'%3e%3cpath%20d='M8%200C12.4183%200%2016%203.58172%2016%208C16%2012.4183%2012.4183%2016%208%2016C3.58172%2016%200%2012.4183%200%208C0%203.58172%203.58172%200%208%200ZM11.6162%204.38379C11.2257%203.99337%2010.5927%203.99338%2010.2021%204.38379L8%206.58594L5.79785%204.38379C5.40732%203.99334%204.77429%203.99329%204.38379%204.38379C3.99331%204.77429%203.99335%205.40733%204.38379%205.79785L6.58594%208L4.38379%2010.2021C3.99348%2010.5927%203.99341%2011.2257%204.38379%2011.6162C4.77426%2012.0066%205.40734%2012.0065%205.79785%2011.6162L8%209.41406L10.2021%2011.6162C10.5927%2012.0066%2011.2257%2012.0067%2011.6162%2011.6162C12.0067%2011.2257%2012.0066%2010.5927%2011.6162%2010.2021L9.41406%208L11.6162%205.79785C12.0066%205.40735%2012.0066%204.77429%2011.6162%204.38379Z'%20fill='%23080E17'%20fill-opacity='0.46'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cclipPath%20id='clip0_3761_713'%3e%3crect%20width='16'%20height='16'%20fill='white'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
How to Fix Garbled Text When Printing Word to Adobe PDF
Question details
Users experience distorted or unreadable text when attempting to print a Microsoft Word document to an Adobe PDF file.
- Product
- Microsoft Word / Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Converting a Word document to PDF using the virtual 'Print to PDF' feature.
- Observed behavior
- Parts of the resulting PDF document contain garbled, distorted, or completely unreadable text instead of the original readable content.
Ensure you have saved a copy of your original Word document before modifying fonts or updating system drivers to avoid any accidental loss of your formatting.
Use the Export or Save As Feature Instead of Printing
Bypassing the virtual Adobe PDF printer driver by using built-in export features often resolves font distortion issues immediately.
The 'Print to PDF' process routes your document through a virtual print spooler, which can sometimes misinterpret complex fonts. Using the native Save As or Export function skips this spooler and writes the PDF data directly.
Click on 'File' in the top-left corner of Microsoft Word.
Choose 'Export' and click 'Create PDF/XPS Document', or choose 'Save As' and select 'PDF (*.pdf)' from the file format dropdown menu.
Click 'Save' or 'Publish' to generate the PDF file. Open the newly created PDF to verify that the text is no longer garbled.
Replace Unusual Fonts with Standard System Fonts
Garbled text is frequently caused by non-standard, corrupted, or heavily customized fonts failing to render during the PDF printing process.
Update Word, Acrobat, and Printer Drivers
Outdated software or an incompatible Adobe PDF printer driver can cause underlying rendering bugs during the conversion process.
Convert Word to PDF Flawlessly with WPS Office
Avoid garbled text, font errors, and printer driver issues by using WPS Office. Its built-in Word to PDF converter guarantees accurate font rendering, preserves your original formatting perfectly, and completely bypasses the need for third-party virtual PDF printers.
- 1. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word document (.doc or .docx).
- 2. Access the Export Menu: Click on the 'Menu' button in the top left corner of the WPS interface.
- 3. Select Export to PDF: Choose 'Export to PDF' from the dropdown list of options.
- 4. Save Your PDF: Adjust your export settings if needed, then click the 'Export to PDF' button to save your file with perfect text formatting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my text look like weird symbols when converted to PDF?
This typically occurs when the PDF printer driver cannot recognize, map, or correctly embed the fonts used in your Word document. Using downloaded non-standard fonts, missing font files in your system registry, or a corrupted Adobe PDF driver are the most common culprits.
How can I check if the issue is with the font or the printer driver?
You can isolate the issue by opening your Adobe PDF printer preferences and selecting 'Print as Image' under the advanced settings. If the document prints correctly as an image rather than text, the problem is specifically related to how the driver processes the fonts in your document.
Does embedding fonts in Microsoft Word fix garbled text?
Yes, often it does. Embedding fonts ensures that the exact font data is packaged with the document before it is sent to the PDF converter. You can enable this by going to File > Options > Save, checking 'Embed fonts in the file', and then attempting to create the PDF again.
