Indesign changes layout when opening document at my end (all text overset)

[shirees70500112]

Hi, I'm subediting a magazine. Have all the correct fonts installed but the text is overset on every single page and all text boxes. It isn't so on my editor's computer. I haven't come across this issue before. I'm working on a PC. Hundreds of pages and a deadline, so would love any ideas!

[Derek Cross]

You can have fonts with the same name but from different foundries, so they may vary in width.

Get the supplier of the documents to supply an InDesign packaged file.

Another possibility is that the original document may have had minus or plus tracking applied to the font or some other variant.

[shirees70500112]

Ah thanks. I'm also wondering if it is a conversion problem between Mac and PC...

[Willi Adelberger]

The only problem between Mac and Win could be Mac-Only fonts. The Mac can handle all Win fonts, but Windows is not able to work with Mac-Only fonts. Mac has more compatibility.

[Creamer Training]

@Willi Adelberger is correct--just a note about Microsoft fonts. The Mac versions of Microsoft fonts (Ariel, Times New Roman, Windings, etc.) are not always the same as the Windows versions. Better to uninstall the Mac versions and (re)install Windows versions on the Macs.

[Willi Adelberger]

Possibilities are:

1. Different fonts
2. Different user dictionaries
3. Different InDesign Versions

[Jeff Witchel, ACI]

Have whoever you're working with, Package the InDesign file (File > Package). That way you will be using exactly the same fonts that they are. Hope this helps!

[Creamer Training · Accepted solution]

Have the editor _package_ the file so it includes fonts (with a few exceptions). Look at the font list and remove any duplicate fonts you have installed on your computer (move them to a non-system folder for now). InDesign will use the fonts included in the "Document fonts" folder in the package. (You can install those fonts if you are doing the editing on a continual basis.)

If the editor is on a Mac and used Mac-only fonts, you need to discuss font usage. For example, Helvetica is not included with Windows, but comes on Mac--plus, it is not a cross-platform font. If that font is required by the designer, then all editors would need to swtich to an OpenType version of the font; it would have a slightly different name: Helvetica Std. This would be a one-time change--after that, all the computers would use the newer font. 

Of course, one would switch the font to another similar font.

Also, have your editor open the document(s) and check the Merge User Dictionary in Document preference. That way, any additons they made to their user dictionary will travel with the document. 

[Edit] Added from another post to make this answer as complete as possible:

Just a note about Microsoft fonts. The Mac versions of Microsoft fonts (Ariel, Times New Roman, Windings, etc.) are not always the same as the Windows versions. Better to uninstall the Mac versions and (re)install Windows versions on the Macs.

[Jeff Witchel, ACI]

Well said David!

[Laubender]

Hi @shirees70500112 ,

this could happen if you had Adobe Fonts in your document activated and you are using Google font files installed with the same name. Or the other way around. The layout was done with installed Google font files that are missing at the time you open the document on your machine and you substitute them with activated Adobe Fonts.

See for example:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/problems-with-baseline-shift-when-editing-text-b...

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )