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If a publication contains fonts that are neither on your computer nor embedded in the publication, the Microsoft Windows operating system provides default substitutes for the missing fonts. When you open a publication in Publisher that contains fonts that aren't installed on your computer, you can select the options to temporarily or permanently substitute fonts on your computer for the missing fonts that are used in the publication.

Font substitution is useful when you want to view your publication on another computer, and you want to make sure that the text remains readable no matter which fonts are available on other computers. Missing East Asian characters are a special case and are handled separately from other fonts.

In most cases, font substitution causes the text to flow differently. Line breaks, column breaks, page breaks, line spacing, and hyphenation will likely change, even if the substitute font is similar to the missing font. Because font substitution may significantly affect the layout of your publication, you may want to avoid or turn off font substitution.

When font substitution is turned on and you or your printing service opens your file on another computer that does not have the same fonts that you used, Microsoft Windows substitutes fonts that you chose, so that you can read the text in your publication.

  1. In the Fonts dialog box, click Font substitution.

    Note: If the Fonts dialog box does not open when you open your publication, click on the File button, point to Commercial Print Settings, and then click Manage Embedded Fonts. In the Fonts dialog box, click Font substitution.

  2. In the Font Substitution dialog box, select a missing font from the list of fonts.

  3. Do one or more of the following:

    • To use the suggested choice of substitute fonts for this session only, click Temporarily substitute this font for display and printing.

      Note: Fonts that are listed as temporary are not saved with the publication.

    • To replace the missing fonts with the suggested choice of substitute fonts from now on, click Permanently substitute this font in the publication.

      Note: This is a permanent change and cannot be undone after you click OK, but you can use the original font if you install it later.

    • To assign fonts to be substituted, do the following:

      1. In the Substituted Font list, select a different font.

      2. Click either Temporarily substitute this font for display and printing or Permanently substitute this font in the publication.

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If the font that you are using does not contain a particular character, and you have cleared the Automatically substitute font for missing East Asian characters check box (File > Options > Advanced), you see a small box in place of the missing character wherever that character occurs in your text.

When the Automatically substitute font for missing East Asian characters check box is selected, Publisher automatically applies a substitute font to the missing East Asian character. By default, the Automatically substitute font for missing East Asian characters check box is selected. We recommend that you leave this check box selected if you plan to print your publication from your own computer.

If you plan to take your publication to another computer or to a commercial printer, however, it is best to turn off automatic font substitution before you type any text into the publication. Then, whenever you see the small box instead of the missing character, you can manually substitute the small box with another font that contains the character you want.

To prevent a commercial printer or any other user from applying font substitution to the characters in your publication, you should embed the fonts in your publication before you send it to be printed.

Turn font substitution on or off for missing East Asian characters

  1. Click File > Options > Advanced.

  2. Select or clear the Automatically substitute font for missing East Asian characters check box.

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If you want to maintain your publication's layout — including line breaks, column and page breaks, line spacing, and hyphenation — you may want to avoid font substitution.

To avoid font substitution, do one or more of the following:

  • Embed TrueType fonts in your publication. When you embed TrueType fonts, they are saved within your publication. Publications with embedded fonts can display and print the text in the original fonts, even if those fonts are not normally installed on the computer you are using.

    Note: Only TrueType fonts can be embedded and only if they are licensed for embedding.

  • If you are taking your publication to another computer, verify that the computer has the same fonts installed that you used in your publication.

  • If you used PostScript fonts in your publication and you are taking it to a commercial printer, ask whether the printer has the fonts that you used or will purchase them.

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When you print a publication to a PostScript printer, the printer substitutes PostScript fonts that are on the printer for any TrueType fonts with the same name that are used in your publication. This may cause your text to reflow, resulting in unexpected line breaks, hyphenation, and overflow that may change how your publication looks. To turn off font substitution when you print and use only the fonts that are embedded in your publication or installed on your computer, do the following:

  1. Click File > Print, and then expand the Printer drop-down list.

  2. Select the PostScript printer that you will use to print your final output.

  3. Click Advanced Output Settings, and then click the Graphics and Fonts tab.

  4. Under Fonts, click Use only publication fonts.

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When font substitution is turned on and you or your printing service opens your file on another computer that does not have the same fonts that you used, Microsoft Windows substitutes fonts that you chose, so that you can read the text in your publication.

  1. In the Load Fonts dialog box, click Font substitution.

    Note: If the Load Fonts dialog box does not open when you open your publication, on the Tools menu, point to Commercial Printing Tools, and then click Fonts. In the Fonts dialog box, click Font substitution.

  2. In the Font Substitution dialog box, select a missing font from the list of fonts.

  3. Do one or more of the following:

    • To use the suggested choice of substitute fonts for this session only, click Temporarily substitute this font for display and printing.

      Note: Fonts that are listed as temporary are not saved with the publication.

    • To replace the missing fonts with the suggested choice of substitute fonts from now on, click Permanently substitute this font in the publication.

      Note: This is a permanent change and cannot be undone after you click OK, but you can use the original font if you install it later.

    • To assign fonts to be substituted, do the following:

      1. In the Substituted Font list, select a different font.

      2. Click either Temporarily substitute this font for display and printing or Permanently substitute this font in the publication.

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If the font that you are using does not contain a particular character, and you have cleared the Automatically substitute font for missing East Asian characters check box (Tools menu, Options command, Edit tab), you see a small box in place of the missing character wherever that character occurs in your text.

When the Automatically substitute font for missing East Asian characters check box is selected, Publisher automatically applies a substitute font to the missing East Asian character. By default, the Automatically substitute font for missing East Asian characters check box is selected. We recommend that you leave this check box selected if you plan to print your publication from your own computer.

If you plan to take your publication to another computer or to a commercial printer, however, it is best to turn off automatic font substitution before you type any text into the publication. Then, whenever you see the small box instead of the missing character, you can manually substitute the small box with another font that contains the character you want.

To prevent a commercial printer or any other user from applying font substitution to the characters in your publication, you should embed the fonts in your publication before you send it to be printed.

Turn font substitution on or off for missing East Asian characters

  1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Edit tab.

  2. Select or clear the Automatically substitute font for missing East Asian characters check box.

Top of Page

If you want to maintain your publication's layout — including line breaks, column and page breaks, line spacing, and hyphenation — you may want to avoid font substitution.

To avoid font substitution, do one or more of the following:

  • Embed TrueType fonts in your publication. When you embed TrueType fonts, they are saved within your publication. Publications with embedded fonts can display and print the text in the original fonts, even if those fonts are not normally installed on the computer you are using.

    Note: Only TrueType fonts can be embedded and only if they are licensed for embedding.

  • If you are taking your publication to another computer, verify that the computer has the same fonts installed that you used in your publication.

  • If you used PostScript fonts in your publication and you are taking it to a commercial printer, ask whether the printer has the fonts that you used or will purchase them.

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When you print a publication to a PostScript printer, the printer substitutes PostScript fonts that are on the printer for any TrueType fonts with the same name that are used in your publication. This may cause your text to reflow, resulting in unexpected line breaks, hyphenation, and overflow that may change how your publication looks. To turn off font substitution when you print and use only the fonts that are embedded in your publication or installed on your computer, do the following:

  1. On the File menu, click Print, and then click the Printer Details tab.

  2. In the Printer name box, select the PostScript printer that you will use to print your final output.

  3. Click Advanced Printer Setup, and then click the Graphics and Fonts tab.

  4. Under Fonts, click Use only publication fonts.

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