By default, applications will not send common embedded fonts to the printer so that the print job is smaller and prints faster. It's possible you may be using a font on your Mac that is a different version that what is on the Printer. For Example, Times New Roman is an embedded font on the printer but it may not contain the ff glyph in your document and therefore prints a blank space.
When InDesign creates a PDF file, it embeds the System Font into the document. Acrobat then downloads (forces) the font to the printer when printing the document.
The solution would be to configure InDesign so that it downloads the complete fonts but also check the option to "Download PPD Fonts" so that Embedded fonts are also sent to the printer. This option is found in the Print Window.
1. Select [File] and then [Print]t. This will take you to InDesign's Print Window.
2. Select the [Graphics] link to the left
3. Under the Fonts section, Make sure to select "Complete" from the Pull Down Menu. Then check the box next to "Download PPD fonts.
Hope this resolves your problem.
