How are you determining that the characters are "lower". In all fonts (properly constructed, that is) characters with rounded elements, like c, o, e, etc. will rise higher at the x-height than the characters you mention, in order to appear visually correct. Mathematically identical heights are the error, not the correction.

Also, are you looking at a monitor or at a printout?
And, are you sure Verlag is the right typeface for a long document?

@Don: Just by sight

@Richard0: Monitor, but why would a pdf be different than a printout? Also, what would be the downside of using verlag for a long document? Its not a book, just about 8 pages.

Thanks

why would a pdf be different than a printout?

Because rendering of typefaces on screen is bound to the physical resolution of monitors (among other things). So the difference in heights you’re noticing could well be a rendering problem.

I am not sure if you are aware of it or if this applies to your case, but you may want to read this from H&FJ website:

“Our end-user font licenses allow only the production of Workflow PDFs, not Public PDFs. For organizations that need to circulate PDFs more widely, we offer an Embedding License as a supplemental product.”

http://www.typography.com/ask/faq.php?faqID=16#Faq_16

“Once converted to outlines in a drawing program, you can alter the shapes of letterforms (for example, in producing a logo.) But you may not alter the data contained within the fonts themselves, or use this data to produce new fonts.”

http://www.typography.com/ask/faq.php?faqID=32#Faq_32