Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Photoshop fonts problem

cool11

cool11

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Sep 3, 2006
1,839
227
I have a problem with photoshop cs6. I just updated to 6.1 too, but even now the problem remains.
The problem appears when I try to open a third-party psd file which contains a font that my mac does not have.

At first, photoshop displays a message that my machine does not have the font and if I want to use a substitute. I click yes and then it opens the file.
After this momment, the problem appears.
Photoshop seems to hung, the standby spinning ball appears all the time, photoshop seems no responsive, and I cannot do anything than force quitting.

I really do not know why photoshop handles the situation like that. I cannot work when I want to use these files with missing fonts.
I don't really want to find original fonts, I just want to make my work ignoring what the original fonts were.

Is there a solution? Can you imagine where the problem is?
 
It seems that your problem is caused at the creation end of your third-party files. You have given no information about the version of Photoshop used to create them or the nature of the problematic fonts.
 
I cannot tell which version of photoshop was used to create the original psd files.
But, does it matter? It there compatibility problems between versions of photoshop?
When I use the latest version, isn't it supposed to be able to read and use any file created from every other previous version of photoshop?

And what about the nature of problematic fonts? I just see the name of the font and nothing else.
 
cool11 said:
...
But, does it matter? It there compatibility problems between versions of photoshop?
...

And what about the nature of problematic fonts? I just see the name of the font and nothing else.
Click to expand...
You are the one in possession of the files. Therefore, you are the only one who can answer your questions. I can tell you this--font issues create the worst headaches on any platform. The fact that you are using files from dubious sources leads me to suspect that they use fonts from dubious sources.

Until you are willing to share relevant information, you can help very limited help.
 
Besides the origin of the files, I cannot understand how photoshop handles font substitution, in mac.

In another similar case, for example in microsoft word, if a font is missing from a document, I can select all text, and then apply a font of mine with no problem at all.

In photoshop, it warns me that the font is missing and then the application stuck. Why such a weird handling?
 
cool11 said:
....

In photoshop, it warns me that the font is missing and then the application stuck. Why such a weird handling?
Click to expand...
As long as you ask questions rather than give answers, you will not get the help that you need.
 
I found something related to the problem.
Photoshop gave me a message about changing 'preferences/type' setting 'east asian' / 'middle eastern'.

Of course, the missing font is a missing font, and a substitute will be used. But I have to see if this change in preferences will make any difference.
 
Once photoshop tells you the font is not available it will still display the missing font in a bitmap format... the document will look just like you have the font loaded... but the text layers will have a little warning icon. The text should not "substitute" until you click on a text layer and try to change it. Then it will redraw the text.

Sounds to me like you have a damaged photoshop file or a someone had a damaged font... this should not be a compatibility problem.
 
I found out that the 'font' problem exists, in any case.
Even if I just open photoshop and a blank new image, the spinning ball appears for several minutes.
Checking the 'activity monitor', I can see 'font' process of mac on the top of cpu usage.
The strange thing is that I don't have any other problems with mac on my font.
Is there anybody having any idea how could I solve this problem?
 
Have you tried clearing the font cache using a program like Onyx (free), or deleting the Photoshop preference file?
 
So how I'm guessing the PSD was made on a Chinese or Arabic edition of Photoshop and you're opening up in the English version with Illustrator. I had similar issue working with a Kuwaiti broadcaster a few years back.

Your best option is to:
1) Open the PSD
2) DO NOT click to update fonts.
3) Manually update, the unicode characters and glyphs are what are screwing it up.

Otherwise updating the full language support in Mac OSX may do the trick.
 
jezzastern said:
Have you tried clearing the font cache using a program like Onyx (free), or deleting the Photoshop preference file?
Click to expand...

Deleting the photoshop preference file, will affect only fonts, or many photoshop things?

----------
ezekielrage_99 said:
So how I'm guessing the PSD was made on a Chinese or Arabic edition of Photoshop and you're opening up in the English version with Illustrator. I had similar issue working with a Kuwaiti broadcaster a few years back.

Your best option is to:
1) Open the PSD
2) DO NOT click to update fonts.
3) Manually update, the unicode characters and glyphs are what are screwing it up.

Otherwise updating the full language support in Mac OSX may do the trick.
Click to expand...

I didn't even know what 'update fonts' is!
How do I update? Why do I have to do it?

How an updating to 'full language support' of osx could help? You mean it is a problem of missing fonts?

But as I said a few post above, the problem still exists even when I open a blank image! Photoshop tries something, I suspect something about fonts as I can see in activity monitor. This happens in any case. Even when I open photoshop without opening an image.
 
cool11 said:
I didn't even know what 'update fonts' is!
How do I update? Why do I have to do it?
Click to expand...

Sorry posting without coffee.. I meant substitute...

cool11 said:
How an updating to 'full language support' of osx could help? You mean it is a problem of missing fonts?

But as I said a few post above, the problem still exists even when I open a blank image! Photoshop tries something, I suspect something about fonts as I can see in activity monitor. This happens in any case. Even when I open photoshop without opening an image.
Click to expand...

I really suspect there's actually no issue with the file rather you are opening it in a different language version compared to what it was designed in because there are differences beyond language resources.

I'm guessing this or this might help. From experience Arabic or some Euro up files in the English version of Photoshop does cause issues.
 
Onyx font cach clear did not make any difference.

I also want to say that if I leave photoshop about 5 minutes idle, leaving it to push cpu, spinning ball etc, then I can work with it without any problems.
The problem is about the first 5 minutes.
 
ezekielrage_99 said:
Sorry posting without coffee.. I meant substitute...
Click to expand...

Photoshop do not ask me to make a substitution of fonts. I know what you mean, I remember such message when I used photoshop in windows, but it never happened to see this message in mac.
 
Does photoshop has its own fonts or it uses the system's ones?
 
cool11 said:
Does photoshop has its own fonts or it uses the system's ones?
Click to expand...
Some knowledge of Mac fonts is in order. With rare exception, Mac application fonts are supplemental and are not exclusive to the application that included them. For example, Microsoft Office ships with a selection of fonts, but Office fonts can be used by any Mac application. The phrase System Font is important for all Mac users to understand. A System Font is a font that ships with the OS and is located in the /System/Library/Fonts/ folder. System Fonts are used by the OS on a non-exclusive basis. Unlike other fonts, System Fonts cannot be safely disabled.

Summary. A given user may use fonts stored in several well-defined locations:
  1. /System/Library/Fonts/—Fonts stored here are required by the OS and cannot disabled.
  2. /Library/Fonts/—Fonts stored here are available to all users on the computer.
  3. ~/Library/Fonts/—Fonts stored here are available to one specific user account.
  4. /System/Library/Fonts/{Non-Exclusive Application fonts}/—The fonts are usually installed along with the application, but the application will usually operate if they are not available. Also other applications have access to these fonts.
  5. /System Folder/Fonts/—This is the MacOS 9 Fonts folder for users who still run Classic. These fonts are available to all Mac applications, MacOS X and MacOS 9 alike.
 
solution for your problem

Hello on this page you get the solution for your problem! I really don't think it's a photoshop issue. Fonts are handeled by the operating system not by photoshop.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back