Concerning baseline offset

Hello: I get a difference in baseline offset, even all the baseline information is the same in the two fonts. The baseline grid is too low in one of the fonts. (Testing in Adobe Creative Suite programs).

That depends on:

  • the first baseline offset setting in the Adobe app,
  • the OS/2 sTypoAscender value in your font.

See the Vertical Metrics tutorial for details.

Thanks Rainer.
I have now made sure, that all ‘Vertical Metrics’ info are the same in the two fonts, and for me it works perfect in e.g. InDesign.


My client is still having trouble getting the two fonts on the same line. (He works on a PC, I’m on a Mac)

‘First baseline offset’: He always work with the standard “ascent” baseline setup, but when he
choose some different styles like ‘x-height’, ‘cap height’ or ‘fixed’, all works as it should …

Ascent is the measured height of the lowercase d. Some of the Adobe settings are measurings. See the Adobe documentation for the first baseline offset options:

  • Ascent The height of the “d” character in the font falls below the top inset of the text frame.
  • Cap Height The top of uppercase letters touch the top inset of the text frame.
  • Leading Use the text’s leading value as the distance between the baseline of the first line of text and the top inset of the frame.
  • X Height The height of the “x” character in the font falls below the top inset of the frame.
  • Fixed Specify the distance between the baseline of the first line of text and the top inset of the frame.
  • Min Select a minimum value for the baseline offset. For example, if Leading is selected and you specify a minimum value of 1p, InDesign uses the leading value only when it’s greater than 1 pica.

In other words, if fonts have lowercase d’s with different heights, they will align differently.

Thanks. The size of lowercase ‘d’ in the two fonts is exactly the same … and I still don’t understand why I am not experiencing problems with the font in my version of InDesign? How do I get on with solving the problem?

You will have to inspect your client’s settings then.