Fix 'fi' and 'fl' Letters Disappearing When Editing a PDF
Question details
The user needs to know why the letter combinations 'fi' and 'fl' vanish or cause text alignment issues when modifying a PDF.
- Product
- PDF Editor
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Editing a PDF document or converting web content to a PDF format.
- Observed behavior
- The character combinations 'fi' and 'fl', which are typographic ligatures, disappear completely or disrupt the surrounding text alignment when the document is edited.
Ensure you have access to the original source document or webpage. Fixing this issue usually requires adjusting the initial PDF creation or conversion settings rather than modifying the broken PDF itself.
Use a Dedicated PDF Browser Extension for Conversion
Avoid standard 'Print to PDF' features on web browsers, as they can cause font substitution issues. Use a dedicated HTML-to-PDF extension instead.
When printing a webpage directly to a PDF, web browsers may fail to embed complex typographic ligatures correctly if the system lacks the exact matching fonts.
Add a trusted PDF conversion browser extension (like Adobe Acrobat or WPS PDF) to Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.
Click the extension icon, open its preferences, and navigate to the HTML-to-PDF conversion settings.
Configure the settings to replace web fonts with standard accessibility-compliant fonts like Arial to avoid ligature grouping.
Click the convert button within the extension to generate the PDF, preserving all individual text characters.
Disable Ligatures in the Source Document
If you are the creator of the original document, turn off typographic ligatures before exporting it to PDF.
Easily Manage Fonts and Edit PDFs with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a comprehensive PDF editor that handles font embedding and text editing flawlessly. Say goodbye to missing characters and formatting issues when working with complex PDFs.
- 1. Install WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office on your computer or mobile device.
- 2. Open your PDF: Launch the application and open your PDF file using the WPS PDF tool.
- 3. Edit text securely: Click on the 'Edit' tab and select 'Edit Text' to modify your document without losing standard characters or breaking ligatures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a typographic ligature?
A typographic ligature is a design feature where two or more characters, such as 'f' and 'i', are combined into a single visual symbol (glyph) to improve readability and text appearance. If a PDF reader lacks the font used for the ligature, the combined letters may vanish.
Can I just change the font in the PDF to fix the missing letters?
In most cases, simply selecting the text and changing the font within the PDF editor won't restore the missing 'fi' or 'fl' characters. This is because the underlying character mapping was permanently lost or corrupted during the initial PDF conversion process.
Why does this only happen when I print to PDF from a web browser?
Standard 'Print to PDF' functions in web browsers often struggle with complex web fonts. If the website uses a font with ligatures and your local system doesn't have that specific font installed, the browser fails to map the combined characters correctly during the print process.
