resolve? Would migrating the document to another ID version solve the problem?

Thanks,

Chris

[winterm]

Since your text is scaled, may it be a screen display issue (it shouldn’t, though)? What if you zoom in/out? How about exported pdf? Does ‘w’ weight looks different here, too?

[cdeatherage]

Thanks for the reply. No, the "w" weight looks different in InDesign, on the PDF that was submitted to the publisher, and on the PDF proof that the publisher returned. Someone suggested that I test the document on another computer, which I'm going to do as soon as I can get the programs and document to load. Will keep you posted.

[cdeatherage]

OK, so I opened the documents up on my laptop using ID 2017. "W" weights were all perfectly normal. Opened it up on my desktop using ID 2018, and again the "w" weights were perfectly fine and on the exported PDFs. So, I've uploaded those PDFs to the publisher and now await its proof to see if all is well.

Weights using ID 2017 on my desktop are still "weak," so I guess we all know what's going to happen to that installation. 🙂

[winterm · Accepted solution]

Never have faced such an issue, but if I were in your shoes I would probably take a closer look to installed Arial font. Is it OK in other apps, like Illy or PS? What if you reinstall it using Arial font files from a 'working' system? What if you change Arial to some other similar looking font (just for testing)? Does 'w' still looks somewhat 'different'? That said, there may be some font corruption involved. In this case, reinstalling the app won't help.

EDIT:

Arial is highly likely installed on a 'system level' - in Windows/Fonts folder. Are you sure you don't have any duplicates in Adobe/Fonts folder (application level), or Document fonts folder (document level)? Those will supersede your 'system level' Arial version.