High Quality Display and Export Turns Music Notes Into Boxes in InDesign CC 2017

[gerryd76400047]

Whenever I change the display performance to high or export it as a PDF, it changes the music notes into boxes on some pages.  The notes and the scales are one giant image so I don't know how InDesign is just changing the shape of the notes.  How do I keep the notes from turning into boxes in high quality performance mode?

[Bill Silbert]

When you say that the musical page is one giant image can you be more specific? Is it an image from Illustrator in which the notes might be made from a type font that is somehow not loading? Or is it a flattened raster image from Photoshop in which case I can't think of anything short of gremlins at work here. Also, I notice that the whole notes are unaffected. How were the half notes and quarter notes constructed?

[gerryd76400047]

I am unable to select the notes as they are a part of the larger graphic including the scales.  All of the notes and staffs were made in Finale and exported as a graphic from there.  I'm editing this file for someone else and I had to download a few fonts in order to do so, so I think that's where the heart of the problem is.  I know the "maestro" font was required for the notes and I have it downloaded.  Is it possible these half and quarter notes are from a different font that I haven't downloaded? jane-e​

[Bill Silbert]

Is it possible these half and quarter notes are from a different font that I haven't downloaded?

Yes, that does seem the most likely scenario. Unfortunately, since, as you say, this did come from a third party program there is little definitive that we can do on the forum except to tell you to get the correct fonts somehow.

[jane-e]

gerryd76400047  wrote

Is it possible these half and quarter notes are from a different font that I haven't downloaded?

jane-e

Yes. Typefaces can be included in an image if it is an Illustrator file or a (more obsolete) .eps file.

Do you see at the bottom of your screen where you have 37 errors? Double click that. Are they all missing font errors? Show a screen shot.

[gerryd76400047]

Since first opening it a bunch of errors have disappeared.  The creator of the file said he would have done everything in the same font so it's strange it catches some and not others. He originally created the file in 2010 so it could be possible the version of the "maestro" font I'm using is updated..? 

I was playing around with it more and the images that are a .png work fine in high quality while those that are a .pdf show the boxes (note the file type in the layers group)

[jane-e]

Show your links panel. If you are missing the images, they will look bad even in High Quality Display. Do you have access to the 3 missing PNGs?

The overset text could just be extra returns, but check them out. Use the Story Editor (Edit menu) and Show Hidden Characters (Type menu).

[gerryd76400047]

The missing links don't seem related to the notes issue; they are all this image which shouldn't be too difficult to get.  The overset text was just some extra returns that overlaid some other text.  Do you know if there is a reason that the maestro font only seems to not work when the file is a pdf instead of a png?

[jane-e]

gerryd76400047  wrote

Do you know if there is a reason that the maestro font only seems to not work when the file is a pdf instead of a png?

The fonts may not have been properly embedded in the PDF. Interesting the the treble clef started life as an SVG, then was saved as a PNG.

I wonder if it started its life in Illustrator? Bill Silbert​, what do you think?

Open one of the PDFs and look in File > Properties > Description. Were they created in Illustrator?

InDesign can actually take Illustrator (.ai) files if your friend did the work there. I'm just guessing.

[gerryd76400047]

I couldn't find properties under the file tab in preview but I right clicked the pdf and selected "get info"and this is what I found.

[Bill Silbert]

It makes sense that the pngs would not have a problem—they are flattened files that would not be affected by an unavailable typeface. I didn't realize that your other files were pdfs. If that is the case then try opening them in Illustrator (you can drag the pdf right over the Illustrator icon in the dock and they will open). Once there you should be able to select the squares that are replacing the notes. Try opening the boxes up to see if text is showing inside them. Also check under the Type menu in Find Font what fonts are supposed to be in the document. It is possible that although your friend used the same font throughout, he may have used different weights of the font. If that is the case it might just be a case of having to open that weight (if you actually have it). If you are using a font management utility like Font Explorer then you should be able to open all weights there. If when you open it in Illustrator the notes actually show there but are not showing in InDesign then you should convert them to outlines (this may be a case where everybody agrees that this is a good use of that function). When done save the file as an .ai file and reimport into InDesign.

[gerryd76400047]

It seems like the boxes are the "myriad pro" font instead of the "maestro" font, which is not a font for musical notation. 

[Bill Silbert]

gerryd76400047  wrote

It seems like the boxes are the "myriad pro" font instead of the "maestro" font, which is not a font for musical notation. 

Myriad Pro is actually the default font for Illustrator and what the Find Font is showing in your screen shot is that it is substituting itself for a font that you do not have (usually you will get a warning that a font is being substituted for by the default font). What is interesting to me is that there is an "i" in a circle next to the Maestro font which says to me that there is something suspicious about that font. I still think that all of this can be solved by getting all of the weights of Maestro.

Or you can try a different theory. In Illustrator you can attempt to replace all instances of Myriad Pro with Maestro. You would do this by clicking on Maestro in the Fonts in Document part of Find Font then in the pull-down menu next to "Replace with font from:" choose "Document" which should then show Maestro in the replace area. Choose it there and do a "Change All". If it does not show up as a choosable option then change the pull-down to "System" and try and find it there.

[gerryd76400047 · Accepted solution]

Thank you everybody for all the help.  I had an incorrect version of maestro downloaded and I got the correct version from the finale installation disc and the font works now! 

[Bill Silbert]

Glad it worked out. Hope we were all helpful.

[jane-e]

When you are in Screen Mode: Preview, you won't see missing fonts. If the notes are fonts, select one note and show us the typeface dialog as shown below.

Although I see nothing selected in your screen shots, this shows that you are using Myriad Web Pro, Regular somewhere, which you do not have installed. It's possible that is the culprit.

[jane-e]

Also, highlight the C and D whole notes, as Bill mentioned. Are they using the same typeface or a different one? Possibly you won't see brackets around them in the Character panel.

[Jongware]

Did anyone yet recommend to check Find Font in InDesign? It should also list missing fonts inside embedded vector images.

When still in doubt: open the PDF with Acrobat and check the Document Properties, tab "Fonts". It should tell right away which fonts are used and whether or not they are embedded.

[jane-e]

Hi [Jongware],

Not sure if any of us said Find Fonts yet. I was about to, then saw the 37 errors and thought that would show the missing fonts, then got distracted.

The first screen shot shows that “Myriad Web Pro Regular” is missing.

Gerry,

Do you have Creative Cloud that includes Illustrator and Acrobat? If so, use that. If not, download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Install Adobe Acrobat Reader DC on Mac OS . It is better for previewing PDFs than Mac Preview, and you will be able to find the information we have been asking for.

It seems like you have two choices:

• obtain and install the missing fonts. Myriad Pro is available on Typekit, and you might try that if you have it.
  or
• ask your friend to redo the musical notations in the proper font.

When you opened the document, did it say you were missing fonts then? When you go to Edit > Find Font now, can you sync the missing fonts to Typekit?

Show a screen shot if you are not sure what to do.