Fix for “Upload failed: One or more fonts are not embedded.” for EDAS/IEEEXplore

If you are using Overleaf for writing your articles, you may have encountered the “Upload failed: One or more fonts are not embedded.”

Reason: You likely embedded a figure in your LaTeX file using a pdf. The pdf image(s) had some embedded fonts that are not supported by the parser on the submission site (EDAS, hotcrp or others). I use powerpoint to generate some fancy figures and then export them to pdf so I tend to see this error often.

Find three quick fixes below:

Fix 1:

1. Replace the pdf figures with their png versions. This will lower the resolution but will be legible to the reader unless you have tiny elements in your figures.

2. Alternatively, you can generate an eps version of the figures instead and still keep the clarity of the pdf versions (eps format may or may not be possible depending on the software you originally used to generate your figures).

Fix 2: Force the embedding using the steps provided by Overleaf themselves! Check the link: My submission was rejected by the journal because "Font XYZ is not embedded". What can I do? - Overleaf, Online LaTeX Editor

Fix 3: This fix can be done directly from the print menu once you open the same pdf file and click on “print to pdf”.

1. Uncheck "Rely on system fonts only; do not use document fonts"

2. Save the settings

3. Now open the pdf file that you tried submitting on the submission site. You do not need to open using Adobe Acrobat. Any application will work.

4. Now print the file to “Adobe Printer” or “Adobe PDF” (whatever it shows up as in your computer).

   Note: Fix 3 changes the print settings system wide. You may undo your settings if you need to, once you are done with your submission.