Troubleshoot font problems

Here are solutions to some common problems with fonts.

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  • If the program was open when you installed the font, the program might not register the font. Try closing and then reopening the program.

  • Check the compatibility of the fonts. The font you're using might not work with a particular program.

  • There might only be one of the two necessary files in your font folder. Some fonts require that you install two files in the same folder: a bitmap file for the on-screen font, and an outline file for the printer. The bitmap file might be missing. Try contacting the font creator to see if there is a bitmap file you can install. If there isn't a bitmap file, you might try using a different font.

  • The font on your computer might not be available on the printer you're using. One solution is to change your font file to a TrueType font, because a TrueType font looks the same printed as it does on the screen.

  • Make sure that the text you're trying to print isn't animated. Animations are a series of pictures that appear to be in continuous motion. If the text is moving, you might not be able to print it.

  • Did you try to resize the font? Some fonts are bitmaps and can't be resized. Try printing the font in a different size and see if it looks the same as it does on the screen.

  • To see if the problem is with the font rather than the file, try printing the same font in another file. If it still doesn't look right, try reinstalling the font.

  • Make sure you've selected the correct paper size and that the font size isn't too big. In most files, you can select the text you want to change, and then use the Formatting toolbar to type or click a font size in the Font Size box. For example, type 10.5. If you don't see a formatting toolbar, check the program's Help for ways to change the font size.

  • Check your margins. Most printers require a minimum margin width because they can't print to the exact edges of the page. Check the information that came with the printer to see if the printer requires a minimum margin width.

  • The file you're trying to print might be bigger than the page size the printer has available. Make sure the document you're trying to print doesn't cover a larger space than the size of paper the printer can accommodate.

  • The printer might not have enough memory to print large documents. If this is the case, try increasing the available virtual memory, adding more random access memory (RAM) to the printer, or printing smaller sections of the file.

When you open a file on a different computer than the one you used to create the file, some fonts might not be available. To fix this, you can embed some TrueType fonts in the file. Embedding keeps the original appearance of the file no matter which computer or printer you use to view or print them. For information about how to embed a font, check the Help for the program you are using.

Note

Note

If a font has a license restriction, you can't embed it.

Yes. For more information, see Make the text on your screen larger or smaller.

If you're using Internet Explorer and a mouse with a wheel, you can change the size of your web fonts by pressing CTRL while scrolling with the mouse wheel.

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