Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Typekit fonts and Illustrator
Whether you have a subscription to the Creative Cloud or a single
subscription to Illustrator CC, you are entitled to sign up for a Typekit
subscription. Depending upon your subscription, the number of fonts you
can have synced at the same time may be limited. Access information about a
Typekit subscription account from the Fonts tab of your Creative Cloud app,
which will also take you to your account page if you have one. Illustrator files
saved with Typekit fonts can be shared with anyone else with CC and Typekit
memberships. In addition, when you save an .ai file with Typekit fonts using
the default Create PDF Compatible File option, you can have confidence that
any missing Typekit fonts can be viewed and printed when placed in
InDesign, Acrobat, Adobe Reader, and other applications that can extract the
PDF from the .ai file, including by using Place in Illustrator ( -Shift-P/Ctrl-
Shift-P). However, in order to properly view your Typekit fonts live in
Illustrator, and see which are capable of being edited, the viewer of that file
must be either logged into both Illustrator CC and Typekit, or must own that
font. To get started, all you have to do is sign in to Typekit with your Adobe
ID and password. You can also purchase most of the desktop fonts by going
directly to the foundry that owns them. Typekit itself doesn't sell the fonts.
The Fonts tab in the Creative Cloud app is devoted to Typekit, and is your
direct link to the Typekit website. Desktop Typekit fonts are cached on your
computer, letting you use them in any application, not just Adobe apps, but
unlike fonts you have purchased, they aren't installed and can't be packaged
with your other document files. Currently fonts are managed by the Creative
Cloud application; if the Creative Cloud app isn't running, all Typekit fonts
are treated as missing fonts. In addition, in Acrobat you should be able to
insert spaces and returns, and even delete characters, but you will need to
own the font or have access to Typekit in order to make more extensive edits
to the type.
When someone opens an Illustrator file containing Typekit fonts that they
don't own or have access to, Illustrator substitutes the Typekit fonts with a
default font. Therefore, if your file must always display the exact form of the
Typekit font characters you used, even in cases where Typekit fonts may not
be available or installed, (for instance, within a logo), then you can convert a
copy of your live type into vector objects. It's important that you convert a
duplicate of your text so you can maintain the live type in case you need to
replace the typeface or can again access to the Typekit font. To convert
Typekit text to outlines, you must currently have the font synced to your
computer and duplicate the text, layers containing text blocks, or an entire
artboard containing the text. Then with the duplicate text objects selected,
choose Type> Create Outlines ( -Shift-O/Ctrl-Shift-O).
