Skip to main content
Participating Frequently
November 5, 2024
Answered

Trouble with Bitmap Font Display on Windows 10

  • November 5, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 803 views

Hey everyone! I purchased a font that uses bitmap images instead of vectors. I'm having trouble getting it work on my Windows 10 machine. It works fine on my Mac. Basically the characters show up blank (see attached). Any ideas what causes this? I reached out to the seller and they don't know why this is happening. I've tried on different PCs, same results. 

 

 

<Title renamed by MOD>

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Abhishek Rao

Hi @RoteroD1,

 

Bitmap fonts can be tricky on different operating systems, and it’s not uncommon to encounter display issues. Would you mind sharing the below details: 

  1. Could you let us know the version of InDesign you’re using? Sometimes, specific versions of InDesign handle bitmap fonts differently.
  2. Which build of Windows 10 are you running? Some fonts require specific rendering support that may vary between builds.

In the meantime, consider following the below steps:

  • Make sure that the font file is compatible with Windows. Sometimes, bitmap fonts (especially color fonts or OpenType-SVG) may display differently on Windows due to lack of support in certain applications.

  • Try clearing the Windows font cache. Font cache corruption can sometimes cause display issues. To do this:

    1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
    2. Scroll down to Windows Font Cache Service and stop it.
    3. Go to C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local and delete the FontCache files.
    4. Restart your computer.
  • Try viewing the font in other applications like Photoshop or Illustrator. This could help determine if the issue is specific to InDesign or a Windows rendering limitation.

Let us know if any of these steps help or if additional details about your setup shed more light on the issue. Good luck!

 

Thanks, 

Abhishek Rao

1 reply

Abhishek Rao
Community Manager
Abhishek RaoCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
Community Manager
November 5, 2024

Hi @RoteroD1,

 

Bitmap fonts can be tricky on different operating systems, and it’s not uncommon to encounter display issues. Would you mind sharing the below details: 

  1. Could you let us know the version of InDesign you’re using? Sometimes, specific versions of InDesign handle bitmap fonts differently.
  2. Which build of Windows 10 are you running? Some fonts require specific rendering support that may vary between builds.

In the meantime, consider following the below steps:

  • Make sure that the font file is compatible with Windows. Sometimes, bitmap fonts (especially color fonts or OpenType-SVG) may display differently on Windows due to lack of support in certain applications.

  • Try clearing the Windows font cache. Font cache corruption can sometimes cause display issues. To do this:

    1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
    2. Scroll down to Windows Font Cache Service and stop it.
    3. Go to C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local and delete the FontCache files.
    4. Restart your computer.
  • Try viewing the font in other applications like Photoshop or Illustrator. This could help determine if the issue is specific to InDesign or a Windows rendering limitation.

Let us know if any of these steps help or if additional details about your setup shed more light on the issue. Good luck!

 

Thanks, 

Abhishek Rao

RoteroD1Author
Participating Frequently
November 5, 2024

Thanks, Abhishek Rao. It seems that the issue is just on the Windows Font viewer app. Once I went to check in the app, I can actually see the characters rendered. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. 

Dave Creamer of IDEAS
Community Expert
November 5, 2024

BTW, the font is not a Bitmap font--it is OpenType. 

 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)