PDF Export with a custom font giving the error "Cannont find or create the font 'xyz,Bold'."

Ryan Brothers 0 Reputation points
2025-04-30T21:12:59.78+00:00

I've ran into an issue I have never seen before, maybe somebody could help before I pull my hair out any more. We've got some reports we did for a customer in SSRS. They work fine and render fine. Recently the customer gave us a custom font their company uses, and wanted the reports to use that font. I installed it for all users on the server, and updated the RDL files. The problem is that they gave us a single OTF file for the font to use, we'll call it "XYZ". Now when I try to export the report to PDF, which is their ultimate end result, I get this error in Acrobat when I open it:

"Cannot find or create the font 'XYZ,Bold'. Some characters may not display or print correctly"

I have no idea how to fix this, the client has led me to believe there isn't a seperate Bold font file, but maybe there should be? I know if I recreate the bold font in Acrobat it works perfectly, so I think that is fine. Also the report renders in the browser with the correct font, and same with the Word export. Just hoping that maybe there is something in the device info or settings that I need to switch to make this work? Or that somebody can guide me in the right direction?

SQL Server Reporting Services
SQL Server Reporting Services

A SQL Server technology that supports the creation, management, and delivery of both traditional, paper-oriented reports and interactive, web-based reports.

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  1. Rukshan edirisinghe 2,365 Reputation points
    2026-10-20T04:42:54.9066667+00:00

    Hi @Ryan Brothers

    The clue is the single OTF file. The SSRS PDF renderer only embeds a font when it's TrueType, the font allows embedding, and it's installed on the report server. An .otf file often fails the first check, so the font isn't embedded. Acrobat then looks for "XYZ,Bold" on the viewing PC, can't find it, and shows that warning. The ",Bold" part appears because there's no separate bold font file, so the bold text has nothing real to map to.

    1. Ask the customer for the TrueType (.ttf) version of the font, including the Bold weight (and Italic if the reports use it).
    2. Confirm the font licence allows embedding. If the font is marked no-embedding, SSRS won't embed it whatever the format.
    3. Install all the .ttf files for all users on the report server.
    4. Restart the SQL Server Reporting Services service so it picks up the new fonts.
    5. Export a report to PDF again. In Acrobat, open File > Properties > Fonts and check that XYZ and XYZ Bold show as "Embedded Subset".

    If a TrueType version isn't available, the other option is to remove bold formatting from text using that font.

    Do the fonts list in Acrobat show XYZ as embedded at all right now?

    If the PDF opens cleanly after this, please consider accepting it as the answer. If the font still isn't embedded with the .ttf files, let me know and I'll be happy to keep helping.

    Reference:

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