InDesign 2020 Convert Text To Outline

[Dan013]

I'm stuggling to convert text into outlines. 

I have a 250 page InDesign book that I can't get to export with the text in an outline.

Any help?

[Derek Cross]

Why do you want to do this -- it's one of the worst typographic practices you can undertake! 

[Dan013]

Live and learn right...  At this point, I just want to finish this project.  And then take a step back to understand where I went wrong.

[Dan013]

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

[Qzzzzzzzzzzzz]

it is?

[Jongware]

Details please. "Can't get to export", so what happens instead? Export to what?

[Dan013]

No problems exporting as a pdf.  The problem is converting the text to an outline to be printed.

- Added a transparancy layer.

- Ticked the boxes

[Jongware]

https://indesignsecrets.com/converting-text-to-outlines-the-right-way-updated.php should work for you.

[Dan013]

Thank you for the suggestion. I've tried what that 9 year old article says.

[Jongware · Accepted solution]

> I've tried what that 9 year old article says.

You're right, apologies. That was an older answer -- as you can see, your specific request has been discussed (and discouraged) more than once. I was actually looking for https://indesignsecrets.com/outlining-fonts-the-2016-edition.php

(Just for the record: it re-states that (1) outlining fonts is bad practice; (2) you should not be doing it; (3) .. even if your obvious clueless printer "demands" it; (4) but if you do, use Acrobat Pro. Dov Isaac's official advice dates from 2015 so I'm not sure if you would consider this "too old to follow" too.)

[Dan013]

Thank you for the help and the link to Dov Isaac's advice.  I apologies for the snarkiness.  Cheers!

[Alexandre Becquet]

Hello, the screenshot is very small or it's me ?

Yes, it's one of the worst typographic practices.

[Dan013]

[Dan013]

Larger

[Dan013]

Any suggestions?

[Dan013]

If you exported this and opened in Acrobat... How would you convert the text to outlines?

[BobLevine]

Why do you even want to? It's a horrible practice.

[datap6156868 · Accepted solution]

Hey there, Go to Preflight in Acrobat then convert font to outlines this is the best way.

[Dan013]

I use InDesign because it's easy to use.  Once a year I create an awesome book filled with pictures from the race season.  I love to contribute back to the community.

[Test Screen Name]

We have (kind of indirectly) asked you again and again WHY you want to outline text. You haven't replied. We ask because it's a bad idea, because it damages quality and usability, and because it is almost never needed. But there's a lot of bad advice on the internet so 9 times out of 10 people are doing it when they don't need to.  Even more confusingly, you keep posting screen shots with no text in them, so we have really no idea what your problem is with outlining text.

[Dan013]

Believe me, I was confused.  You're 100% correct about bad advice.  That seems to be all I found.  Thank you for taking the time to help out, it's appreciated. 

[Laubender]

Hi Dan,

if you must convert text to outlines best do it with the exported PDF in Acrobat Pro DC.

Print Production > Preflight

Choose:

Acrobat Pro DC 2015 Profiles

Tab: Profiles

Right most button: Select single fix ups

Document > Convert fonts to outlines

Run the fix with the Fix button of the Preflight panel.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

EDIT: Did not see datap's nested reply with the screenshot of Acrobat's Preflight panel before.

[Danny Whitehead.]

Don't. If a printing company is asking you to, tell them you're going to use a company that doesn't have this arcane requirement.

[SJRiegel]

You haven't answered as to why you are converting 250 pages to outlines, but I can tell you (as others have already), that this has the possibility of introducing all sorts of errors in the process. Any printer worth using can use a PDF as generated from InDesign - no font outlining needed.

[BobLevine]

I don't know about the rest of you but I'm beginning to feel like we're all wasting our time trying to help.