Why Outlines?
When using Adobe Illustrator how to (and when to) convert text to outlines for press-ready vector artwork is essential knowledge. Fonts can cause problems when sending artwork to press. If you've used a typeface that your printing house doesn't have, the document or artwork will print incorrectly. This is why you'll find that fonts within most vector logos (containing text) will have been converted to outlines, or paths. This effectively means that the text is no longer text - it has become a graphic, and the text cannot be altered.
This is type made by using a font This has been converted to outlines
The image on the left is relying on font information to display correctly. If your printing house does not have the particular font used, the file will open but the typeface will be re-interpreted resulting in an incorrect reproduction. The image on the right, having been converted to outlines, behaves in just the same way as a vector shape and does not rely on any font information. For this reason, converting to outlines is the best method of sending text to suppliers and other design houses.
