Fix Acrobat Pro 9 Creating Garbled Text When Saving PDFs
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where text becomes unreadable or garbled after converting a document to PDF using Adobe Acrobat Pro 9.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro 9
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Printing a document via the Adobe PDF printer or saving a file to the PDF format.
- Observed behavior
- Text and fonts display correctly on the screen and physical printouts, but the resulting PDF file contains garbled, unreadable text.
Verify your current operating system version, as Acrobat Pro 9 is an older release from 2008 and may have inherent compatibility issues with modern Windows or Mac systems.
Check Font Embedding and .joboptions Settings
Garbled text in PDFs is primarily caused by missing or restricted font embedding. Adjusting your PDF creation settings ensures fonts are properly included.
Adobe Acrobat uses .joboptions files to determine how PDFs are generated. If the fonts used in your document are not embedded, the PDF reader will substitute them, often resulting in garbled text.
Additionally, some specific fonts have license restrictions that prevent embedding altogether.
Navigate to your computer's 'Devices and Printers' or 'Printers & Scanners' settings. Right-click the 'Adobe PDF' printer and select 'Printing Preferences'.
Go to the 'Adobe PDF Settings' tab. Next to the 'Default Settings' drop-down menu, click the 'Edit' button to modify the current .joboptions file.
Click on the 'Fonts' folder in the left pane of the settings window. Ensure that the 'Embed all fonts' checkbox is ticked. Check the 'Never Embed' list and remove any critical fonts listed there.
Save the modified .joboptions file and try printing or saving your document to PDF again to verify if the text now renders correctly.
Run Acrobat Pro 9 in Compatibility Mode
Because Acrobat Pro 9 is obsolete, running it on modern operating systems can cause rendering bugs. Using Compatibility Mode can sometimes bypass these system conflicts.
Create Perfect PDFs without Garbled Text using WPS Office
Avoid complex font embedding configurations and obsolete software bugs by using WPS Office. It features a robust, modern PDF converter built directly into the suite, ensuring your text, fonts, and layouts are perfectly preserved across all devices.
- 1. Open Your Document in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open the Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file you want to convert to PDF.
- 2. Access the Export Feature: Click on the 'Menu' button located in the top-left corner of the interface and select 'Export to PDF'.
- 3. Customize Export Settings: In the dialog box, select your desired export range and save location. Click the 'Advanced' button if you need to adjust specific layout or image quality settings.
- 4. Generate the PDF: Click the 'Export to PDF' button. WPS Office will securely generate the PDF with all fonts properly embedded and instantly readable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my PDF text look like random symbols after printing?
This typically happens when the original fonts used in the document are not embedded in the PDF file. If the PDF reader or the operating system lacks those exact fonts, it attempts to substitute them, which often causes the text to render as garbled or random symbols.
Does Adobe still provide updates or support for Acrobat Pro 9?
No. Adobe Acrobat Pro 9 was released in 2008 and has been officially declared obsolete. It no longer receives technical support, bug fixes, or security patches from Adobe.
How do I check my font embedding rules in Acrobat?
You can check these settings by accessing the printer properties for the Adobe PDF printer. Navigate to the 'Adobe PDF Settings' tab, click 'Edit' next to the default settings, and open the 'Fonts' folder to view embedding rules.
Is there a free way to convert documents to PDF without using Acrobat?
Yes, modern office software like WPS Office includes a built-in 'Export to PDF' tool. This bypasses the need for older software like Acrobat 9 and automatically handles font embedding, ensuring your documents are formatted correctly for free.
