Font mapping Simplified Chinese not working

Hi,

I am trying to map some fonts for Chinese in IDML file type, but I'm afraid it's not working as it's supposed to be. Or maybe I'm doing or understanding something wrong?

Here's what I do:

Project Settings > File Types > IDML > Font mapping
Font mapping settings in Trados Studio showing Akkurat Mono LL mapped to Microsoft YaHei and Akkurat LL Light mapped to Microsoft YaHei Light under Chinese (Simplified, PRC).

The way I understand it, this should map the Akkurat Mono LL of my source file to Microsoft YaHei in my target file. Idem with Akkurat LL Light and Microsoft YaHei Light.

However, when I open the generated Chinese IDML file in InDesign, it looks like this:

Generated Chinese IDML file in InDesign showing text replaced with square boxes, indicating font rendering issues.

What am I doing wrong?

Any help appreciated! :)

Kind regards,

Katharina

Trados Studio 2024 SR1 18.1.2.6370

InDesign: 20.5 x64



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[edited by: RWS Community AI at 1:12 PM (GMT 1) on 20 Oct 2025]
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Parents
  • Probability score: 0.7  

    Question improvement suggestion: Provide more details about the specific steps you took in the font mapping process and clarify if any error messages were encountered.  

    In the meantime, based on the information you have provided, here is a suggested answer to your question:  

    Hello Katharina,  

    Thank you for reaching out! It seems like you're experiencing issues with font mapping in your IDML file. Let's go through a few steps to troubleshoot this:  

    **Step 1:** Double-check your font mapping settings. Ensure that you have correctly mapped "Akkurat Mono LL" to "Microsoft YaHei" and "Akkurat LL Light" to "Microsoft YaHei Light" in the Project Settings under File Types > IDML > Font mapping.  

    **Step 2:** Verify that the fonts you are trying to map are installed on your system. If "Microsoft YaHei" is not installed, it won't be applied in the output file.  

    **Step 3:** Check the formatting tags in your source segments. In the Editor view, go to View > Options and ensure that "Toggle formatting tag display" and "Full Tag Text" are enabled. This will help ensure that all formatting tags are correctly placed during translation.  

    **Step 4:** After making these adjustments, try generating the target file again and open it in InDesign to see if the font mapping works as expected.  

    If the issue persists, please let me know if you encounter any error messages or if there are specific behaviors that differ from your expectations. This additional information will help in diagnosing the problem further.  

    I hope this answer addressed your question. If not, please reject the answer, add the question improvement suggestion information, and click the RWS Community AI checkbox on the right to try again.  

    RWS Community AI

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  • Sadly, no error messages. All necessary fonts are installed on my PC. Tags are placed correctly.

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Reply Children
  • Probability score: 0.8  

    Question improvement suggestion: Provide specific details about the font mapping settings you have configured and any additional steps you may have taken to troubleshoot the issue.  

    In the meantime, based on the information you have provided, here is a suggested answer to your question:  

    Hello Katharina,  

    Thank you for your follow-up! Since you mentioned that there are no error messages, all necessary fonts are installed, and the tags are placed correctly, let's explore a few additional steps to help resolve the font mapping issue in your IDML file:  

    **Step 1:** Ensure that the font mapping settings are correctly configured. Go to Project Settings > File Types > IDML > Font mapping and double-check that "Akkurat Mono LL" is mapped to "Microsoft YaHei" and "Akkurat LL Light" to "Microsoft YaHei Light."  

    **Step 2:** Since you mentioned that the tags are placed correctly, consider using the Quick Place feature during translation to ensure that all formatting tags are accurately inserted in the target segments. This can help maintain the correct font application.  

    **Step 3:** If the issue persists, try re-saving the IDML file in Adobe InDesign. Open the file, click on File > Save As, and save it with a different name. This can sometimes resolve underlying issues with the file itself.  

    **Step 4:** If you haven't already, enable the "Process unsupported file versions" option in the IDML filter settings. This can be found under File Types > Adobe In Design CS4-CC IDML > Common. This setting can help with compatibility issues.  

    **Step 5:** Lastly, consider updating Trados Studio to the latest version, as updates often include fixes for compatibility with various file formats, including IDML.  

    If you continue to experience issues, please provide any additional details about your font mapping settings or any other steps you've taken. This information will help in diagnosing the problem further.  

    I hope this answer addressed your question. If not, please reject the answer, add the question improvement suggestion information, and click the RWS Community AI checkbox on the right to try again.  

    RWS Community AI

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  • Unfortunately, this is also not the answer. The fonts are mapped correctly, as far as I can see, the tags are good, re-saving the file didn't work, unsupported file versions are enabled and we have the latest Studio version installed.

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