How to Fix Formatting and Missing Characters When Merging PDFs
Question details
The user experiences formatting changes, corrupted text, and missing characters when combining multiple PDF files into a single document.
- Product
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Merging PDF files created by different applications or different software versions.
- Observed behavior
- The resulting combined PDF displays altered formatting, missing characters, or font and character encoding errors that were not present in the original files.
Before troubleshooting, ensure you have backup copies of all original source PDFs, and verify that none of the documents are password-protected against copying or editing.
Embed Fonts and Re-export the Source PDF
Identify the problematic source file and re-save it with embedded fonts to prevent encoding conflicts during the merge.
When PDFs created by different applications are merged, missing embedded fonts can cause the destination software to substitute fonts incorrectly, resulting in scrambled or missing characters.
Open the newly merged PDF and compare it side-by-side with your original source files to identify exactly which document's formatting broke during the merge.
Open the problematic source file in the application where it was originally created (such as Microsoft Word, Excel, or your primary PDF editor).
Export the document as a new PDF. In the export or save options, ensure that settings like 'Embed fonts in the file' or 'Standard PDF format' are checked.
Use your newly created, font-embedded PDF in place of the old one, and merge your files together again.
Update PDF Software and Check Restrictions
Ensure your PDF editor is up to date and remove any security restrictions that might interfere with text extraction.
Merge PDFs Flawlessly with WPS Office
Avoid missing characters and formatting errors by using the built-in PDF toolkit in WPS Office. It natively handles complex encodings and perfectly preserves your document's layout when combining files.
- 1. Open WPS Office: Launch the WPS Office desktop application and click on the 'PDF' tab from the main home screen menu.
- 2. Access the Merge Tool: Click on 'Merge PDF' located in the PDF toolkit menu or the top navigation toolbar.
- 3. Add your source files: Click 'Add Files' or simply drag and drop the PDFs you want to combine into the dialog box. You can drag the files to rearrange their order.
- 4. Merge and save: Click the 'Merge' button to process the files. WPS Office will perfectly combine them while retaining all original text encodings and fonts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do fonts change or disappear when I merge PDF files?
This usually happens because the fonts used in the original documents were not embedded into the PDF file. When merged, the destination software attempts to substitute the missing fonts with local system fonts, which can result in changed formatting or blank characters.
How do I know which source file is causing the merging issue?
You can identify the problematic file by opening the final merged PDF alongside all your original source files. Visually compare the pages to pinpoint exactly which document's text or layout became corrupted or lost characters after the merging process.
Can different PDF versions cause missing characters?
Yes, merging a very old PDF format with a much newer one can sometimes cause encoding conflicts. Re-saving or using a 'Print to PDF' function on the older file to update its format before merging usually resolves this compatibility issue.
Do security restrictions affect how PDFs combine?
Yes. If a source PDF has password protection, digital signatures, or editing restrictions applied, the merging software may not have the necessary permissions to read or extract the text elements properly, leading to incomplete merges or missing content.
