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How do you embed fonts in an InDesign Document?

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How do you embed fonts in an InDesign document? or can you only embed fonts when exporting to a PDF?? I know how you embed links...is there something similar for fonts??

Thanks

How to

Dov IsaacsCorrect answer

Legend

To answer your question directly, you cannot directly embed fonts used in an InDesign document into that document itself with the following exception. If you place a PDF or EPS file with embedded fonts into an InDesign document, those fonts remain embedded; you don't need to have any other copy of those fonts available to view, print, or export to PDF.

As indicated by another responder, packaging an InDesign document can provide a means of moving fonts with the document, albeit as separate files in the package (of course, limited to your licensing rights to those fonts).

- Dov

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)

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brendam42437380

Participant

I have opened certain InDesign files from clients without installing the fonts, and the ID file opened and exported to PDF perfectly.

However, if I make changes and save the ID file, suddenly the fonts are no longer available and I get the pink highlighted effect on missing fonts.

But, if I reopen the original ID file, once again the fonts seem to be available. It seems to me that the fonts have been embedded in the original ID, but not if I resave it, even without making edits.

This is something similar to what CorelDRAW offers. There is a check box in the Save As dialog that allows you to embed fonts in the native CDR file so you can open it on another computer without having those fonts installed. CorelDRAW does one step better in that if you consistently choose Save As, you can continue to keep the fonts embedded. But if you do a straight Save at any time, the fonts are no longer embedded.

I was hoping InDesign had an embed feature similir to what CorelDRAW has. That feature has saved me many times over!

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rob day

Community Expert

But, if I reopen the original ID file, once again the fonts seem to be available. It seems to me that the fonts have been embedded in the original ID, but not if I resave it, even without making edits.

If you package an InDesign project you have to option to save a copy of the fonts in the package:

This can make it seem like the packaged ID file has the fonts embedded, but the document is really just looking for the "Document fonts" folder that got copied with the package.

A Saved As version would not see the packaged fonts folder, unless you saved it in the same directory. In that case the fonts would be missing unless you copied or moved the fonts from the Document fonts folder into one of your system's font folders.

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brendam42437380

Participant

I do the "Save As" in the same folder as the original ID file, just with a revised name.

And what about all the countless other ID files I get that are packaged with the Fonts Folder but when I open the ID file, the fonts are not available for use? Just because the fonts are collected doesn't mean the fonts as available for use. At least for me, I have to physically install the fonts before they become available.

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Amro_el-Azazi

Participant

How to Embed a Font in Adobe InDesign

Exporting to PDF with Embedded Fonts

Step 1

Open the InDesign document containing the fonts you wish to embed in the file. Alternatively, create a new document and then add text formatted with the font you wish to embed.

Step 2

Click the "File" menu, mouse-over "Adobe PDF Presets" and then select one of the Adobe PDF Presets from the menu. For example, select "[High Quality Print]…" for high quality and large file size, or "[Smallest File Size]…" for a lower quality with the smallest file size possible.

Step 3

Locate the folder where you wish to export your PDF file and then click "Save" to open the Export Adobe PDF window.

Step 4

Click "Advanced" from the left sidebar. Enter "0%" into the field next to "Subset Fonts When Percent of Characters Used is Less Than" under the Fonts group.

Step 5

Click the "Export" button. Depending on the quality and file size of your document, InDesign may take a few minutes to finish exporting to a PDF file.

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tomh52056997

Participant

Regarding the embedding of fonts, you can "Create outlines" of the text if it's an uncommon font that you think won't convert properly in a PDF. Simply go to the "Type" dropdown menu > "Create Outline." This feature is also handy if you share files with other people using InDesign who may not have the same font loaded on their computer.

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Dov Isaacs

Legend

At Adobe we certainly don't buy into this practice for any purpose other than special artistic effects that cannot be achieved by any other mean whatsoever.

The practice of “outlining text” to bypass embedding of fonts in PDF is an archaic practice inconsistent with best workflow practices yielding bloated PDF files that cannot be searched or touch-up edited and that display and print with degraded quality.

Trying to “embed fonts in an InDesign file” using this technique is even worse. You lose the ability to edit the text.

- Dov

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- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)

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vavillasenor

Participant

Hi Dov,

I'm sorry, but I'm also lost on the embedding fonts issue. I'm doing a children's book, so there are a number of different fonts, sometimes all on one page. I've found most of them in Typekit, and synced them via the cloud.

But when I save it as a pdf, those fonts disappear and it seems to revert to a standard font. I have no idea how to fix this, and from your answer above, it looks like I can't embed the fonts at all...

I'm rather confused. Any help would be much appreciated!

thanks,

Victoria

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Dov IsaacsCorrect answer

Legend

To answer your question directly, you cannot directly embed fonts used in an InDesign document into that document itself with the following exception. If you place a PDF or EPS file with embedded fonts into an InDesign document, those fonts remain embedded; you don't need to have any other copy of those fonts available to view, print, or export to PDF.

As indicated by another responder, packaging an InDesign document can provide a means of moving fonts with the document, albeit as separate files in the package (of course, limited to your licensing rights to those fonts).

- Dov

Translate

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)

e ch n

Inspiring

Thanks, Dov Isaacs.

Would you please tell me where to find information about "packaging"?

I know how to embed all the images, but not the fonts.

I just had this bad experience with the printing process because they had to work with the InDesign file and fonts were not included.

Thanks!

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e ch n

Inspiring

You should not embed images, only link them as embedding is one of the main causes of currupted files, if an INDD file becomes huge.

Many thanks!

In a short time I will ask the comunity another question, the reason wich took me to embed the images (not that I wanted to) Thanks again!

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A

Anonymous

Package the document is what you probably need

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