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Fix PDF Exported to Word Showing Symbols Instead of Text
Question details
A PDF file converted to a Word document displays unreadable symbols instead of the original text.
- Product
- PDF Converter
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Exporting or converting a PDF document to a Microsoft Word format.
- Observed behavior
- The output Word document contains corrupted characters and unreadable symbols instead of the actual text from the original PDF.
Before troubleshooting, test converting a different PDF file to determine if the issue is global or isolated to one specific document with missing or unsupported fonts.
Identify and Install Missing Fonts
Installing the exact fonts used in the original PDF can prevent the conversion software from substituting characters with unreadable symbols.
When a PDF is created with custom fonts that are not embedded correctly, the conversion software tries to guess the closest alternative on your system. If it fails, the text is replaced with symbols.
Open the original PDF in your current PDF reader, go to the 'File' menu, and select 'Properties' or 'Document Properties'.
Navigate to the 'Fonts' tab to view the list of fonts used in the document.
Download any missing fonts from a reliable source and install them directly onto your computer's operating system.
Once the required fonts are successfully installed, attempt to export the PDF to Word again.
Flatten the PDF using 'Print to PDF'
Flattening the PDF essentially converts complex font elements into standard text and images, which can bypass encoding errors during conversion.
Convert PDF to Word without Font Corruption using WPS Office
WPS Office provides an advanced, built-in PDF to Word converter that uses superior font-matching technology to accurately preserve the original layout, formatting, and text, completely avoiding unreadable symbols.
- 1. Open the PDF Toolkit: Launch WPS Office and click on the 'PDF' tab from the home screen.
- 2. Select PDF to Word: Choose the 'PDF to Word' option from the conversion tools menu.
- 3. Add your file: Drag and drop the problematic PDF file into the conversion dialog box.
- 4. Start Conversion: Select your desired output location and click 'Start' to safely convert the document into a readable Word file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my converted Word document show weird symbols?
This usually happens when the original PDF contains custom fonts that are not installed on your computer. During conversion, the software substitutes these fonts, which can result in incorrect mapping and unreadable symbols.
Can a corrupted PDF cause text encoding issues?
Yes. If the internal text encoding or font subsetting in the original PDF is corrupted, standard text extraction processes will fail to interpret the characters correctly, leading to a symbol-filled output in Word.
Does using a different PDF to Word converter fix the symbol issue?
Often, yes. Different converters use varied engines to render and extract text. Dedicated software like WPS Office features advanced font-handling capabilities that can successfully interpret and convert documents where other cloud converters fail.
How can I check which fonts are used in my PDF?
You can check the fonts by opening the PDF in a standard reader, navigating to 'File' > 'Properties' (or Document Properties), and selecting the 'Fonts' tab. This will display a list of all standard and embedded fonts used in the file.
