Cidfont F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 Install May 2026

Edit cidfmap (e.g., /usr/share/ghostscript/*/Resource/Init/cidfmap) or add a custom file.

Example entry:

/F1 /F1 ;
/F2 /F2 ;
...

Or, for substitution with a known font if CIDFonts are actually CJK:

/F1 /NotoSansCJK-Regular ;

gs -h

Look for Search path. Typical paths:

If you control the PDF creation, embed all fonts:

% In your PDF generator:
/CIDSystemInfo << /Registry (Adobe) /Ordering (Identity) /Supplement 0 >>
/F1 << /Type /Font /Subtype /CIDFontType2 /BaseFont /NotoSansCJK /FontDescriptor ... >>

But if you only have the PDF, use Ghostscript to re-embed:

gs -dSAFER -dNOPAUSE -dBATCH -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -sOutputFile=fixed.pdf -dPDFSETTINGS=/prepress -dSubsetFonts=false -dEmbedAllFonts=true input.pdf

If you want, provide one sample embedded font resource (e.g., a pdffonts output or an extracted font file name) and tell me which OS or toolchain you need the exact install steps for; I will produce a targeted, step-by-step install for that environment.

"CIDFont+F1" through "F6" are not real fonts you can download and install; they are generic, temporary names created by PDF-exporting software when it fails to properly embed the original fonts. These placeholder names often appear when a PDF is opened in editors like Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer and the system cannot find the actual font files.  How to Fix CIDFont Errors 

Since you cannot "install" these fonts, you must use one of these workarounds to view or edit the file: 

Export as a New PDF (Best for Viewing): Open the problematic PDF in a basic viewer like macOS Preview or a web browser, then select File > Export as PDF or Print to PDF. This often flattens the file and makes the text readable.

Identify and Replace with Standard Fonts: In many cases, these generic names correspond to common fonts. Users often find success by substituting them with: CIDFont+F1: Arial Bold or Times New Roman Regular. CIDFont+F2: Arial Regular or Times New Roman Bold. Others: Try standard families like Roboto or Myriad Pro.

Check Document Properties: In Adobe Acrobat, go to File > Properties > Fonts. Sometimes the "real" name of the font is listed next to the generic CID name, allowing you to find and install that specific font on your system.

Flatten/Outline (For Designers): If you need to use the file in Illustrator without editing text, place the PDF into a new document and use Object > Flatten Transparency with the "Convert All Text to Outlines" option checked.  Common Mappings 

While they change per file, typical mappings found in community discussions include:  Generic Name  Likely Original Font CIDFont+F1 Arial (Bold) or Times New Roman CIDFont+F2 Arial (Regular) CIDFont+F3-F6 Variations (Italic/Light) of the base font used in the doc cidfont f1 f2 f3 f4 f5 f6 install

Are you trying to edit a specific PDF, or are you seeing these errors when just trying to open a file for reading?  CIDFont+F1 issue - Adobe Community

CID (Character Identifier) font encoding is a method used to support complex character sets, often used for non-Latin scripts like Chinese, Japanese, or Korean (CJK). When a PDF is exported without its original fonts fully embedded, software like Adobe Acrobat or Illustrator assigns generic labels such as CIDFont+F1, F2, and so on, to represent the missing data. Impossible fonts to be found / Fontes impossíveis de achar

CIDFont F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, and F6 are not actual font names you can "install" from a website. Instead, they are generic placeholders created by PDF generation software when a font is improperly embedded or "subset" in a document. Because these are randomized labels, there is no single file to download to fix the issue. Creative COW Why You See This Error

When you open a PDF and see these names, your PDF viewer (like Adobe Acrobat) cannot find the original font data it needs to display or edit the text. This often happens because: Poor Embedding:

The software that created the PDF didn't include the full font file. Randomized Subsets:

Many apps rename fonts with these codes to avoid conflicts when merging documents. Common Fixes for PDF Display Issues

If you are trying to view a PDF and characters are missing or showing as dots, try these methods to "fix" the font issue: Export as a New PDF:

Open the problematic file in a different application (like macOS or a web browser) and select Export as PDF Print to PDF . This often "flattens" the file and makes it readable. Manual Font Substitution: If you are editing the file in software like Adobe Illustrator Affinity Designer

, you can manually change the font of the affected text to a standard one like Myriad Pro Users often find that CIDFont+F1 corresponds to Arial Bold CIDFont+F2 Arial Regular Flatten Transparency:

In professional design tools, you can place the PDF as an image and use "Flatten Transparency" with "Outline Text" checked to bypass the need for the original font file. Identify the Original Font: Document Properties (Ctrl+D) Adobe Acrobat

. Sometimes it will list the "Actual Font" name next to the CIDFont placeholder. If you are the one the PDF, ensure you select "Embed All Fonts"

in your export settings to prevent others from seeing this error. for a specific project? How to fix font issue to make PDF file show properly?

The message "cidfont f1 f2 f3 f4 f5 f6" is not a specific font package you can download and install. Instead, these are generic placeholder names (aliases) created by software when a PDF is exported without properly embedding the original fonts. Edit cidfmap (e

Because these names are randomized or generic (often representing standard fonts like Arial or Myriad Pro), your computer cannot "find" them to display the text correctly, often resulting in dots or missing characters. How to Fix Missing CIDFont Errors

Since you cannot install "F1" or "F2," use these workarounds to view or fix the file:

Open in a Different PDF Viewer: Many users find that opening the file in Apple Preview or a web browser (like Chrome or Microsoft Edge) allows the text to render even if Adobe Acrobat fails.

Flatten/Export the PDF: If you can see the text in a browser, use the Print to PDF or Export as PDF function. This often "bakes" the fonts into a new file that will work in other programs.

Identify the Original Font: You can check what the missing fonts were supposed to be by going to File > Properties > Fonts in Adobe Acrobat. If the original names are listed next to the "F1" alias, you can install those specific fonts (e.g., Arial Bold) on your system.

Install the Asian Language Pack: These errors often occur with CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) characters. Installing the Adobe Acrobat Asian Font Pack from the official Adobe site can sometimes resolve the rendering issue.

If you are the one creating the PDF, ensure you select "Embed All Fonts" in your export settings to prevent this from happening to others.

14 Nov 2023 — 1 Answer. Sorted by: 2. This message is common when a Poorly subset font has been used. In this case an extraction from a Journal. Super User CID Font + F4 missing on Adobe Pro | Community

When a PDF is created, if the original font (like Arial or Times New Roman) is not properly embedded, the software assigns generic labels like "CIDFont+F1" or "CIDFont+F2" to the text. These are often subset fonts where only the specific characters used in the document are included. Why You See These Names Missing Embedding : The PDF was exported without the original font file. Generic Placeholders

: "F1" through "F6" are just arbitrary markers for different font weights or styles used in that specific file (e.g., F1 might be Regular, F2 might be Bold). Security/Size

: Some apps use these randomized names to ensure font subsets don't overlap when merging multiple PDFs. How to Fix "Missing Font" Errors

Because these "fonts" don't exist on your computer, you cannot "install" them. Instead, you can try these workarounds to view or edit the file correctly: Export via PDF Printer : Open the PDF in a viewer (like macOS

or a browser) and use the "Print to PDF" or "Export as PDF" function to create a new version of the file. This often flattens or re-embeds the characters so they display properly. Convert to Outlines : If you are using Adobe Illustrator Or, for substitution with a known font if

, import the file (rather than opening it directly) and use the "Transparency Flattener" to convert the text into outlines. This turns the text into shapes so you no longer need the font to see it. Substitution Adobe Acrobat , you can check the Document Properties

(Ctrl+D) under the Fonts tab. Sometimes it lists the "Actual Font" used. You can then try to replace the missing text blocks with common fonts like Times New Roman , which often match the "F1" or "F2" styles. Acrobat Preflight Preflight tool Adobe Acrobat Pro

to search for "font" and select the option to "Convert TrueType fonts to Type 1 CID" or "Convert fonts to outlines". Creative COW standard font might be a good visual match for the text you're seeing? Impossible fonts to be found / Fontes impossíveis de achar

Understanding CIDFont F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6: A Guide to Missing PDF Fonts

If you have ever opened a PDF and been greeted by a warning like "Cannot find or create the font 'CIDFont+F1'" or noticed that the text has turned into a series of dots and squares, you are dealing with a common but frustrating font embedding issue. While these names look like specific fonts you can simply download and install, they are actually placeholders used by PDF generators. What are CIDFont F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6?

The terms CIDFont F1 through F6 are not names of creative fonts like Helvetica or Times New Roman. Instead, they are generic labels assigned by PDF creation software when it uses CID (Character Identifier) encoding.

CID Encoding: This is a system designed to handle large and complex character sets, especially for East Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) or Unicode text.

The "F" Labels: Software like Adobe InDesign or third-party PDF creators may rename embedded fonts as "F1," "F2," etc., for internal reference within the file.

The Mapping: Often, these labels correspond to common system fonts. For example, users in the Adobe Community have noted that CIDFont+F1 is often mapped to Arial Bold, while CIDFont+F2 is Arial Regular. Why are They "Missing"?

The "missing font" error typically occurs because the PDF was created improperly. The software used to generate the file may have failed to embed the font data directly into the PDF. When you open that file on a different computer that doesn't have the original font or doesn't understand the "F1" mapping, your PDF reader cannot display the text correctly. How to Fix CIDFont Missing Errors

Since "CIDFont F1" isn't a font you can buy, you cannot simply "install" it to fix the issue. Instead, you must use one of the following workarounds: 1. The "Print to PDF" or "Export" Trick

Often, the easiest way to resolve a corrupt font mapping is to force the computer to re-render the file: Super User How to fix font issue to make PDF file show properly?

You have six CIDFont files:
F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
(These may be .pfb, .otf, .ttf, or raw CIDFont files — typically with no extension or .cid.)