Fix Chinese Characters Printing Incorrectly or Missing in PDF Forms
Question details
The user is experiencing an issue where Chinese characters entered into a PDF form appear incomplete during editing and are partially missing when printed.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat / PDF
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Filling out and printing a PDF form containing Simplified or Traditional Chinese characters.
- Observed behavior
- Chinese characters display normally when the edited PDF is reopened on screen, but they print out incomplete or partially missing on paper.
Ensure your printer is turned on, properly connected to your computer, and that you have a basic understanding of your PDF viewer's advanced print settings.
Print the PDF as an Image
Bypasses font rendering limitations by sending the document to the printer as a flattened image, ensuring what you see on screen is exactly what prints.
When printers lack the memory or built-in support for complex Asian fonts, they may drop parts of the characters. Printing the PDF as an image forces the software to process the text graphically before sending it to the printer.
Open your problematic PDF form and press Ctrl + P (or go to File > Print) to open the print settings window.
Click on the 'Advanced' button, typically located near the top or bottom of the Print dialog box.
Check the box labeled 'Print As Image'. You may also have the option to adjust the resolution (DPI); 300 DPI is generally recommended for clear text.
Click 'OK' to close the Advanced settings window, then click 'Print' to print your document.
Use and Embed a Chinese-Compatible Unicode Font
Modifies the PDF form fields to use a widely supported font and embeds it directly into the file, ensuring the printer receives the correct character data.
Update Printer Drivers and PDF Software
Resolves underlying software bugs or outdated printer communication protocols that cause partial character rendering.
Print Multilingual PDFs Flawlessly with WPS Office
Skip the hassle of manual font embedding and driver troubleshooting. WPS Office features a robust native PDF editor that accurately renders and prints complex fonts, including Simplified and Traditional Chinese characters, exactly as they appear on screen.
- 1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free version of WPS Office on your computer.
- 2. Open the PDF Form: Launch WPS Office and open your problematic PDF document containing the form.
- 3. Fill in the Form: Type your Chinese characters directly into the fields. WPS handles the font encoding and display natively.
- 4. Print the Document: Press Ctrl + P to open the print dialog and print your document effortlessly without missing strokes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Chinese characters look fine on screen but print incorrectly?
Screen rendering dynamically uses your computer's system fonts to display text. However, printers rely on fonts explicitly embedded in the PDF file or stored in their own hardware memory. If the exact Chinese font is missing or unsupported by the printer, characters will print incompletely.
How do I check if the Chinese fonts are embedded in my PDF?
Open the PDF document, press Ctrl + D to access Document Properties, and click on the 'Fonts' tab. Look at the list of fonts used in the document; if a font says '(Embedded)' or '(Embedded Subset)' next to its name, it is successfully embedded.
What are the best fonts to use for PDF forms requiring Chinese text?
It is best to use standard, widely recognized Unicode fonts designed for CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) characters. Safe choices include SimSun, Microsoft YaHei, PMingLiU (for Traditional Chinese), and Arial Unicode MS.
