How to Fix Missing or Incorrect Font Symbols in PDF Conversion
Question details
Users experience missing or improperly rendered font symbols when attempting to save or convert a document to PDF.
- Product
- Word Processor / PDF Converter
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Converting a document that contains specific symbolic fonts (such as King Tut or Trlit_CG Times) into a PDF format.
- Observed behavior
- The special symbols fail to convert correctly and appear missing, incorrect, or as empty boxes in the final PDF file.
Verify that the specific symbol fonts are properly installed on your computer's operating system before attempting to recreate the PDF.
Embed Fonts in the Source Document
Embedding fonts ensures that the custom symbols travel with the document, allowing them to render correctly in the final PDF.
When a PDF is generated, it relies on system fonts to display text. If a custom font isn't embedded, the PDF viewer tries to substitute it, which often breaks symbol characters.
In your word processor, click on 'File' and select 'Options' or 'Settings'.
Navigate to the 'Save' tab and check the box that says 'Embed fonts in the file'.
Save the document, then use the 'Export to PDF' or 'Save As' function to generate a new PDF file.
Use an Alternative PDF Printer
Using a dedicated system PDF printer can bypass application-specific export glitches and force fonts to render correctly.
Preserve Custom Fonts and Symbols with WPS Office
WPS Office features an advanced built-in PDF converter that automatically processes and embeds custom fonts, ensuring your specialized symbols appear flawlessly exactly as intended.
- 1. Open your file: Launch WPS Office and open the document containing your custom font symbols.
- 2. Select Export to PDF: Click on the 'Tools' tab on the ribbon and select the 'Export to PDF' option.
- 3. Confirm and export: Review the export settings to ensure all pages are included, then click 'Export' to create your perfect PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do custom symbols appear as empty squares in my PDF?
Empty squares usually mean the specific font used in the original document wasn't embedded in the PDF, and the computer or app viewing the PDF doesn't have that font installed.
How do I know if my font allows embedding?
You can check embeddability by right-clicking the font file (.ttf or .otf) in your system fonts folder, selecting 'Properties', and viewing the 'Details' tab. If it is marked as 'Restricted', it cannot be saved into a PDF.
Will converting the document to an image fix the missing symbols?
Yes, if you cannot embed the font, you can take a screenshot of the text or convert the pages to images before saving as PDF, though this will make the text unsearchable.
