Variable Font Noto Sans JP Not Displaying Correctly

[shige_ue]

Noto Sans JP and Noto Serif JP were added in a Windows 11 update. However, when using these fonts in Photoshop v26.5, the weight is fixed to Thin.

There was no such issue with the previous static version of Noto Sans JP.

[shige_ue]

There is also information suggesting that installing the static version would make it usable.
However, deleting or disabling the variable font that was installed with the Windows 11 update does not seem like a wise decision for the future.

[Aleke]

Hi @shige_ue, welcome to the community! 

Does this issue happen with other variable fonts, or is it only affecting Noto Sans JP? I installed Noto Sans JP from Google Fonts and the variable weight worked without any problems. Could you try uninstalling and reinstalling the font to see if that helps? You can find it here: Noto Sans JP.

Thanks a bunch!
Alek

[shige_ue]

Hello. Thank you for your reply.

The same issue occurs with the variable font "Outfit" downloaded from Google Fonts.

Noto Sans JP was provided by Microsoft through a Windows Update, making it difficult to remove.
If I download and install it from Google Fonts, it does not overwrite the existing version, and instead, two instances of the same weight appear.

Photoshop does not recognize it and displays it as Thin.
Additionally, when I try to uninstall the font installed via Windows Update, a message appears stating that it is a system font and cannot be removed.

At this point, I am unable to determine whether this is a system issue or a Photoshop issue.

[Srishti Bali]

Hi @shige_ue

Sorry to hear you're running into this issue. Could you please try resetting the Text tool and also share the link to the font you downloaded? That will help us troubleshoot more effectively.

To reset the Text tool:

• Select the Text tool from the Tools panel.
• Right-click the Text tool icon in the options bar (not the Tools panel).
• Click on settings (gear icon) and click Reset Tool. You can find more details on tool reset here: Basic Troubleshooting – Reset Tools
  
  
  

Let me know if that helps!

Regards,

Srishti

[shige_ue]

Thank you for your advice.

I tried resetting the Text Tool, but it had no effect.

There is no download link for the font.
This is because Noto Sans JP is provided to all Japanese Windows users through Windows Update by Microsoft, so there is no need to download it.

Please let me know if you need any other information.
I appreciate your support!

[Aleke]

Hi @shige_ue! Apologies for the late response. 

I found a thread from a few months ago that mentions a similar issue. Could you please test if the solution from that thread helps in your case?

Thanks a bunch for your patience!

Alek

[shige_ue]

Hi, @Aleke .

Thank you for your suggestion.
I tried it, but the result was the same as before.

If I download and install it from Google Fonts, it does not overwrite the existing version, and instead, two instances of the same weight appear.

I recorded a video showing what happens when I try to change the font weight for Noto Sans JP in Photoshop after installing the font. Please take a look:

https://gyazo.com/3a860adc545474d0a9a524bc0a518e18

In any case, it seems to be a problem that the standard Noto Sans JP font included with Windows does not display correctly.
Do you happen to know where I should report this bug?

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @shige_ue,

Thanks for sharing the video — I reviewed your recording and tried replicating the same behavior on my end, but I wasn’t able to reproduce the issue. Everything seems to be working as expected here.

Could you try installing the version of Noto Sans JP from the following link and see if that helps?

Download Font

If the issue persists even after that, I recommend following the steps outlined in this guide for troubleshooting font issues in Photoshop: Troubleshoot fonts in Photoshop

Let us know how it goes. We are happy to keep digging into this with you!

Best,

Anshul Saini

[shige_ue]

Hi @Anshul_Saini .

Thank you for your advice.

Following the "Troubleshoot fonts in Photoshop" guide, I'm now able to display newly typed text with the correct weight!

However, for files that were already created using the static version of the Google Font Noto Sans JP, even if I install the static version of Noto Sans JP afterwards, all the text is recognized as Noto Sans JP Thin.

Is there anything that can be done about this?

[Aleke]

Hi @shige_ue! 😊 Glad to hear it's working now for new files!

For the previous files where you used the font, does it still not work even if you create a new text layer with the font?

Thanks!
Alek

[shige_ue]

Hi @Aleke!
Thank you for your reply.

> For the previous files where you used the font, does it still not work even if you create a new text layer with the font?

The issue is that there are three versions of the Noto Sans JP font:

1. The static version of Noto Sans JP provided by Google Fonts.
2. The variable version of Noto Sans JP provided by Google Fonts.
3. The variable version of Noto Sans JP provided by Microsoft.

They are all Noto Sans JP, but when a PSD file created with version 1 is viewed in an environment that only has version 3 installed, all the font weights are displayed as 'Thin'.
I want to replace the font with version 3, but because the weights are displayed as 'Thin', it's difficult to replace them correctly.

Is there any way to get Photoshop to recognize and display the correct font weights?

[Srishti Bali]

Hi @shige_ue 

Can you please try the following steps:

• In the Layers panel, use the filtering options and select "Filter for Type Layers."
  
• Select all the visible type layers.
• Go to the Type menu and choose the font you'd like to apply.
• You’ll be prompted to confirm the change for each layer — click "OK" each time.
• Once done, click on "Filter for Type Layers" again to clear the filter and restore the full layer list.

Let me know if that helps!

Regards,

Srishti

[Celeste_Pesoa2568]

The same is happening ti me with noto sans jp in in design. Its a big problem for the work im doing and dont know how to fix it. What did you do? Did you get the older version? Where can i get it? Thanks!

[Sameer K]

Hey, @Celeste_Pesoa2568. Welcome to the Photoshop Community. Possible solutions have been shared and confirmed to have helped. 

As Anshul suggested, the first phase of troubleshooting can start by following the content here: Troubleshoot fonts in Photoshop 

Later, to roll over the change to the rest of your Type layers, you can follow the advice Srishti has shared here: https://adobe.ly/4kpbhWF

Let me know if this helps. Thanks!

Sameer K

(Type '@' and type my name to mention me when you reply)

[shige_ue]

Hi, @Celeste_Pesoa2568

The problem I posted about has not been resolved at all.
In the end, I had no choice but to replace it with the variable version of Noto Sans JP.

I doubt that Adobe is correctly aware of this issue.
I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help.