Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Unable to Edit Document with Embedded Fonts.

Unable to Edit Document with Embedded Fonts

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 23, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021


Joann tried sharing a document that contained embedded fonts with a co-worker, and the co-worker was unable to edit the document. Joann wonders if this is a common occurrence.

In short, it can be a common occurrence. Fonts that can be embedded in a Word document can have different attributes associated with them by the font designer. Those attributes can have an effect upon what can be done with the fonts. This is discussed in detail in this WordTip:

http://wordribbon.tips.net/Pages/T013370

Thus, to make sure that someone else can edit your document, you may want to skip using embedded fonts and make sure that the other person actually has the font installed on their system.

If you find that there are no restrictions on the font, or the other person has the exact same font installed on their system, then there could be some other problem causing the issue. The two most likely causes you'll want to check are whether the document has some sort of protection on it and whether there is some macro required to be automatically run when the document opens. (The macro would be on your system, but not necessarily on the other person's. If the macro isn't there, then the document may not "function" properly.)

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13371) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Unable to Edit Document with Embedded Fonts.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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