How to Substitute Missing Fonts in CorelDRAW

When you open a CorelDRAW document that contains fonts not installed on your system, the software uses its PANOSE font matching system to replace them with available alternatives. This article explains how to handle the missing fonts dialog upon opening a file, how to choose between temporary and permanent font substitutions, and how to configure default font-matching rules for future projects.

Substituting Fonts When Opening a File

When a file requires fonts your computer lacks, CorelDRAW automatically opens the Substitute Missing Fonts dialog box. Follow these steps to resolve the missing fonts:

  1. Identify the Missing Font: Review the Missing font list on the left side of the dialog box to see which typefaces are absent from your system.
  2. Select a Replacement: CorelDRAW will suggest a match under Substituted font based on PANOSE matching algorithms. If you want a different font, click the drop-down menu and choose any installed font from your system.
  3. Choose the Substitution Type:
    • Permanent: Select this option if you want to replace the missing font in the document itself. When you save the file, the text will be permanently formatted with the newly selected font.
    • Temporary: Select this option if you plan to edit or print the document without altering the original font settings. The original font names are preserved, meaning the document will still look for the original fonts when opened on another system where they are installed.
  4. Apply the Changes: Click OK to apply the substitutions and open the document.

Customizing PANOSE Font Matching Rules

You can change how CorelDRAW handles missing fonts automatically by configuring the global PANOSE settings:

  1. Click Tools in the top menu and select Options (or press Ctrl + J).
  2. In the Options dialog box, navigate to Text and click on Fonts.
  3. Click the PANOSE Font Matching button.
  4. In the PANOSE Font Matching Preferences window, ensure that Allow font matching is checked.
  5. Set your preferred default behavior under Show font matching results:
    • Choose Prompt if you want CorelDRAW to ask you what to do every time a font is missing.
    • Choose Never to have CorelDRAW silently replace missing fonts using its internal algorithm without displaying the dialog box.
  6. Under the Exceptions tab, you can define specific replacement pairings (e.g., always replace a specific missing font with another specific installed font).
  7. Click OK to save your preferences.