How to Embed Fonts in a PDF

Fonts are a big part of what makes your PDF come to life, but they can also cause some major headaches. For starters, fonts can be corrupted or left out of your PDF document entirely. In some cases, the font included may be incompatible with the printing company’s machines.

As a result, your printing company may have to spend valuable time troubleshooting these issues.

So, what’s the secret? The solution lies in embedding your preferred font into your PDF.

In this article, we’ll discuss how you can embed your font into your PDF and make this information easily accessible – no matter where the file is opened.

How to Embed Fonts in a PDF

Fonts are one of the essential parts of any PDF design project. They help give your final document a polished look and make it easier for you or your printing company to read what’s on the page. If you share a file, the recipient’s viewing software will need font details to display the file in its true, uncorrupted design.

Sadly, most tools used to create PDFs today don’t include font information within the file. Some only make a reference to the fonts used in the device used to create the PDF. When the software needs this information, it simply fetches it from the device.

However, when different software is used to open and read such a PDF, it won’t know what font to use, even if the software installed on the device has it. In this situation, the software makes a “best guess” and replaces the font with some other compatible option.

The problem with this is that it can completely distort the design and appearance of the document.

For this reason, it’s important to ensure that all fonts used in your PDF are embedded within the file.

Here’s how you can check:

1. Open the file.
   
2. Click on the “File” tab, and select “Document Properties.” Alternatively, press Ctrl+D if you’re using a PC.
   
3. When the Document Properties window opens, click on the “Fonts” tab to see a list of all fonts used in the document.
   

If all the fonts used are embedded, this information should be displayed next to the font name. The exact text used depends on the type of PDF viewer you’re using, but the most common variations are “Embedded” and “Embedded Subset.”

If neither of these texts appears next to at least one of the fonts you’ve used, then the font isn’t embedded, and printers and other viewers may have problems viewing the document properly.

If you find yourself in this situation, there are several tools you can use to embed the relevant fonts into your PDF file.

Let’s see how each works.

How to Embed Fonts in a PDF From Word

People love Microsoft Word because of the ease with which they can create and share documents.

From making layouts for publications or presentations to editing images and sound clips to use in documents, Word does it all. You can even spell-check text-based publications before printing.

If you’re a big fan of PDFs, there’s yet another reason to love Word: it can help you embed your preferred fonts in your document. This can help your document retain its original design even if it is processed on a different device.

Here’s how to go about it:

1. Paste your document into a new Word file. Alternatively, use a trustworthy third-party tool to convert your PDF into a Word file.
   
2. Set the required fonts for your document.
   
3. When you’re ready to generate your PDF, click on “File” and select “Save As” from the resulting dropdown menu.
   
4. Select the folder where you’d like to store the file you’re about to create.
   
5. Once the “Save As” window pops up on your screen, name your file and set “PDF” as the preferred format for the output file.
   
6. Click on “Options.”
   
7. Check the box next to “ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A).”
   
8. Click on “Ok” and then hit the “Save” button to generate your PDF.
   

After taking these steps, Microsoft Word will create a PDF and embed all the relevant fonts.

How to Embed Fonts in a PDF From InDesign

Adobe InDesign is a powerful and easy-to-use application for print, web, and multimedia publishing. It’s the industry standard for professional layouts that look great on screen or paper.

Whether you’re designing elegant invitations, quality business presentations, photo books, or an engaging multi-page brochure, InDesign offers unprecedented control over every aspect of your project – from initial concept to final production.

Most importantly, InDesign can help you embed fonts in a PDF in just a few steps.

Here are the steps:

1. Open your document in InDesign.
   
2. Click on “File” and then select “Adobe PDF Presets” from the dropdown menu. This will allow you to choose the resolution quality of your document. For the highest quality, select “High Quality Print” from the menu. For the lowest quality, select “Smallest File Size.”
   
3. Specify where you’d like to export your file.
   
4. Hit the “Save” button to launch the Export Adobe PDF dialog box.
   
5. Click on “Advanced.” At this point, InDesign will give you the option to embed all your fonts or just a few.
   
   • To embed everything, enter 0% in “Subset Fonts When Percent of Characters Used is Less Than.”
   • To embed just a few fonts in your PDF, enter a higher value in the field provided, say 50%.
6. Click on “Export” to initiate the process.
   

Embedding can take a few seconds or minutes depending on the size of your file, the resolution quality, and the level of embedding you desire.

How to Embed Fonts in a PDF From Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is yet another valuable tool from the Adobe family. But how different is Acrobat DC from InDesign?

While InDesign can accommodate many formats, including JPEG and EPS files, Acrobat DC is a PDF specialist. You can use it to create, edit, or even encrypt PDF documents.

Here’s how to embed fonts in a PDF using Acrobat DC:

1. Open your document in Acrobat DC.
   
2. Click on “File” and then select “Print.”
   
3. Under “Printer Name,” click on “Adobe PDF.”
   
4. Click on “Properties.”
   
5. Under the Adobe PDF Document Properties menu, select “Adobe PDF Settings.”
   
6. Click on the “Edit” button next to “Default Settings.”
   
7. When the PDF Settings menu opens, select “Fonts” from the menu on the left side of your screen.
   
8. Check the box next to “Embed all fonts.” At the same time, ensure that all the fonts you’d like to use aren’t on the “Never Embed” list, but they are all in the “Font Source” list.
   
9. Click on “Save As” to complete the process.
   

Lock In Your Preferred Design Across Devices

Fonts are an essential part of any design project. When you need to share your work with others, it’s crucial to know how to embed fonts in the PDF file so that the recipient sees them in the desired design.

You may have to experiment with different fonts and file types, but you can create a professional-looking document using any of the embedding methods discussed in this article.

Have you tried it yet? Which method did you use?

Let us know in the comments section below.