subset fonts with Acrobat and InDesign

Robert,

No it is at 100% but it is not checked. Embed all fonts is checked, and there are no fonts in the below boxes that say 'Never embed'. So all fonts should embed. Which didn't make a difference because as I said, in the first PDF I created with the setting, the fonts were all embedded. For some reason when you place a PDF within InDesign and then create a new PDF, embedded fonts are made to subset....even if the setting is set to Embed all fonts. I am hoping someone at Adobe has an explanation.

Thank you.

Brock

Check it and change it to 0.

Bob

As Bob said - set it to zero (0). 100 percent means that no fonts get embedded. Zero means that all fonts gets embedded.

Brock,

I think you may have a misconception about how InDesign treats placed PDFs. They are treated differently in InDesign than in some other apps. They are not treated as an encapsulated object to be left untouched and sent out as-is in the output stream.

I think InDesign actually parses the placed PDF, and deals with its objects more or less as it deals with its own objects.

So, a font that is embedded in a PDF will be handled, and potentially subset, by InDesign according to the export subsetting option. I think Bob and Nini's suggestion will work for you.

I'm reading Brock's message differently than the rest of you (he also posted in the Acrobat forum). I think he is saying that in each case, he created a PostScript file in InDesign, then Distilled the file. He didn't export a PDF, if I'm reading his message correctly.

Therefore the relevant setting when creating PostScript is the Font setting on the Graphics panel. I asked in the Acrobat forum whether he had consistently chose Download: Complete, and whether he could replicate the problem.

I am very familiar with subset versus embed, and the subset less than 0% option. I feel that if Embed all fonts is checked in the Distiller setting, and the subset all characters less than % is not checked, Distiller should try to embed ALL fonts. However, I tried (as suggested) to set it at 0% (which defaults to 1%) and tested again with a similar result. All fonts in the newly created PDF read as embedded subset where in the original PDf they were embedded. However, I appreciate the suggestion.

Peter, I appreciate your elaboration on how InDesign treats a placed PDF. I would appreciate any further feedback. I am finding it impossible to embed fonts in this process. To elaborate on my test, I set up 3 text boxes (each with a different font) in INDD CS2. I created a postscript (which was set to include the complete font set) and then distilled in Distiller 5 and 7 (Embed all fonts was checked, and then also tested as 0% fonts subset). That PDF read as all fonts were embed. I then placed that PDF in a new INDD file and created a .ps file in the same process. I then distilled in Distiller 5 & 7. The newly created PDF reads as all fonts are subset.

Ah; yes. Steve is right. I did misread, and too quickly jumped to the conclusion that you were exporting the PDF. Sorry...

I believe that the problem is not with Distiller. My guess is that if you check the PS file in a text editor (the font DSC comments are at the end of the file), you'll find that the fonts have already been subset in the PS. And it seems that selecting "Complete" does nothing to overcome this

I'm actually surprised that your first PS output contained the full font, since I seem to remember that InDesign always subsets when printing.

Is your final PDF single- or multiple-pages? In contrast to the print mechanism, there is an option to control subsetting in InDesign's EPS export. So, if you only need/want/ would be satisfied with single-page output, you could export EPS with the "Embed Fonts:" option set to "Complete."

.... just wondering in type here, but could you set a 99.9% opaque object on the page, in order to kick in the Transparency Flattener with a setting to convert font to outlines?

However, the results may be less than desirable on small body text.

Chris