Typeface licensing issue

[Lpayne]

Last March I created a pdf from an Indesign file using the typeface VerdictSF. My laptop at the time was running Windows 8.1. It uploaded to Amazon KDP without issue and the book has been published since.

Today the author wanted a small change made in the document. My InDesign software has upgraded AND I have a new laptop running Windows 10. I opened the document and VerdictSF was not available. I downloaded the font, not from Adobe, since it wasn't offered, and when I opened the document it was fine replacing it on its own. However, when I went to create the new pdf, it told me it had an issue with the VerdictSF being licensed and not able to use. I created the pdf anyway. When I uploaded it to KDP to publish, it flagged the typeface as not useable unless I embed it. Well, I DID embed it, but I guess the license doesn't allow it.

All I did was change a photo! But I couldn't do this without fixing VerdictSF and now I'm stuck wondering how I can just keep that typeface the SAME and not re-do all the headings into another font that isn't QUITE what I wanted.

Can you help?

[BobLevine]

Check with the font foundry. InDesign will always honor that flag in the font.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

To the best of my knowledge, the Verdict font has never been included with any version of MS Windows. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_typefaces_included_with_Microsoft_Windows 

It appears to be a old knock-off font from the 1990s: Version: Altsys Fontographer 3.5 18.11.1994. I didn't see any newer versions of it, especially in OpenType/Unicode format, which has been the computer industry's font standard since 2000.

Suggested workaround:

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat and use the Edit PDF tools to delete the old photo and replace it with the new photo.
2. Before resaving the revised PDF, embed the fonts into the PDF using Acrobat's Preflight tools by following the instructions in this post: https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat/text-changes-to-special-symbols-with-saving-pdf-in-acrobat/m-... 
3. Resave the PDF.

[Dov Isaacs · Accepted solution]

Where did you download the font from? It certainly is not a font bundled with Windows, Microsoft Office, or any Adobe product. I found a “free” version of that font at https://www.dafontfree.net/freefonts-verdict-sf-f129172.htm . Checking the properties of the font shows:

The font has restricted embeddability. That is exactly why InDesign (or any other PDF producer conforming to the PDF as well as the font specifications) will not embed that font.

Perhaps originally you got a copy of this font from some other source and at an earlier time that had at least preview & print embeddability which would allow embedding in a PDF file.

As Bob Levine noted, you will need to contact the original supplier (i.e., font foundry) of the font to see if they have a version that allows embedding; you might need to pay for that.

There really is nothing beyond that which we can do to assist you.

            - Dov

[MW Design]

Verdict SF came with Serif Software's PagePlus X5, PPX7, PPX8, & PPX9. The version installed with these applications has Installable permissions.

Mike

[Lpayne]

That's what it is! I had a version of Serif PagePlus 7X on my old laptop so I suppose InDesign had access to it in that way. The new laptop doesn't have that program. 

I ended up firing up the old laptop and opening the document in the older version of InDesign loaded there. No issues with the typeface. Replaced the photo, created the pdf and uploaded it to KDP successfully. Thanks for all the info! I didn't even think about editing the old pdf. I'll have to watch out for other typefaces in documents I created on that laptop that might need editing!

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

You might be able to locate those fonts on your old laptop and copy/install them to the new one.

In Windows, look for them in the C:/Windows/Fonts folder, or since they came with your copy of Serif PagePlus, they could be in the Serif program folder, possibly c:/Windows/Program Files/Serif.

[Lpayne]

Thank you!
I asked a graphics friend of mine, and she suggested the same thing! I fired up the failing old laptop and snagged all the beautiful typefaces from it! So happy because I'm sure I would encounter this same issue with other projects needing revisions!

Blessings,
Lori 🙂
Logos & Graphic Design: www.payneandink.com

[MW Design]

Excellent outcome. Thanks for letting us know.

Mike