Fix: fonts

How to embed fonts in your book PDF

A PDF can carry its fonts inside it, or just name them and hope the next computer has them. Printers need every font carried inside, even Arial and Times New Roman.

Quick answer

To fix "font not embedded", re-export the PDF with font embedding on: in Word, tick Embed fonts in the file (File → Options → Save) and export as PDF; in InDesign or Affinity, export with the PDF/X-1a preset. Check in Acrobat under File → Properties → Fonts.

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Check it in 30 seconds

Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat (Reader works too): File → Properties → Fonts. Every font should end with "(Embedded)" or "(Embedded Subset)". If any font doesn't, that's your problem.

Fix it in Word

File → Options → Save. Tick Embed fonts in the file and untick Do not embed common system fonts.
File → Save As → PDF → Options. Tick ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A). This forces every font in.
Save, then check in Acrobat again.

Fix it in InDesign or Affinity

Export with the PDF/X-1a preset. It refuses to export with missing fonts, so it also tells you which ones are a problem.
If InDesign shows a font as missing (pink highlight), install it or swap it before exporting.

Fix it in Canva

Canva's PDF Print download embeds fonts in almost every case. If a printer still flags a font, download again with Flatten PDF ticked: that turns text into artwork, so there's no font to embed. (Use this for covers. Don't flatten a whole interior, because the text gets heavier and less sharp.)

When a font won't embed

Some fonts have a license that forbids embedding. Your app will skip them quietly. You have two choices:

Swap the font for one with an open license (for example from Google Fonts, all of which may be embedded). SparkPrep's Cover Studio has 333 such fonts.
Turn that text into outlines (InDesign: Type → Create Outlines; Affinity: Layer → Convert to Curves). Only do this for a few words, like a cover title.

Free fonts aren't always free for books

A font from a "free fonts" website may be free for personal use only. A book you sell is commercial use. Check the license before you build your cover around it. If it says "personal use only", buy the commercial license or pick another font.

Want every click spelled out? Read the full walkthrough: "Font not embedded" error on sparkprep.legenddary.com.

Want every click spelled out? Read the full walkthrough: font licensing problems on sparkprep.legenddary.com.

Find out what's wrong with your files before the printer does

SparkPrep checks your cover and every interior page against the exact rules Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press and Lulu use, tells you each problem in plain English, and can fix it for you.

Scan my book free See how SparkPrep works

The scan is free and shows how many problems your files have. To see every problem and where it is, the audit is $1.99 ($3.99 after January 1). The Advanced Audit checks every page, up to 300, for $9.99.

Questions people ask

Do I need to embed Arial or Times New Roman?

Yes. Printers want every font embedded, and some apps skip common fonts by default.

Are Google Fonts OK for a printed book?

Yes. Google Fonts use open licenses that allow commercial use and embedding in PDFs.

More on this site

Fix your book's print filesPlain-English fixes for the book file problems printers reject: bleed, margins, fonts, transparency, low-resolution pictures, color, ink, page size and spine.How to add bleedHow to add 0.125 inch bleed to a book cover or interior in Canva, InDesign, Affinity or Word, how to check it, and why bleed errors come back.How to fix book marginsFix interior margin errors: KDP's inside gutter by page count, IngramSpark's 0.5 inch safety area, and margin settings in Word, InDesign and Affinity.Fix PDF page sizeIf your interior PDF is letter size but your book is 6x9, the printer shrinks or crops it. How to set the right trim size in Word and InDesign.How to flatten transparencyShadows and see-through shapes can print as boxes. How to flatten transparency and layers for KDP and IngramSpark in Canva, InDesign, Affinity and Acrobat.Fix low-resolution picturesHow to fix low-resolution (under 300 DPI) pictures in a book: pixel sizes for common covers and pages, how to stop Word compressing images, and what not to do.Fix color and ink coverageFix 'ink coverage exceeds 240%' and 'RGB found' errors: convert book files to CMYK or true grayscale and lower total ink in Acrobat, InDesign and Canva.Fix spine width and spine textFix a wrong spine width or spine text error: how to re-fit your cover for a new page count or paper, center spine text and know when spine text is allowed.

Free help from SparkPrep

Book Preflight, ExplainedWhat book preflight is, who needs it and what gets checked before KDP or IngramSpark prints your book.Print Cover SizesFull cover size charts, spine widths, barcode space and hardcover rules for KDP and IngramSpark.Rejection Messages DecodedWhat KDP and IngramSpark rejection messages really mean, in plain English, and what to do next.First Book GuideYour first print book, step by step: costs, timeline, words to know and the mistakes to skip.Free book toolsCover calculator, spine width, margins, DPI checker and page count, on sparkprep.legenddary.com.

Last updated 2026-11-01. Written by Joshua Davis, founder of SparkPrep. Numbers come from each printer's own published guides; always double-check your printer's current rules before you upload.