Other PDF Issues

How to Fix Chinese Characters Displaying as Boxes in PDF files

Maira Mehtab Oct 22, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve a display error where Chinese text in a PDF file renders incorrectly as unreadable square blocks.

How to Fix Chinese Characters Displaying as Boxes in a PDF

Product: PDF
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Opening, viewing, or emailing a PDF document that contains Chinese characters.
Observed behavior: Instead of properly displaying Chinese text, the document shows square boxes due to missing font embeddings or unsupported local fonts.

Before you start

Ensure you have the latest version of your PDF reader installed, as outdated software may lack the necessary language decoding capabilities.

Solution 1Recommended

Install the Appropriate Language Font Pack

Downloading and installing the specific traditional or simplified Chinese font pack for your PDF reader resolves display issues caused by missing local system fonts.

When a PDF file is created without embedding the original fonts, your local PDF reader attempts to use system fonts to display the text. If your computer lacks the specific Asian fonts required, the software will display square boxes as a fallback.

Identify missing fonts

Open your PDF reader. If a prompt appears notifying you of missing font packages, click on the prompt directly to be redirected to the official download page.

Download the language pack

Navigate to the official add-on or font pack page for your specific PDF software (e.g., Adobe Reader Windows Font Packs) and select the 'Traditional Chinese' or 'Simplified Chinese' package.

Install the font pack

Run the downloaded executable file to install the font pack onto your system, following the on-screen installation wizard.

Restart and reopen

Close your PDF reader completely, reopen the application, and load your PDF file again to verify the Chinese characters display correctly.

Install the Appropriate Language Font Pack

System Reboot: In some Windows environments, you may need to restart your entire computer for the newly installed font registries to be recognized by all applications.

Solution 2

Embed Fonts When Creating or Exporting the PDF

To prevent recipients from seeing boxes instead of characters, ensure fonts are fully embedded into the file when you initially save or export the PDF.

Read and Edit PDFs Smoothly

Fix PDF Font Issues with WPS Office

WPS Office provides a comprehensive, lightweight PDF toolkit with robust multi-language support. It accurately renders complex characters and allows you to easily embed system fonts when converting Word, Excel, and PPT files to PDF, ensuring they display flawlessly on any device.

1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free version of WPS Office on your computer.
2. Open the source document: Launch WPS Office and open your original text document containing the Chinese characters.
3. Export to PDF: Click the 'Menu' button in the top-left corner and select 'Export to PDF'.
4. Embed fonts: Click 'Advanced Settings' and ensure the font embedding option is enabled to package the Chinese characters.
5. Generate the PDF: Click the 'Export' button to create a universally readable PDF without box display errors.

Excellent multi-language and complex font renderingSeamlessly embed fonts during document-to-PDF exportFully compatible with all standard Microsoft Office formatsFree to view, comment, and convert PDFs

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do fonts change to boxes when I email a PDF?

This happens when the Chinese fonts used in your document aren't embedded into the PDF file, and the recipient's computer or mobile device doesn't have those specific fonts installed locally to render the text.

Can I embed fonts in an already saved PDF?

Usually, you need the original source document (like Word or Excel) to re-export the PDF with font embedding enabled. While some advanced, premium PDF editors allow you to embed fonts post-creation, starting from the source file is the most reliable and accessible method.

Does WPS Office support Traditional and Simplified Chinese fonts?

Yes, WPS Office fully supports both Traditional and Simplified Chinese characters natively. It ensures proper display across documents and PDFs as long as the fonts are available on your system or properly embedded in the file.

PDF Troubleshooting