'%3e%3cpath%20d='M8%200C12.4183%200%2016%203.58172%2016%208C16%2012.4183%2012.4183%2016%208%2016C3.58172%2016%200%2012.4183%200%208C0%203.58172%203.58172%200%208%200ZM11.6162%204.38379C11.2257%203.99337%2010.5927%203.99338%2010.2021%204.38379L8%206.58594L5.79785%204.38379C5.40732%203.99334%204.77429%203.99329%204.38379%204.38379C3.99331%204.77429%203.99335%205.40733%204.38379%205.79785L6.58594%208L4.38379%2010.2021C3.99348%2010.5927%203.99341%2011.2257%204.38379%2011.6162C4.77426%2012.0066%205.40734%2012.0065%205.79785%2011.6162L8%209.41406L10.2021%2011.6162C10.5927%2012.0066%2011.2257%2012.0067%2011.6162%2011.6162C12.0067%2011.2257%2012.0066%2010.5927%2011.6162%2010.2021L9.41406%208L11.6162%205.79785C12.0066%205.40735%2012.0066%204.77429%2011.6162%204.38379Z'%20fill='%23080E17'%20fill-opacity='0.46'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cclipPath%20id='clip0_3761_713'%3e%3crect%20width='16'%20height='16'%20fill='white'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Fix Missing Characters When Converting PDF to Word
Question details
Specific letters disappear and fonts are incorrectly substituted when converting a PDF file into a Word document via cloud conversion services.
- Product
- PDF to Word Converters
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Converting a PDF document containing specific custom fonts (such as Avenir Roman) into an editable Microsoft Word document.
- Observed behavior
- Certain characters, such as 'O' and 'G', are completely missing from the converted Word document, and the original font is automatically replaced with Arial.
Verify the properties of your original PDF document to ensure that the custom fonts used are fully embedded before attempting a new conversion.
Embed Original Fonts and Export a New PDF
Ensuring fonts are completely embedded within the PDF prevents the conversion tool from dropping characters or forcing unsupported font substitutions.
Cloud-based conversion tools often lack access to custom local fonts like Avenir Roman. If the font is not embedded in the PDF, the converter will substitute it with a system default like Arial. If the original text encoding is non-standard, specific letters may fail to render and simply disappear during this substitution.
Ensure the original font used in the document (e.g., Avenir Roman) is correctly installed on your computer.
Open the original document (such as the source Word or InDesign file) that was used to create the PDF.
Go to the export or 'Save As' settings, select PDF, and locate the 'Options' or 'Preferences' menu. Check the box that says 'Embed all fonts in the file' before saving.
Upload the newly generated, font-embedded PDF to your PDF to Word conversion tool and process the file again.
Perform Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Before Conversion
If the PDF suffers from broken text encoding, running OCR extracts the visible text as new, standard characters before converting to Word.
Convert PDF to Word Without Missing Characters Using WPS Office
WPS Office offers a highly advanced, built-in PDF to Word conversion engine. It accurately recognizes complex encodings, maintains your original layout, and effectively prevents missing letters or unexpected font substitutions.
- 1. Open the PDF document: Launch WPS Office and open the problematic PDF file you want to convert.
- 2. Access the conversion tool: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab on the top ribbon and click the 'PDF to Word' option.
- 3. Configure conversion settings: In the prompt window, select your desired page range and ensure the output format is set to .docx.
- 4. Convert and edit: Click 'Start' to begin the process. The newly converted Word document will open automatically with fully intact, editable text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my PDF to Word converter change my font to Arial?
This occurs because the original font (like Avenir Roman) is not embedded within the PDF file and is unavailable on the conversion server. The tool defaults to a standard system font like Arial as a fallback to display the text.
How can I check if fonts are properly embedded in my PDF?
Open the PDF in a standard desktop reader, go to File > Properties, and look for the 'Fonts' tab. You will see a list of all fonts used; if a font is embedded, the words 'Embedded' or 'Embedded Subset' will appear next to its name.
Will installing the missing font on my computer fix a cloud converter issue?
Not necessarily. Installing the font helps you view the PDF correctly on your local device, but cloud-based converters use their own servers. To fix cloud conversion issues, the font must be embedded directly inside the PDF file itself before uploading.
Why do only specific letters like 'O' and 'G' disappear?
This is often a text encoding issue resulting from how the original software built the PDF. Certain character glyphs may lose their Unicode mapping, meaning the converter can 'see' the shape but doesn't know what letter it represents, causing it to skip the character entirely.
