How to Fix Cannot Make PDF Text Bold Issue
Question details
The user is unable to apply bold formatting to specific text within a PDF document, even though other editing features like underline or strikethrough work properly.
- Product
- PDF Editor
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Editing a PDF document and attempting to emphasize specific words or paragraphs using bold formatting.
- Observed behavior
- The text refuses to become bold. This typically happens because the original font lacks a bold face, the embedded font has restricted permissions, or the text is actually an image or outlined artwork.
Verify that your PDF editing software is updated to the latest version and check the document properties to ensure there are no security restrictions preventing text modifications.
Change to a Font with a Supported Bold Style
Resolve missing bold face issues by switching the selected text to a standard system font that fully supports bold formatting.
PDF text relies on the exact font files embedded in the document. If the creator used a font that does not include a bold variant, the PDF editor cannot magically create it. Changing the font to a standard option like Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri solves this issue.
Open your document in the PDF Editor and click on the 'Edit PDF' or 'Edit Text' tool from the top menu.
Click and drag your cursor over the text you want to make bold.
Locate the font dropdown menu in the text formatting panel on the right or top of your screen, and select a common installed font that includes a bold style.
Click the 'B' (Bold) icon in the formatting panel. The text should now successfully display in bold.
Run OCR on Image-Based Text
If the text is part of a scanned image or outlined artwork, it must be converted into standard editable text before formatting can be applied.
Edit and Format PDF Text Easily with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a powerful PDF editor that allows you to easily change fonts, apply bold formatting, run OCR on scanned documents, and edit text just like you would in a word processor.
- 1. Open PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open the PDF file you wish to edit.
- 2. Enter Edit Mode: Navigate to the 'Edit' tab and click on the 'Edit Text' button.
- 3. Format Text: Highlight your target text, choose a standard font from the dropdown, and click the 'B' icon to make it bold.
- 4. Use OCR for Images: If the text cannot be selected, click the 'OCR' button on the toolbar to convert the image to editable text first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can I underline PDF text but not make it bold?
Underlining or striking through text simply draws a line over the existing content, which does not depend on the font file itself. Bolding text, however, requires the specific bold variant of that font family to be embedded in the PDF or installed on your system.
What does it mean when a PDF font is restricted?
A restricted font has specific licensing permissions set by its creator that prevent it from being altered or used for further editing. When a PDF contains a restricted font, your PDF editor cannot modify the text's style, meaning you cannot apply new formatting like bold or italics without substituting the font entirely.
Can I make text bold without changing the original font?
You can only do this if the original font family installed on your computer or fully embedded in the PDF document already contains a bold face. If the bold face is missing, the only workaround is substituting the text with a highly similar font that includes bold styling.
Does using OCR always allow me to bold text?
Yes, because OCR (Optical Character Recognition) converts flat images of text into standard, editable text characters. Once converted, you can highlight the text, change the font to a standard system font, and freely apply bold formatting.
