Fonts: Encrypted fonts are used. Not every shop supports encrypted fonts

[Muhammad Yasi22270391e81o]

Hi everyone,
I am working on client project (Books epub Creation). When I export book as Epub Fixed Layout and send to my client. He tell me to solve this error " Fonts: Encrypted fonts are used. Not every shop supports encrypted fonts.". 

I have books in 20 languages and each book has different font.
Anyone please help me how to solve this issue. I search a lot and watch videos but unable to solve this issue.
I shall be very thankful to you.
Regards Yasir Ali

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

The simple answer is to use more widely shared fonts for EPUB, especially those developed for sale or wide distribution. There isn't really any other solution. Or take what books you can to PDF instead of FXL EPUB.

[rayek.elfin]

One option is to use Sigil to open the epubs, right-mouse click each font in the browser panel and change the Font Obfuscation to "None".

Then save the epub. Fixed.

However, that doesn't mean you are actually allowed to distribute those fonts without encryption, of course.

[The HBM]

Is there a different app that can do this than Sigil? My Mac won't open it, it says it can't be sure there isn't malware in the file

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Sigil is about the only reliable EPUB editor. Calibre is good but for PC only, I think.

EPUBs should never require editing, though. Better to redo the export with the right settings. Also, fonts are encrypted for reasons, so not sure hacking them loose is... appropriate.

That said, I don't think changing the flag in the generated EPUB will magically un-encrypt the fonts. I think it will work only if you have the fonts anyway and want to replace them with un-encrypted versions. But maybe. It would be... fairly stupid for encryption to be controlled by one ASCII file toggle. Reminds me of old video games you could crack with a hex editor and two minutes. 🙂

[The HBM]

Thanks. I use Calibre on Mac but don't know how to not obfuscate fonts in it. I'm wondering if it's because my books are fixed format, not reflowable, because they are children's picture books with placed illustrations. 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Ah, I wasn't aware Calibre had a Mac version. (I use only the reader, so...)

FXL EPUBs are very difficult to work with after export. Pretty much essential to get them right on export.

What is your base problem with the fonts? What are you trying to fix?

[The HBM]

I have several children's books I've laid out in InDesign 2023. I export them in fixed format to epub, and have successfully gotten them loaded up to Apple Books and Amazon. But when I upload them to Smashwords, I see that there are error messages regarding my file. I have no idea how to fix them. 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

The font items are just informational. You have only two errors: a bad TOC (which might be fixable by reviewing the code, but really should be fixed in export), and a bad font resource. No real reason to do surgery; regenerate the TOC and figure out what font is failing to pass the check.

(I know, sounds like I'm minimizing the effort, but you don't really need Sigil/Calibre etc. to fix this, I think. Especially if the two bigger outlets already accepted it.)

And FWIW, I have yet to sell a single copy of anything on Smashwords. Maybe a children's book will find a market there, but my opin is that it's... the WalMart of EPUB.

[The HBM]

Thanks so much for your help! Since I'm designing children's books, there are no TOCs, so I don't know how to resolve the notion of a 'bad TOC'. I have no idea how to determine which font(s) are problematic. I think I'm gonna hire an upwork freelancer to help. May as well have clean epub files, regardless of Smashwords' lameness, lol. 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Always an option. Good luck on all fronts!

[rayek.elfin]

The first warning is probably caused by the General-->Navigation TOC set to None in the ePub export settings. It will generate an empty ordered list (ol) element without list items (li).

Change that setting to Filename if you have no TOC or bookmarks to work with in your file.

[The HBM]

Aha! Good to know. Thank you!!!