In many PDF workflows (especially those generated by AutoCAD, Adobe InDesign, or older Ghostscript versions), system fonts are mapped to internal names like These are temporary font handles. For example:
If you’ve come across terms like , you’re likely working with PostScript printing , Adobe Acrobat , Chinese/Japanese/Korean (CJK) typography , or legacy publishing workflows. These “F” designations are not generic font families but refer to standard CID‑keyed fonts embedded in many Adobe PostScript printers and PDF workflows.
In contrast, East Asian languages feature tens of thousands of unique ideographs. A standard 8-bit encoding system cannot support this scale. The CID Solution In many PDF workflows (especially those generated by
Over the next week, Mira fed each sheet into an old scanner and uploaded the images to her laptop. F2 was warm and rounded, a friendly face for children’s books. F3 curled wildly, an artful display type for posters and moonlit signs. F4 was austere and geometric, perfect for technical manuals. F5 hinted at calligraphy, strokes varying like a dancer’s motion. F6 bore the tight economy of a newspaper column; F7 bloomed into a decorative serif that seemed to hold old-world authority.
With the widespread adoption of the OpenType format, Adobe and other foundries have stopped supporting the direct use of CID-keyed fonts in modern operating systems and applications. In contrast, East Asian languages feature tens of
Create a cidfmap file and map aliases:
When the software creates this partial font, it frequently strips the original commercial name (such as Times New Roman or MS Gothic) and replaces it with a generic internal label like F1 , F2 , or F3 . F2 was warm and rounded, a friendly face
Best for: Replacing all F1–F7 errors across multiple languages. Google Noto is designed to completely eliminate "Tofu" (missing character boxes). It includes high-quality CID-keyed versions for Japanese, Korean, and Chinese.