File Format & Compatibility

Fix Microsoft Publisher Text Shifting During PDF Export

Adam Davis Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users experience slight movement or shifting of text objects in Microsoft Publisher when previewing for print or exporting the document to a PDF file.

How to Fix Microsoft Publisher Text Shifting During PDF Export

Product: Microsoft Publisher
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Exporting a Publisher document to PDF or checking the Print Preview layout.
Observed behavior: Text objects shift alignment or move slightly from their original positions on the page during the export or preview process, regardless of the PDF export options chosen.

Before you start

Before making changes to your document fonts, create a backup copy of your Publisher file. It is also helpful to check if the shifting issue occurs with just this specific file or across all newly created Publisher documents.

Solution 1Recommended

Change Document Fonts to Prevent Shifting

Replacing the problematic font with a widely supported alternative often resolves text alignment issues during PDF export.

Certain fonts (such as 'Kokila' or other specialized typefaces) may not render correctly during Microsoft Publisher's PDF conversion process. Switching to a standard font like 'Open Sans', 'Arial', or 'Calibri' can prevent unexpected text movement.

Select the shifting text

Open your document in Microsoft Publisher and click on the text box that is shifting during export.

Change the font

Highlight the text, go to the 'Home' tab, and locate the Font dropdown menu in the ribbon.

Apply a standard font

Select a standard, web-safe font (such as Open Sans or Arial) to replace the current font.

Test the PDF export

Go to 'File' > 'Export' > 'Create PDF/XPS Document' to verify if the text remains properly aligned in the newly generated PDF.

Change Document Fonts to Prevent Shifting

Test Multiple Fonts: If the first replacement font does not work, try exporting with a basic system font like Arial to confirm whether the font itself is the root cause.

Solution 2

Verify File Integrity and Isolate the Issue

Determine if the alignment issue is tied to a corrupted file or a broader application error.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Reliable Document Creation and PDF Export

If you frequently encounter formatting shifts and export bugs in Microsoft Publisher or Word, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a highly compatible, lightweight, and free suite for creating professional documents with seamless, built-in PDF export capabilities that maintain your exact layout.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the free download button for your operating system.
2. Install the software: Run the downloaded installer and follow the quick on-screen instructions to set up the suite.
3. Open your documents: Launch WPS Writer or Presentation to seamlessly open your existing Office files and export them to PDF with perfect formatting.

Flawless built-in PDF exporter that preserves exact text alignment and layouts without shifting.Highly compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint file formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx).Free and lightweight alternative for standard document publishing and editing needs.Familiar, easy-to-use interface ensuring a seamless migration from Microsoft Office.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Publisher change my layout when saving as PDF?

Publisher relies on your default printer driver and font rendering engine to generate PDFs. If a specific font is unsupported or the printer driver conflicts with the export engine, text boxes may shift slightly during conversion.

How can I stop images and text from moving in Publisher?

Ensure that objects are properly grouped. Select multiple objects, right-click, and choose 'Group'. Additionally, changing to standard system fonts and updating your default printer driver to 'Microsoft Print to PDF' can help stabilize the layout.

Can I open Microsoft Publisher (.pub) files in WPS Office?

WPS Office does not natively support the .pub file format. However, you can export your Publisher file to a PDF or Word document (.docx) and then open, edit, or annotate it seamlessly using WPS Office.

Does changing the PDF export options fix alignment issues?

Usually, toggling between 'Commercial Press' or 'Standard' PDF options in Publisher does not fix text shifting if the root cause is an incompatible font. Changing the font itself is the most effective troubleshooting step.

Document & File Issues