How to Fix Incorrect Font Colors When Exporting Photoshop PDFs
Question details
Users experience unexpected text color changes when saving a Photoshop CS6 document as a PDF and viewing it.
- Product
- Photoshop CS6 / PDF Viewers
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Exporting or saving a design from Photoshop CS6 to a PDF document.
- Observed behavior
- Font colors appear altered, washed out, or incorrect when the resulting PDF is opened in Adobe Acrobat Reader or other PDF viewers.
Verify that your original Photoshop document is set to the correct color mode (RGB for digital screens, CMYK for print) before adjusting any PDF export settings.
Ensure Correct Color Mode and Use Standard PDF Presets
The most common cause of color shifting is a mismatch between the document's color space and the PDF export profile settings.
When exporting a PDF, Photoshop may convert your colors to match a specific output profile. Using the correct preset prevents unintended color conversions.
Open your document in Photoshop CS6. Navigate to 'Image' > 'Mode' on the top menu bar and ensure the correct color space is selected based on your intended output.
Go to 'File' > 'Save As' and choose 'Photoshop PDF' from the format dropdown list.
In the Save Adobe PDF dialog box, choose a standard preset such as 'High Quality Print' or 'Press Quality' from the Adobe PDF Preset menu.
Click on the 'Output' tab on the left side of the dialog. Ensure the Color Conversion is set to 'No Conversion' if you want to retain your exact workspace colors, then click 'Save PDF'.
Embed Fonts and Test Alternative PDF Viewers
Sometimes font licensing prevents embedding, or specific PDF viewers have rendering bugs that distort text colors.
View Your PDFs Accurately with WPS Office
If your PDF font colors render incorrectly in other viewers, try WPS Office. It includes a robust PDF reader and editor that accurately displays embedded color profiles and fonts, while offering seamless compatibility with standard PDF formats.
- 1. Download and install: Download WPS Office for free from the official website and install it on your computer.
- 2. Launch the PDF tool: Open WPS Office and select the 'PDF' tab from the main dashboard.
- 3. Open your file: Click 'Open' and locate the PDF file you exported from Photoshop to verify the text colors render correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my RGB text colors look dull when saved as a PDF?
This usually happens if your PDF export settings are converting your RGB document to CMYK, which has a smaller color gamut. Ensure your Output settings are set to 'No Conversion' or that your target destination profile matches your document's workspace.
Can a specific font cause color issues in a PDF?
Yes. If a font's license restricts embedding, the PDF viewer may substitute it with a default system font. This substitution can sometimes cause the text to inherit incorrect styling or fallback color mapping.
Does changing the PDF viewer fix font color changes?
It can help isolate the problem. Different PDF viewers handle color management and font rendering differently. Opening the file in an alternative viewer like WPS Office or Chrome can reveal if the issue lies within the file itself or the original PDF viewing software.
How do I ensure my text retains its color and remains sharp?
Keep your text layers unflattened before saving as a PDF. Choose 'High Quality Print' in the Adobe PDF presets, and ensure the 'Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities' option is checked if you want to preserve the vector nature of the text.
