The string "CIDFont+F1", "F2", "F3", "F4", "F5", "F6" typically refers to generic font names generated by PDF creation software when it fails to properly embed or name the original fonts. These are not "real" downloadable fonts but are substitute placeholders used to display text within a specific document. Why These Names Appear
When a document is exported to PDF, the software (like Adobe InDesign or Word) may use CID (Character Identifier) encoding to handle a large number of characters or unique symbols. If the original font name is lost during this process, the PDF viewer assigns a generic identifier:
F1, F2, etc.: These markers often represent different weights or styles (e.g., F1 might be Arial Bold, while F2 is Arial Regular).
Identity-H: This is a common encoding method associated with CID fonts, often used for non-Latin characters or to ensure high-quality rendering across different devices. Common Issues
Users frequently encounter these names as error messages in design software like Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer. Because these fonts only exist "inside" that specific PDF, your computer will report them as "missing" if you try to edit the file. How to Fix or Work Around Them cidfontf1 f2 f3 f4 f5 f6 updated
If you are trying to open a file and seeing "CIDFont+F1 Updated" or "Missing" errors, you can try these solutions: Font Encoding settings - Removing Identity-H encoding
F tags are automatically generated if no explicit name is given.-dPreserveFontNames=false to rename F1–F6 to logical font names.When a system log or software patch notes indicate "CIDFontF1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 updated," it generally refers to one of three specific scenarios:
In many PDF processing engines (especially older Adobe PostScript and Acrobat versions), CIDFonts are referenced internally using generic names like CIDFontF1, CIDFontF2, etc. These are not actual font names but placeholders for subsets embedded in a document.
Here is the updated breakdown (2025 edition): The string "CIDFont+F1", "F2", "F3", "F4", "F5", "F6"
| Alias | Typical Purpose | Common Associated Font | |-------|----------------|------------------------| | CIDFontF1 | Primary CJK sans-serif | KozGoPr6N-Regular / Source Han Sans | | CIDFontF2 | Secondary CJK serif | KozMinPr6N-Regular / Source Han Serif | | CIDFontF3 | Monospace or fallback | CourierStd (CJK variant) | | CIDFontF4 | Bold variant of F1 | KozGoPr6N-Bold | | CIDFontF5 | Bold variant of F2 | KozMinPr6N-Bold | | CIDFontF6 | Supplementary symbols/dingbats | ZapfDingbats CJK |
Updated Insight (2025): Modern PDF generators (e.g., Adobe InDesign 2025, Ghostscript 10.+) increasingly replace these generic names with concrete CIDs. However, legacy files still rely heavily on the F1–F6 structure.
When a PDF calls for CIDFontF2 but the system cannot locate a valid serif CJK font, you get blank rectangles (ToFu = "Text on Font Unavailable").
Create a substitution table. Example for modern environments: Updated handling in Ghostscript and Poppler:
| Old Alias | Recommended Replacement (OpenType) | |-----------|-------------------------------------| | CIDFontF1 | NotoSansCJK-Regular.ttc | | CIDFontF2 | NotoSerifCJK-Regular.ttc | | CIDFontF3 | NotoSansMonoCJK-Regular.ttc | | CIDFontF4 | NotoSansCJK-Bold.ttc | | CIDFontF5 | NotoSerifCJK-Bold.ttc | | CIDFontF6 | NotoSansCJK-Symbols.ttc |
The industry is moving toward direct Unicode CID mapping without virtual names. PDF Association’s latest technical note (March 2025) recommends:
For users still seeing "cidfontf1 not found" errors this year: the fix is to update your Adobe Reader or Ghostscript to versions released after June 2024, when default fallback tables were rewritten.
RIPs (Raster Image Processors) from older digital presses (e.g., Xerox, Ricoh) often hard-code a single font for each of F1–F6. If you send a PDF using "updated" glyphs, the press crashes.