Type 1 CharSet must list every embedded glyph

PDF/UA check FONT_CHARSET_COMPLETE · Fonts & text encoding · severity Medium · PDF/UA 8.4.5.5 Embedding · advanced check

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Advanced check. This is a file-internals rule. It is hidden from the standard report view and generally indicates a problem with the tool that produced the PDF rather than something an author did.

Why it matters#

An incomplete CharSet declaration misrepresents what the embedded font subset contains, which can break PDF/A validation chains.

What you will see#

A Type 1 font descriptor declares a CharSet that does not match the glyphs actually present in the embedded subset.

How to fix#

Regenerate the CharSet string in the Type 1 font descriptor so it lists exactly the glyphs present in the embedded font program - no missing names and no extra names. Re-subsetting the font with a current tool rebuilds it correctly; removing the CharSet entry entirely also resolves the mismatch.

Step-by-step guide#

1. Identify the flagged Type 1 (or Multiple Master) fonts whose FontDescriptor carries a CharSet string that does not match the glyphs actually present in the embedded font program.
2. Simplest compliant fix: delete the CharSet entry from the FontDescriptor. CharSet is an optional, purely declarative entry, and the check passes when it is absent.
3. To keep the entry instead, re-subset the font so the regenerated CharSet lists exactly the glyph names present in the embedded font program - no missing names and no extras; the check fails in both directions.
4. In Acrobat Pro you can try All tools > Use print production > Preflight > PDF fixups > Subset all embedded fonts, which rewrites embedded font subsets and their descriptor entries; verify afterwards and, if the mismatch persists, regenerate the file from its source (next step).
5. Where the document can be regenerated, re-export from the authoring application with current software - stale CharSet strings typically come from outdated subsetting in older PDF producers.

Verify: Re-run the EQChecker advanced scan and confirm FONT_CHARSET_COMPLETE reports zero errors. PDF/UA-2 clause 8.4.5.5 does not itself name CharSet - CharSet accuracy is subset hygiene aligned with PDF/A - so Acrobat's Preflight PDF/A verification is the closest external cross-check. Rendering is unaffected either way, so a visual spot check suffices.

Note: CharSet is informational only - removing it loses nothing for accessibility or rendering, while an inaccurate one misrepresents the subset. PDF/UA-2 clause 8.4.5.5 requires the embedded subset to define all referenced glyphs; the CharSet accuracy test is stricter subset hygiene aligned with PDF/A. Acrobat has no direct editor for FontDescriptor entries, so if the Preflight fixup does not clear the mismatch, regenerate the file from its source.

WCAG success criteria#

No WCAG success criterion maps cleanly to this check — it is a PDF/UA structural requirement. The PDF/UA clause above is the normative reference.

Standards#

This check contributes to the following standards:

PDF/UA