If you've ever opened - one of your own InDesign documents or a document - you've received from someone else, you've probably run across - the Missing Fonts dialog box like you see here.
Now, seeing this dialog box - means that the file uses fonts that you don't currently have - on your computer unless you fix the missing fonts wherever the fonts are missing - in the document, a default font will be substituted in.
Substituted fonts can affect the layout, so it's important to fix the issues.
Let's explore - how to fix these missing fonts.
If an InDesign document - has text formatted with Adobe Fonts in order to use that Adobe Font, - it needs to be activated on your system.
Now, if you open a document - that uses Adobe Fonts that are not activated on your system, - the Missing Fonts dialog box appears.
In the Missing Fonts dialog box - any Adobe and non-Adobe Fonts are listed if they're missing.
You could skip this dialog - and just jump into the document, but like I said, wherever fonts are missing in a document, - a default font will be substituted in.
So we'll start - by fixing missing Adobe Fonts.
Any missing Adobe Fonts - are listed with a message here saying they're available from Adobe Fonts.
If you look at the document, - anywhere you see pink highlighting and text is where a now missing font has been used.
For each Adobe Font - that you want to activate, make sure the checkbox is selected.
Then click Activate.
After a bit of time, - you'll see that those Adobe Fonts are activated on your system - and ready to use and the pink highlighting is gone.
Now, if you wanted to use a local font - in place of a missing Adobe Font, you could have clicked Replace Fonts... or close the Missing Font dialog box - and replace them yourself.
You'll see how to replace fonts next.
If a document you open uses a local font - not installed in your computer, the Missing Fonts dialog box also appears.
This same project file - has a missing local font, you can see it here.
Now, the absolute best way - to fix missing local fonts is to install the missing font - on your computer.
Otherwise, you can have InDesign - apply another font to any text - that has a missing font applied.
In the Missing Fonts dialog box, click Replace Fonts... - to replace the fonts manually.
In the Find/Replace Font dialog box, - you can select the font that's missing.
You can tell - if a font is missing by this yield sign.
The first thing you want to do is - you want to see where it's being used in the document because you might want to know where it is - to think of a font to substitute with.
Maybe like a headline for instance.
Click Find First to highlight the first instance - of the font in the document.
It's down here.
Now, you can keep clicking Find Next - to see the next place it was used.
If you click again, that's it.
You can then click Find First - to select the first instance again.
Now to replace the fonts, - you can choose a Font Family and a Style down here in the Replace section - to replace the missing font with.
I'll choose the Adobe Font Monserrat - because I have that activated, you can pick a font you want, and then you can pick a Style.
Now here's a tip - before we actually replace this font.
If you know - that where the font is being used has a paragraph - or character style applied, you can select - Redefine Style When Changing All before you change the font and the actual Style will update - with the font you're replacing it with.
Now if you want - to change the missing font everywhere, you can just click Change All right now.
All occurrences are changed.
Click Change/Find, and you replace the font - in the highlighted instance and you'll jump to the next.
You can then click Change/Find - and it should be finished.
When all fonts are replaced, - you can click Done.
Now you may or may not - see this dialog box.
Depending on your InDesign version, you can enable - font auto-activation in Preferences, so when an InDesign document - contains any missing Adobe Fonts, they're automatically activated - in the background.
If you either want to enable this option or make sure it's enabled, - you can click this Enable button.
Or if you don't see this dialog box, - you can go to Preferences.
On macOS, choose InDesign, Preferences, File Handling...
On Windows you can go to Edit, Preferences, File Handling.
And if you want them to be auto-activated, - select this option.
Then click OK.
The next time you open a file - with missing Adobe Fonts, they'll be activated automatically.
Now, if you were to skip fixing the missing fonts - in the Missing dialog box early on, you could always open - that Find/Replace Font dialog box by choosing Type, Find/Replace Font...
It's important to make sure fonts aren't missing - in your InDesign documents.
And using these methods - for replacing missing fonts, you can ensure that your layout looks - and prints as intended. -
