Fix Missing Fonts and Box Characters When Copying PDF Text
Question details
Users encounter unreadable square box characters instead of regular text when attempting to copy and paste content from a PDF document.
- Product
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Copying text from a received PDF document and pasting it into another application or text editor.
- Observed behavior
- The pasted text appears as blank boxes or gibberish because the operating system cannot interpret the fonts used in the document.
Check the document properties in your PDF reader (usually under File > Properties > Fonts) to identify the specific font names used in the document and verify if they are labeled as 'Embedded'.
Obtain and Install the Missing Fonts
The most reliable way to fix the box character issue is to install the exact fonts used in the original document onto your computer.
When a PDF uses custom fonts that were not properly embedded by the creator, your system attempts to substitute them. If it fails to find a match, the characters are rendered as empty boxes. PDF readers like Adobe Acrobat cannot recreate these alphanumeric characters without access to the actual font files.
Contact the document creator or publisher and ask them to provide the specific font files used to create the PDF.
Confirm with the creator that the font licensing permits you to install and use the fonts on your local machine.
Right-click the downloaded font files (.ttf or .otf) on your computer and select 'Install' to add them to your operating system.
Close your PDF reader entirely, reopen the document, and try selecting and copying the text again.
Request a Re-exported PDF with Embedded Fonts
If you cannot install the fonts locally, you must ask the document author to embed the fonts directly into the PDF file.
Extract Uncopyable PDF Text Using WPS Office OCR
If missing fonts prevent you from copying text normally and you cannot contact the creator, you can use the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) feature in WPS PDF to visually scan and convert the text into editable content without needing the original font files.
- 1. Open the PDF: Launch WPS Office and open the problematic PDF document containing the uncopyable text.
- 2. Access the OCR tool: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab on the top ribbon and click the 'OCR' button.
- 3. Extract the text: Select 'Extract Text' to allow WPS PDF to scan the visual characters on the page and convert them into standard text.
- 4. Copy or export: Once the OCR process is complete, copy the recognized text directly or choose to export it as a new Word document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does copied PDF text turn into gibberish or square boxes?
This happens when the PDF was created using custom fonts that were not embedded into the file. If those specific fonts are not installed on your computer, your system cannot map the characters correctly, resulting in blank boxes or gibberish.
Can I fix PDF font issues without installing new fonts?
Yes, you have two alternatives: you can ask the document creator to re-save the PDF with the 'Embed fonts' option checked, or you can use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software like WPS PDF to visually extract the text from the document.
Will changing my PDF reader fix the missing font issue?
No. Changing your PDF reader or downgrading to an older version (such as moving from Adobe Acrobat 10 to Acrobat 9) will not fix the issue. The root cause is the absence of the required font files on your computer's operating system.
