Fix PDF Line Overlap Issue After Acrobat Pro 2017 Update
Question details
Users are experiencing overlapping text lines and larger fonts in landscape PDFs generated by SAS mainframe jobs after applying an Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017 update.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Opening and viewing landscape PDFs generated automatically by SAS mainframe jobs.
- Observed behavior
- Text lines overlap and appear to use a larger Courier font in Acrobat Pro 2017, despite no changes being made to the mainframe source code.
Open the affected PDF file in an alternative PDF viewer, such as a web browser, to verify if the font rendering issue is strictly isolated to the recent Adobe Acrobat update.
Check Document Properties and Font Rendering Settings
Verify the PDF's embedded fonts and adjust Acrobat's rendering preferences to stop it from incorrectly substituting the Courier font.
Software updates can sometimes alter how Acrobat handles font substitution. If the mainframe generator does not strictly embed the Courier font, Acrobat may substitute it with a local font that has slightly different metrics, causing the lines to overlap.
Open the affected PDF in Acrobat Pro 2017. Press Ctrl+D (Windows) or Cmd+D (Mac) to open Document Properties, then navigate to the Fonts tab. Check if the Courier font is properly embedded. If it says 'Actual Font: Unknown' or lists a substitute, Acrobat is replacing it.
Navigate to Edit > Preferences > Page Display in Acrobat. Uncheck or toggle the 'Use local fonts' option. Click OK and reload the document to see if this forces Acrobat to render the intended font size.
In the Document Properties window, check the Description tab to ensure the page size is correctly set for landscape mode (e.g., 11 x 8.5 in). Compare this with an older, correctly rendering PDF.
Test Original Workflow and Apply Software Patches
Since the issue was introduced by a specific update, updating to a newer patch or testing the generator output can help isolate the software bug.
View and Manage PDFs Flawlessly with WPS Office
If recent updates to Adobe Acrobat have broken your PDF rendering, WPS Office provides a stable, lightweight, and highly compatible PDF reader. You can open your mainframe-generated PDFs without dealing with overlapping lines or distorted fonts.
- 1. Download and Install WPS Office: Get the free version of WPS Office from the official website and install it on your computer.
- 2. Open the Affected PDF: Launch WPS PDF, click 'Open,' and select the landscape PDF generated by your SAS mainframe job.
- 3. Verify the Rendering: Scroll through the document to ensure the Courier fonts display at the correct size and the text lines no longer overlap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do PDF fonts look different or overlap after a software update?
Software updates can sometimes change the default PDF rendering engine or modify font substitution rules. If a font like Courier isn't fully embedded in the document, the updated viewer might substitute it with a local font that has slightly larger metrics, causing lines to expand and overlap.
How can I ensure fonts are embedded in a SAS mainframe PDF generation?
When generating PDFs from SAS or other mainframe systems, you should specify font embedding in the ODS PDF statement or printer setup options. Fully embedding the font guarantees that any PDF viewer will use the exact font styles intended, preventing rendering errors.
Can I roll back my Adobe Acrobat update if it causes bugs?
Yes, if a recent update breaks functionality, you can typically uninstall the current version and reinstall a previous, stable installer from Adobe's official download archive. Turning off automatic updates temporarily can prevent the buggy version from reinstalling itself until a proper fix is released.
Do page dimensions affect line overlapping in PDFs?
Yes. If the PDF generator incorrectly specifies the bounding box or page size for a landscape document, the text may wrap improperly or overlap when rendered by the PDF viewer. Always verify the document properties (Ctrl+D or Cmd+D) to ensure the page size is correct.
