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where is the Helvetica font?

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giovanni

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Nov 19, 2004, 1:31:20 PM11/19/04

Hi,

I am using Word 2003 with SP1. In Word, I can select Helvetica as a font
type, but other applications (particularly Illustrator CS) cannot find the
same font. I searched the font folder and my whole computer for this font but
I can't find it. How is it possible that Word can find it and other
applications can't? What can I do to make this font available to other
programs? Thank you very much for your help.

Jay Freedman

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Nov 19, 2004, 2:43:35 PM11/19/04

Hi Giovanni,

If you don't have an actual Helvetica font file installed in
C:\Windows\Fonts, and you tell Word to use Helvetica to format some text in
a document, Word will automatically substitute a similar font -- in this
case, Arial.

The font dropdown will claim that the text is formatted with Helvetica. But
if you go to Tools > Options > Compatibility and click the Font Substitution
button, it will show that Helvetica has been substituted with another font.
You can choose in that dialog to change the substitute font, and that will
affect the display and the printer.

If you leave Helvetica selected as the formatting for the text, and you move
the document to a computer that has a real Helvetica installed, that will be
used.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org

giovanni

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Nov 19, 2004, 4:13:09 PM11/19/04

Thank you very much, I really could not figure out why word would show this
font but I could not find it in the system (and other programs could not
either).

Valerie

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Mar 17, 2005, 12:21:06 PM3/17/05

I am having the same problem but when I checked the Font Substitution in a
document that is using helvetica (supposedly) it tells me that "No font
substitution is necessary. All fonts used in the document are available."
Also checked the fonts folder in Windows just to make sure, but it's not
there. Any ideas?

Klaus Linke

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Mar 18, 2005, 11:03:42 AM3/18/05

Hi Valerie,

There's a list of alias names in the Registry, too.
Helvetica might be a font that is stored in your printer. Word knows that and allow you to use it, and might use Arial to display it on screen. A little icon next to the font name if you open the font dropdown usually indicates this (something like a printer icon, rather than the TT for "TrueType").

Are you just irritated because you don't see "Helvetica" in your Windows\Fonts folder, or do you have some problem printing?

Regards,
Klaus

Valerie

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Mar 18, 2005, 1:51:03 PM3/18/05

Thanks for the reply. I'm not really having any problems with it. One of my
users was wanting to use Helvetica in one of the Adobe products she has and I
was just trying to figure out why the computer acted like it had it when
Adobe was obviously not able to use it. I think we'll probably just have to
break down and buy it if it's that big a deal to her. Thanks for your help!

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