Printing Problems

Fix Microsoft Word Printing Faintly with the Raleway Font

Huma Ashraf Ch Oct 8, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue where a Microsoft Word document using the Raleway font prints very lightly.

How to Fix Microsoft Word Printing Faintly When Using Raleway Font

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Printing a document containing custom fonts.
Observed behavior: The Raleway font prints faintly across multiple printers, while all other fonts in the same document print normally.

Before you start

Verify that your printer has sufficient ink or toner and that 'Eco Mode' or 'Toner Save' features are disabled in your hardware's direct printing preferences.

Solution 1Recommended

Convert the Document to PDF Before Printing

This is the most reliable workaround to bypass Word's internal font rendering conflicts with custom fonts like Raleway.

Microsoft Word sometimes struggles to properly spool certain custom fonts directly to the printer. By converting the document to a PDF first, you lock the font rendering in place, allowing your PDF viewer to handle the print job correctly.

Save as PDF

In Microsoft Word, click on 'File' > 'Save As' and select 'PDF' from the file format drop-down menu.

Export the Document

Click 'Save' to generate the PDF file on your computer.

Print the PDF

Open the newly created PDF using any standard PDF viewer (like your web browser or a dedicated PDF reader) and print it from there. The Raleway font should now print at normal weight.

Convert the Document to PDF Before Printing

Recommended Workaround: Users consistently report that converting the file to PDF completely bypasses the faint printing issue associated with the Raleway font in Word.

Solution 2

Disable Draft Quality Printing in Word

Ensures that Word is not intentionally reducing ink usage or print resolution for your document.

Solution 3

Update or Reinstall the Raleway Font

Replaces potentially corrupted font files that might be causing rendering issues specific to Word.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Reliable Document Formatting and Printing

If Microsoft Word continues to struggle with rendering specific custom fonts, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible alternative with precise print rendering capabilities.

1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the free version of WPS Office from the official website.
2. Open the Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx document containing the Raleway font.
3. Print Flawlessly: Go to 'Menu' > 'Print' and print the document natively without rendering errors.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) files.Flawless font rendering and precise printing capabilities.Free, lightweight, and easy to use on any device.Familiar user interface for a seamless migration.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does only the Raleway font print faintly in Microsoft Word?

This usually happens due to a conflict between Microsoft Word's specific font-rendering engine and the metadata or weight parameters of custom fonts like Raleway. While it renders fine on screen, the printer spooler misinterprets the font weight, causing it to print lightly.

Will changing printer settings fix the faint font issue?

Sometimes, adjusting printer properties (such as turning off 'Toner Save' or 'Eco Mode') can help, but if the issue is isolated to a single font in Word while others print perfectly, it is typically a software rendering issue rather than hardware settings.

How do I embed custom fonts in Word to prevent printing issues?

To embed fonts, go to File > Options > Save, and check 'Embed fonts in the file'. However, for the Raleway faint printing bug, embedding the font rarely fixes the issue; converting the document to PDF is the most reliable solution.

Document & File Issues