PDF Conversion Issues

Fix Words and Extra Letters Changing When Exporting Database to PDF

Aamir Naveed Akram Oct 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to stop text from changing and extra letters from appearing when exporting a custom database report to an Adobe PDF file.

Fix Words and Extra Letters Changing When Exporting Database to PDF

Product: PDF Converter / Custom Database
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Exporting text and data from a custom database into a PDF document format.
Observed behavior: The exported PDF text is altered unexpectedly, including the random addition of extra letters. Disabling language recognition did not immediately resolve the problem.

Before you start

Ensure that the fonts used in your custom database are fully supported standard fonts and verify if your database software has any pending updates for its PDF export modules.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Standard Embedded Fonts in Your Database

Changing to widely supported standard fonts can prevent font-encoding corruption during the PDF export process.

Non-standard or custom fonts may not encode properly when converting to PDF, leading to replaced characters or garbled text. Selecting a standard font and embedding it ensures text renders exactly as intended.

Open database layout settings

Open your custom database application and navigate to the layout, form, or report design settings.

Select standard fonts

Select the text fields that are experiencing the issue and change the font to a standard, widely supported font such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Courier.

Enable font embedding

Locate your database's PDF export settings and ensure that the 'Embed Fonts' option is checked.

Test the export

Export a test PDF to verify if the text renders correctly without extra characters.

Use Standard Embedded Fonts in Your Database

Check Font Licensing: Some custom fonts have licensing restrictions that prevent them from being embedded in a PDF. Using standard system fonts bypasses this issue.

Solution 2

Disable OCR (Optical Character Recognition) Completely

If the PDF tool attempts to recognize already selectable text, it can introduce extra letters and typos.

Solution 3

Print to a Virtual PDF Printer

Bypassing the native export tool by using a virtual printer can resolve built-in database export bugs.

Convert Database Data to PDF Flawlessly using WPS Office

Bypass custom database export errors by exporting your data to CSV or Excel first, then use WPS Office to generate a clean, accurate PDF with perfectly preserved text and layouts.

1. Export to CSV or Excel: Export your database records natively to a standard CSV or Excel (.xlsx) file.
2. Open in WPS Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Office and open the exported data file in WPS Spreadsheets.
3. Adjust the layout: Format your columns, adjust widths, and set the print area to ensure all data fits perfectly on the page.
4. Export to PDF: Go to the 'Menu' tab, select 'Export to PDF', choose your preferred save location, and click 'Export' to generate a flawless PDF.

Perfect compatibility with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) and CSV formatsBuilt-in, highly accurate PDF converter that preserves exact fonts without extra charactersFree and lightweight office suite for all your daily tasksAdvanced PDF editing and viewing tools integrated natively

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do random letters appear when I create a PDF from a database?

This usually happens due to font encoding conflicts. If the PDF creator doesn't understand the original font's character map, it replaces characters with random or extra letters. It can also happen if an OCR tool misinterprets vector graphics as text.

Does embedding fonts make the PDF file size significantly larger?

Embedding standard or custom fonts will slightly increase the file size, but it guarantees that the text displays correctly exactly as it was designed, regardless of the device opening the file.

How can I tell if my PDF is using embedded fonts?

Open your PDF in a PDF reader, navigate to Document Properties (usually found under the File menu), and check the Fonts tab. It will list all the fonts used in the document and indicate whether they are embedded or subset embedded.

What if my database limits PDF settings and doesn't allow font changes?

If your database restricts PDF export customization, consider using the 'Print' function and selecting a virtual PDF printer (like Microsoft Print to PDF) instead of using the database's native export button. Alternatively, export the data to an Excel or CSV file first.

PDF Troubleshooting