Document cannot be edited because it contains a read-only embedded font

[Vadim Rapp]

I have a correspondent who sent me her word file where she used some fancy
font. I don't have this font, so I advised her to specify option "embed
truetype fonts" in tools/options/save. She did, and resent me the file. When
I opened it, Word displayed the following message: "This document cannot be
edited because it contains a read-only embedded font". Tools/protect
document is disabled; File/Save is disabled. I saw MSKB article about this
message in Powerpoint, but the solution there is to resave the file - here
it's disabled. What gives?

Thanks,

Vadim Rapp

 

[Character]

I have a correspondent who sent me her word file where she used some
fancy font. I don't have this font, so I advised her to specify option
"embed truetype fonts" in tools/options/save. She did, and resent me the
file. When I opened it, Word displayed the following message: "This
document cannot be edited because it contains a read-only embedded
font". Tools/protect document is disabled; File/Save is disabled. I saw
MSKB article about this message in Powerpoint, but the solution there is
to resave the file - here it's disabled. What gives?

Thanks,

Vadim Rapp

There is an "embedding flag" in fonts that specify what level of
embedding the designer or type foundry allows. There are four levels:

1 - No embedding

2 - Read only - A document can be seen with the original font but you
can't do anything with it, and as you've discovered, it makes the
whole document read-only. You can copy and paste the content into
another document, but it will NOT have any of the embedded fonts.

A very user-antagonistic setting that's preferred by many major font
foundries.

3 - Editable - A document can be edited; the results depend to some
extent on whether the full font or a subset was embedded, I'm not sure
exactly what happens in each instance.

4 - Installable - There are no restrictions, and an embedded font can
be installed on the receiving system. At one time any embedded font
in a Microsoft Word document would automatically get installed on the
readers' machines if it wasn't already there. Now, however, this
option is moot, because NO application provides a means for either
extracting an embedded font or installing one.

Your options then are to use fonts that satisfy the needs you're going
to put them to. Unfortunately, it's not always clear before you
acquire a font what its embedding options may be. You could also
insure that all readers have the font - distributing or purchasing as
indicated by the terms of the license agreement for the specific fonts
(and of course they're all different!)

You can determine the embedding characteristics of a truetype font
with Microsoft's free font properties extension, available at:
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/TrueTypeProperty21.mspx

IF the font in question is freeware, shareware, or otherwise free of
re-distribution restrictions, it's likely that its very restrictive
embedding flag was an error on the part of the designer. There is a
command-line utility available which will change a truetype font's
embedding flag to "Installable". Its name is "embed.exe"

- Character

 

[Character]

I have a correspondent who sent me her word file where she used some
fancy font. I don't have this font, so I advised her to specify option
"embed truetype fonts" in tools/options/save. She did, and resent me the
file. When I opened it, Word displayed the following message: "This
document cannot be edited because it contains a read-only embedded
font". Tools/protect document is disabled; File/Save is disabled. I saw
MSKB article about this message in Powerpoint, but the solution there is
to resave the file - here it's disabled. What gives?

Thanks,

Vadim Rapp

There is an "embedding flag" in fonts that specify what level of
embedding the designer or type foundry allows. There are four levels:

1 - No embedding

2 - Read only - A document can be seen with the original font but you
can't do anything with it, and as you've discovered, it makes the
whole document read-only. You can copy and paste the content into
another document, but it will NOT have any of the embedded fonts.

A very user-antagonistic setting that's preferred by many major font
foundries.

3 - Editable - A document can be edited; the results depend to some
extent on whether the full font or a subset was embedded, I'm not sure
exactly what happens in each instance.

4 - Installable - There are no restrictions, and an embedded font can
be installed on the receiving system. At one time any embedded font
in a Microsoft Word document would automatically get installed on the
readers' machines if it wasn't already there. Now, however, this
option is moot, because NO application provides a means for either
extracting an embedded font or installing one.

Your options then are to use fonts that satisfy the needs you're going
to put them to. Unfortunately, it's not always clear before you
acquire a font what its embedding options may be. You could also
insure that all readers have the font - distributing or purchasing as
indicated by the terms of the license agreement for the specific fonts
(and of course they're all different!)

You can determine the embedding characteristics of a truetype font
with Microsoft's free font properties extension, available at:
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/TrueTypeProperty21.mspx

IF the font in question is freeware, shareware, or otherwise free of
re-distribution restrictions, it's likely that its very restrictive
embedding flag was an error on the part of the designer. There is a
command-line utility available which will change a truetype font's
embedding flag to "Installable". Its name is "embed.exe"

- Character

 

[Tom Ferguson]

A PS to Character's information, if I may.

I have no desire to "play the heavy" or be a "newsgroup nanny". However,
I thought there were some issues you might want to consider: The setting
of the embedding permissions flag relates to the right to corntrol
distribution of the font, an intellectual property and is tied to the
very heart of copyright protection and law. Resetting this flag to a
less restrictive value mignt contravene such law. If in doubt, consider
consulting the copyright owner.

Changing the fopt might be a more satisfactory solution.

Tom
MSMVP
Windows Shell/User
I am not a lawyer. For legal advice upon
which you intend to rely, consult a lawyer.


:I have a correspondent who sent me her word file where she used some
fancy
: font. I don't have this font, so I advised her to specify option
"embed
: truetype fonts" in tools/options/save. She did, and resent me the
file. When
: I opened it, Word displayed the following message: "This document
cannot be
: edited because it contains a read-only embedded font". Tools/protect
: document is disabled; File/Save is disabled. I saw MSKB article about
this
: message in Powerpoint, but the solution there is to resave the file -
here
: it's disabled. What gives?
:
: Thanks,
:
: Vadim Rapp
:
:

 

[Tom Ferguson]

A PS to Character's information, if I may.

I have no desire to "play the heavy" or be a "newsgroup nanny". However,
I thought there were some issues you might want to consider: The setting
of the embedding permissions flag relates to the right to corntrol
distribution of the font, an intellectual property and is tied to the
very heart of copyright protection and law. Resetting this flag to a
less restrictive value mignt contravene such law. If in doubt, consider
consulting the copyright owner.

Changing the fopt might be a more satisfactory solution.

Tom
MSMVP
Windows Shell/User
I am not a lawyer. For legal advice upon
which you intend to rely, consult a lawyer.


:I have a correspondent who sent me her word file where she used some
fancy
: font. I don't have this font, so I advised her to specify option
"embed
: truetype fonts" in tools/options/save. She did, and resent me the
file. When
: I opened it, Word displayed the following message: "This document
cannot be
: edited because it contains a read-only embedded font". Tools/protect
: document is disabled; File/Save is disabled. I saw MSKB article about
this
: message in Powerpoint, but the solution there is to resave the file -
here
: it's disabled. What gives?
:
: Thanks,
:
: Vadim Rapp
:
:

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the update on font embedding. I have the same situation as
"Character". Changed computers, lost fonts and now old documents can't be
opened due to embedded fonts. I really don't want to rebuild the entire
doucment. Any suggestions?

 

[Character]

I changed computers, lost fonts and now old documents can't be
opened due to embedded fonts. I really don't want to rebuild the entire
doucment. Any suggestions?

Copy and paste the text into another document.

Alternatively, acquire the necessary fonts.

- Character