Indesign export to PDF... odd font results

[imashleysantoro]

Hi there!
I'm having an issue after exporting pdfs from InDesign, where the fonts in my pdf look a bit wonky (for lack of a better word lol). I'm not sure if this is setting in InDesign or Acrobat.

A screenshot is below. I feel like some lines look like different fonts - it should all be the same. 

It looks fine when I print it and also view it in InDesign, it is only happening in the PDF.

Computer specs:

Macbook Pro M1 16GB ram

OS: Sequoia 15.3.1 (24D70)

Adobe InDesign 2025 version 20.2

Acrobat version 24.5.20421.0

Exporting a pdf using the pre-made "high quality print" option in InDesign. 

Thank you in advance!!!

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @imashleysantoro,  

Thanks for reaching out. It’s likely something happening during export or how Acrobat renders the font. Could you check if the issue persists when viewing the PDF in another app, like Preview on Mac? Also, try exporting using a different preset, such as PDF/X-4, and let me know if that makes a difference.  

Moreover, please share a screenshot of your export settings from InDesign. Also, does this happen with just one file or all PDFs you export? If possible, try creating a new file with a different font (to isolate if it’s font-related) and see if the issue still occurs.

Looking forward to your update!  

^

Abhishek

[imashleysantoro]

Thanks Abhishek!

I tried viewing the document in preview - no issues there. 

I found another document where the same thing was happening; it was created recently. Both of the documents share a common font: Calibri. 

I also tried exporting as a PDF/X-4; this was the result: (seems the same as the last version to me) 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Can you upload a sample PDF so I can zoom in to the glyphs?

[imashleysantoro]

Thanks Dave! Here is a page of the book. 

[Willi Adelberger]

In Acrobat > Preferences > Page Display 

did you set up according to your device?

Preview is not a valid PDF viewer. Avoid it.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

I'm not seeing any problem in Acrobat on either Mac or Windows, nor in Preview on Mac.