Fix Word to PDF Conversion Issues: Small Pages & Overlapping Text on Mac
Question details
Users experience layout distortion and overlapping text when converting Word documents containing tables and linked TOCs into PDFs.
- Product
- Microsoft Word 365, Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker
- Device & OS
- Mac
- Scenario
- Creating a PDF from a Microsoft Word 365 document that contains tables and linked tables of contents using the Acrobat PDFMaker add-in on a Mac.
- Observed behavior
- The resulting PDF output suffers from reduced page sizes, missing blank lines, overlapping text, and incorrect page breaks.
Verify that your Mac's default printer settings are configured correctly, as Word relies on printer drivers to define page boundaries and layouts before conversion.
Update Software and Verify Document Layout
Ensure both Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat are fully updated, and verify your page margins and table layouts to prevent formatting conflicts during conversion.
Software bugs in older versions of PDFMaker can cause rendering errors. Updating your software and confirming your layout constraints will resolve most overlapping text issues.
Open Microsoft Word, go to 'Help' > 'Check for Updates' to install the latest versions. Do the same for Adobe Acrobat via the Creative Cloud desktop application.
Navigate to the 'Layout' tab in Word, click 'Size', and ensure a standard page size (like Letter or A4) is selected instead of a custom or scaled size.
Highlight the problematic tables in your document, right-click and select 'Table Properties'. Under the 'Table' tab, set Text Wrapping to 'None' to prevent text from overlapping the table boundaries.
Create a simple test document without complex tables first to verify if PDFMaker works, then try converting your corrected original document again.
Use Word's Native Save As PDF Feature
Bypass the Acrobat PDFMaker add-in entirely by using Microsoft Word's built-in PDF export capability.
Rebuild Problematic Tables and Page Breaks
Clear out corrupt hidden formatting in tables and page breaks that may be confusing the PDF rendering engine.
Convert Documents to PDF Seamlessly with WPS Office
Avoid overlapping text, distorted layouts, and add-in crashes by using WPS Office. Our built-in, highly accurate PDF converter perfectly preserves your original document formatting, complex tables, and clickable hyperlinks without needing third-party plugins.
- 1. Open Your Document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your problematic Word document (.docx or .doc) in the Writer application.
- 2. Access the Export Menu: Click on the 'Menu' button located in the top-left corner of the interface.
- 3. Select Export to PDF: Choose 'Export to PDF' from the dropdown list to open the conversion dialog box.
- 4. Configure PDF Settings: Ensure the options for exporting hyperlinks and preserving layouts are checked in the advanced settings.
- 5. Generate Your PDF: Click the 'Export' button to instantly create a perfectly formatted PDF with no overlapping text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my text overlap when converting a Word document to PDF on a Mac?
This issue typically occurs due to incompatible font scaling, improper table text-wrapping settings, or rendering bugs within the Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker add-in for Mac. Setting table text wrapping to 'None' often resolves it.
Does Word's native 'Save As PDF' feature preserve working links?
Yes, if you use Word 365 for Mac, selecting the 'Best for electronic distribution and accessibility' option during the 'Save As PDF' process will preserve hyperlinks and table of contents links by processing the file through Microsoft's online service.
How can I prevent tables from breaking incorrectly across PDF pages?
To stop tables from splitting awkwardly, right-click the table in Word, select 'Table Properties', click the 'Row' tab, and uncheck the box that says 'Allow row to break across pages' before converting to PDF.
Are there free alternatives to Acrobat for converting Word to PDF with working links?
Yes, you can use the built-in PDF export tool in Microsoft Word, or you can use free office suites like WPS Office, which include native, highly accurate PDF conversion tools that preserve formatting and active hyperlinks.
