🔤 Fix missing or invisible text after translation in InDesign
After translating an InDesign file, you might notice that some characters are missing or appear as pink boxes with an “X” in the translated IDML file.
Don’t worry—these characters aren’t lost. They’re still in the file but are not displaying correctly due to font compatibility issues.
🧩 Why does this happen?
InDesign uses fonts to display characters. If the font used in your document doesn't support certain characters from the target language, those characters won’t display correctly.
Instead, InDesign shows a pink placeholder box with an “X”.
For example, if you’re translating from English to Turkish, the original font might not support the Turkish character “ğ”. As a result, “ğ” would appear as a box with an “X” in the translated document.
🛠️ How to fix it
To restore the missing characters, you need to replace the font with one that supports all characters in the target language:
- Open your translated IDML file in InDesign.
- Go to Type > Find/Replace Font.
- In the dialog box, select the font that’s causing the issue.
- Choose a replacement font that supports the target language’s characters.
- Click Change All to replace the font throughout the document.
- Click Done to close the dialog box.
âś… Tip: Fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, or Noto Sans support a wide range of characters and are good choices for multilingual documents.
⚠️ Important considerations
- Font consistency: Make sure the new font matches your document’s intended style.
- Text reflow: Changing fonts can affect layout. Check for overset or reflowed text after replacing the font.
- Prevention: If you plan to translate your document, use fonts that support a broad range of characters from the start.