My PDF uses a font I have installed locally but is using Adobe Sans MM instead

Question

Hello - I am hoping to contact Adobe directly about this but cannot find a way to do so, so here it goes.
Our accounting package is creating PDF's that include some text using a special bar code font, Code39-Narrow-F (Code39-Narrow-F.ttf).  We install this font on all computers in the company, and I have confirmed it is installed on my PC.
I have a statement (pdf) from our accounting package that includes a line giving the total expenses using this bar code font, then under that using a normal font (Helvetica I think) so the total is also human readable.
In Adobe Reader this font is not being used, even though it is installed.  According to the file properties in Adobe the "Actual font" is Adobe Sans MM.  From what I have read online this is a standard built-in font used when the requested font is not found.  Yet it is installed and actually if I try a few competitor PDF viewing products that font does show up.  I have tried Google Chromes built in PDF reader as well as Foxit Reader and both display the bar code.
Therefore this seems to be a bug of some kind.  I am testing with Adobe Reader 11.0.06 which I believe is the latest release.
I would be glad to send this PDF to someone at Adobe to review, including a copy of the font.  The file itself though contains sensitive financial information so I do not want to post that here for the world to read.
Update: I have found another pdf report from the same accounting system that does show the bar code properly.  Really strange eh?  I can send an Adobe person this file as well for comparison.
Thank you
Bruce
Message was edited by: Bruce Spies

Answer 1

Most people just read PDF's, and do not create them, and as such have no control over the PDF's they are presented with.  I believe some fonts also require a license to use.
Adobe and other PDF readers do try and use the local fonts when they are available if it is not embedded.  The issue I have is Foxit and Chrome appear to be more successful at that then Adobe. They appear to have a wider or more liberal font search algorithm than Adobe does.  I would like Adobe to loosen up their font search so their product can be just as successful in displaying PDF's properly as their competitors.
I took another look at the two PDF's I have and noticed a difference with the fonts.
The one that works says the font is "Code39NarrowF" (literally like this, case sensitive etc).
The one that fails says the font is "code39-narrow-f" (again, literally)
The font itself on my computer is named 'Code39-Narrow-F.ttf,
In the registry is listed under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts is named "Code39NarrowF (TrueType)"
I suspect then that the non-Adobe products are figuring out that "code39-narrow-f" is either the name of the TTF file and matching it that way or maybe it does a case insensitive search that does not include the hyphens.