Outline Fonts for Less Art Problems
When fonts are not converted to outlines it could cause print issues.
With literally thousands upon thousands of different font styles infiltrating the graphic design industry not every sign company can house each and every font in their database. Plus when you combine the fact that one single font can literally have a hundred different naming conventions you have a real issue at hand.
Converting a font to outlines is a term utilized in the graphic design world which means that the font has been altered into an uneditable stage by turning the font characters into a shape instead of text. When the font is converted to outlines it eliminates any issues different computers may have when opening and reading the file.
If the font is not converted to outlines then your sign or print company may experience "font default" issues when the file is opened. A font default is caused when the computer opening the art file doesn't have the particular font on it's operating system that the artwork is calling for. When the font is not present then the computer will substitute said font with an alternative font, thus changing the look of the overall design.
When an art file is submitted without the fonts being converted to outlines it also causes a delay in turn-around time. Once we receive an art file and check it for print compatibility our customers will receive a visual proof within 24 to 36 hours for customer approval. But if an art file is submitted without the fonts outlined we have to contact the customer to submit another file or to correct the current file and resent their art file with the fonts outlined. If we can't contact the client right away because of time differences or over the weekend (we don't work on the weekends either) then our normal turn-around time gets set back causing a delay in the initial sign order.
Please see our File Preparation page for further instructions on how to submit your print-ready artwork. Or if you are a customer that has art files, but you are not sure if the fonts are outlined, please click on the link below and submit your artwork for a quick review before ordering.