Make sure your Microsoft Word documents look the same everywhere by embedding fonts, just in case the right fonts aren’t installed on recipients’ systems. How to embed fonts in Word on both Windows and Mac plus the options and alternatives for font embedding. Allow anyone opening the document to see what you intend.
When you share a document or even move to another computer, it does NOT include the necessary fonts. Word assumes that all the needed fonts will be installed on any computer or device that opens the document.
Font embedding is vital for proper sharing of documents either online collaboration or simply sending a document via email or messaging.
It’s a lot easier than sending the fonts along with a document then expecting the receivers to install the fonts.
Font Embedding 101
Here’s a test document we’ve made to explain font embedding. It’s been made on Word 365 for Mac.
The test doc features Lucida Blackletter – a decorative font that’s not usually installed by Windows or Office.
If the document (without font embedding) is opened on another computer it might look like this:
Font Substitution
Because the font ‘Lucida Blackletter’ isn’t available on the computer Word has used font substitution to what it thinks is a similar font.
Font Substitution is basically an educated guess. Word tries to find an available font that’s similar. As you can see, that doesn’t always work well.
A common font substitution is Helvetica (available on a Mac) with Arial.
Even when the substitution works better, the font switch can change the look and formatting of the document. Each font character has different heights/widths which affect how many words can fit on a page and the overall layout.
Sharing with font embedding
To see exactly what’s on the original computer, turn on font embedding, save the document then share it.
Now the decorative font appears.
The Word document includes the font details so any receiving computer can use the font without substitution.
Turn on Font embedding
Microsoft Word gives the choice of saving the entire font in the document or only the characters used.
Word for Windows
File | Options | Save | Preserve Fidelity in this document | Embed fonts. Choose to embed for an open document or all new documents.
Word for Mac
It took Microsoft way too long but eventually (in 2018) they added font embedding to Word 2019 for Mac.
In Word 365/2024/2021/2019 for Mac – Word | Preferences | Save for either the an open document or all future new documents.
Preserve fidelity when sharing this document:
- Embed fonts in the file
- Embed only the characters used in the document (best for reducing file size).
Embed fonts in the file is the better option. Any changes to the text will appear in the correct font.
The ‘characters only’ option does make the document file smaller, but it also reduces compatibility for the document receivers. If the document is edited elsewhere to include characters not in the limited embedded font, the extra characters won’t display properly.
Cloud Fonts
Microsoft’s Cloud Fonts are an alternative to font embedding IF the document recipients are using Word 365 (Microsoft 365), Word 2024 or Word 2021. These versions of Word (Windows or Mac) support cloud fonts.
If a document using cloud fonts is opened on a compatible version of Word, the necessary cloud font will be downloaded automatically. Most likely the user won’t even notice the inclusion of another font.
If some incompatible software is used or the computer is offline, then font subsitution will happen.
Font Licencing
A font can be restricted and font embedding isn’t available.
Font embedding isn’t always available. Purchased fonts have licence restrictions on how they are used and shared. Those limits aren’t clearly displayed in Windows nor Office but are enforced.
PDF’s are different
PDF files (that Microsoft Word can create) have font embedding automatically. Word has an option to include common fonts in a PDF or not but otherwise font information is included.
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