How to Fix Font Issues with Acrobat's Preflight Tool

Product

Simplified Editor (Web-based CL PDF)

Advanced Editor (Web-based CL PDF)

CommonLook PDF Desktop Version

CommonLook Edu

Feature

Fonts

Document Element

Font Encoding and Unicode Mapping Issues 

Overview

Sometimes a standards check flags a problem with how a document's fonts are encoded, or with Unicode mapping. These issues live at the font level rather than in the document's tags, so they can't be fixed from within CommonLook PDF. Instead, they need to be addressed in Adobe Acrobat itself, using a tool called Preflight, or in the original source document. This article covers the Acrobat side of that fix: the "Fix potential font problems" option in Preflight.

Prerequisites 

Before you start, make sure you:

1. Have run a standards check that flagged a font encoding or Unicode mapping issue.
2. Have access to Adobe Acrobat Pro, since Print Production and Preflight are Acrobat Pro features and may not be available in Acrobat Standard.
3. Save a copy of your PDF first. This fix is applied directly in Acrobat, outside of CommonLook PDF, so it's good practice to keep a backup in case you want to compare files afterward.

Steps to Follow

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat
2. In the "Tools" open Print Production
   • If it’s not already in the list of tools on the right side of Acrobat, from the Tools screen, choose “Add” to add it to the right side. (You can also reorder the tools on the right side so you don’t have to search so hard for it every time.)
     
3. In Print Production, choose Preflight." 
4. In the Preflight panel, make sure your “Profile” (at the top, in the very center) is set to “Acrobat Pro DC 2015 Profiles
   
5. Navigate down to "PDF fixups" and expand it

6. Select  “Fix potential font problems”

7. Select "Analyse and Fix
   

8. Save (or Save As).

9. Re-run the document against accessibility standards to determine if this has fixed the font issue.

Common Problems

Print Production isn't listed in your Tools

Go to the Tools screen in Acrobat and click "Add" next to Print Production to add it to your tools list. You can also drag tools into a different order so the ones you use often are easier to find.

The font issue is still flagged after running Analyse and Fix

Some font problems come from how the font was embedded in the original source file rather than from something Preflight can correct on its own. If the issue persists, it may be necessary to go back to the source document (in Word, InDesign, or wherever it was created), fix or replace the problematic font there, and export a new PDF.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this change anything else in my document?

"Fix potential font problems" only targets font encoding, so it typically doesn't affect your document's tagging or other content. Even so, it's good practice to keep a backup copy of your file before running any fixup in Acrobat.

Do I need to run this fix inside CommonLook PDF?

No. This fix happens in Adobe Acrobat's own Preflight tool, under Print Production, entirely outside of CommonLook PDF. Once it's done, run your CommonLook standards check again to confirm the fix worked.

What if I don't see Print Production or Preflight in my version of Acrobat?

These are Acrobat Pro features and generally aren't available in Acrobat Standard. If you don't see them, confirm which version of Acrobat you're using, and check with whoever manages your software license if you're not sure.