In this article, you will learn
- which checks are available in Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates related to Text and Fonts, and
- which solutions are provided to fix the detected issues.
1. Introduction
When print files are uploaded to the application, the documents are checked using Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates in order to identify potential errors or warnings at an early stage of production. These errors and warnings can be displayed in the application on the respective page and provided to the customer in the form of a PDF report for further clarification.
The Preflight check of the print file is performed based on the enabled checks and the severity level defined for each individual check – Error, Warning, or Info.
2. Available Checks for Text and Font
To take full advantage of Check-in Preflight and Fixup Templates, these templates must first be created. A Template essentially consists of Checks and Fixups. Currently, more than 58 Checks are available in the application. To maintain clarity, the individual checks are organized into different categories.
This article provides a detailed description of all checks that are assigned to the category Text and Font.
2.1. Effective Text x-height is below
Category: Text
Description: This check verifies the x-height – the height of lowercase letters – of all text objects within the TrimBox against the specified height. Please note that this check applies only to text and not to text that has been converted to Strokes.
Solution: If the value is below the specified value and this results in a hit, a new print file must be requested from the data creator.
Figure 1: The enabled Check Effective Text x-height is below
2.2. Glyphs missing in an Embedded Font
Category: Object, Font, PDF/X-4
Description: This Check verifies whether glyphs used in the PDF file are missing from the embedded fonts. Missing embedded glyphs can cause characters in the document to be displayed incorrectly or replaced with placeholders. In addition, PDF-based ISO standards such as PDF/X require that all used glyphs be embedded in the corresponding fonts.
Solution: To resolve this issue, the Fixup "Embed missing Fonts" can be applied, provided that the missing glyphs are available on the system. Please note, however, that font embedding may not always be reliable due to complex encodings and will only succeed if the encoding of the individual glyphs matches exactly.
Figure 2: The enabled Check Glyphs missing in an embedded Font
2.3. Font is syntactically incorrect
Category: Font, PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, PDF/X-4, PDF/X-6
Description: This Check verifies whether the fonts used in the print file are syntactically constructed correctly. In this way, fonts can be identified that may affect text editing as well as rendering of glyphs.
Solution: To resolve this issue, a new print file must be requested from the data originator. If this is not possible, special attention should be paid to the text output in order to visually verify that all glyphs are available and correctly positioned.
Figure 3: The enabled Check Font is syntactically incorrect
2.4. Font is not embedded
Category: Font, PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, PDF/X-4, PDF/X-6
Description: This Check verifies whether all fonts used for text within the selected PageBox are embedded. Missing fonts are substituted during rendering with a replacement font – at worst, Courier.
Solution: Missing fonts can be resolved either by applying the Fixup "Embed Missing Fonts" directly or by applying the Fixup "Embed Missing Fonts" within a Check-in Preflight and Fixup Template to resolve the issue. Since font embedding is not always realiable due to complex encodings, fonts are embedd only when the encoding of the individual glyphs matches exactly. Furthermore, missing fonts are not permitted in any PDF/X-driven Workflows, which are typically used in prepress environments.
Figure 4: The enabled Check Font is not embedded
Ignore Objects Outside
When working in production with TrimBox and BleedBox in print files, you can select the entry "TrimBox" in the option "Ignore objects outside". This ensures that only text objects located within the visible area of the print file are identified.
2.5. Text is smaller than
Category: Text
Description: This Check verifies whether text objects in the print file have a font size smaller than the specified minimum size. Objects outside the selected PageBox are ignored. Additionally, the search can be restricted based on text color – such as black text, rich black text, or white text. This check can be used to verify product-specific minimum sizes for substrates, print resolutions, and inks used.
Solution: Font sizes cannot be modified automatically through a Workflow. To make this change, a tool for editing text in PDF files, such as the PDF Editor, should be used.
Figure 5: The enabled Check Text is smaller than
2.6. Text is overprinting
Category: Text
Description: This check verifies whether text is overprinting, which can cause underlying objects to show through. The Check can be restricted to text larger than a specified minimum size or, alternatively, to black text only. Overprinting text may allow objects beneath to become visible during printing, potentially resulting in an unintended effect in the final output.
Solution: Overprinting black text can be corrected either by applying Fixup "Set Black Objects to Knockout" or by converting it to Rich Black using the Fixup "Redye CMYK Objects".
Figure 6: The enabled Check Text is overprinting
Artikel update: Workflow 1.21.2 – 12/2025