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Fix Gill Sans Nova Bold Font Not Embedded in Word to PDF Conversion
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where the Gill Sans Nova Bold font fails to embed when saving or exporting a Microsoft Word document as a PDF.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Exporting or saving a document to PDF format.
- Observed behavior
- The Gill Sans Nova Bold font is missing, replaced by a default system font, or not properly embedded in the resulting PDF file.
Ensure that the Gill Sans Nova Bold font is properly installed on your operating system and that you have the appropriate licensing rights to embed the font in exported documents.
Enable Font Embedding Options in Word Settings
Configure Microsoft Word to embed custom fonts directly within the file before exporting to PDF.
By default, Word may not embed custom fonts to keep the file size minimal. Enabling this specific setting ensures that non-standard fonts are packaged within the document metadata before conversion.
Click on 'File' in the top-left corner of the ribbon and select 'Options' at the very bottom of the menu.
In the Word Options window, click on the 'Save' tab in the left-hand navigation pane.
Scroll down to the 'Preserve fidelity when sharing this document' section and check the box that says 'Embed fonts in the file'.
Uncheck the box for 'Do not embed common system fonts' to force Word to include all font data, then click 'OK' and export your document to PDF.
Install Font for All Users on Windows
Resolve permission issues by ensuring the font is installed globally rather than just for the current user profile.
Use Microsoft Print to PDF
Bypass Microsoft Word's native PDF export tool by utilizing a virtual PDF printer to flatten the document.
Use WPS Office to Export Documents to PDF with Embedded Fonts
If Microsoft Word fails to properly embed custom fonts like Gill Sans Nova Bold due to licensing or export engine limits, WPS Office provides a highly capable, free alternative. Its built-in PDF converter accurately preserves custom fonts and formatting without unnecessary hassle.
- 1. Open the Document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your .docx file containing the Gill Sans Nova Bold font.
- 2. Access the PDF Export Tool: Click on 'Menu' in the top-left corner and select 'Export to PDF' from the dropdown list.
- 3. Configure Export Settings: In the export window, check the advanced settings to ensure the highest quality rendering for text and images.
- 4. Export Your File: Choose your preferred save path and click the 'Export to PDF' button. Your fonts will be cleanly embedded into the final document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some fonts fail to embed in PDFs exported from Word?
Fonts often fail to embed due to licensing restrictions set by the font creator. If a font's embeddability status is marked as 'restricted' or 'no embedding', Word respects this copyright limit and will replace the text with a default system font when generating a PDF.
How can I check if a font allows embedding?
On Windows, navigate to your Fonts folder (Settings > Personalization > Fonts), select the specific font, and check its 'Font embeddability' property. It must be set to 'Installable' or 'Editable' to successfully carry over into an exported PDF.
Does 'Print to PDF' preserve fonts differently than 'Export to PDF'?
Yes. Using a virtual printer like 'Microsoft Print to PDF' processes the document as a print job. This method often handles font data differently by communicating directly with the print spooler, which can sometimes bypass document-level strict embedding restrictions by converting text layers into standard outlines.
