PDF Editing Issues

How to Fix Random Bold Text and Font Rendering Issues in a PDF Resume

Natalie Taylor Oct 19, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs a way to correct inconsistent font rendering, random bolding of specific letters, and incorrect font substitutions in a PDF resume.

How to Fix Random Bold Text and Font Rendering Issues in a PDF Resume

Product: PDF Reader and Editor
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Viewing or sharing a PDF resume that was created or converted from another document application.
Observed behavior: Specific letters or text segments appear unusually bold, and unexpected fonts (such as Times New Roman-7217) are displayed due to improper font embedding or rendering glitches.

Before you start

Open the affected PDF file on a different device or in a web browser to determine if the bold text issue is caused by your local PDF reader's rendering engine or if it is an issue with the file itself.

Solution 1Recommended

Convert PDF to Word and Standardize Fonts

Converting the PDF back into a Word document allows you to apply a clean, consistent font and re-export the file with proper font embedding.

Often, random bold text and weird font names occur because the original document had mixed formatting or the fonts were not properly embedded during the initial PDF creation.

By editing the text in a word processor, you can clear corrupted styles and ensure uniform formatting.

Convert the PDF to Word

Open your PDF converter tool or editor, select the problematic PDF resume, and use the 'PDF to Word' feature to extract the document's content.

Standardize the font

In the newly converted Word document, press Ctrl+A (or Cmd+A on Mac) to select all text. Choose a standard, web-safe font like Arial, Calibri, or standard Times New Roman from the font dropdown.

Clear explicit bold formatting

Highlight any sections that were randomly appearing bold, remove the bold formatting, and re-apply it only where specifically needed.

Re-export as PDF

Go to 'File', select 'Export' or 'Save As', choose PDF as the format, and ensure the 'Embed fonts in the file' option is checked in the settings before saving.

Convert PDF to Word and Standardize Fonts

Formatting Retained: Using a dedicated PDF to Word tool ensures that your resume's layout, tables, and margins remain intact while you fix the underlying font issues.

Solution 2

Update PDF Reader and Adjust Rendering Settings

If the issue only happens on your computer, updating your software or turning off line enhancement settings might resolve the visual glitch.

Advanced PDF Editing Solution

Fix PDF Resume Formatting Instantly with WPS Office

WPS Office provides a highly accurate PDF to Word converter and robust PDF editing tools. It easily fixes annoying font rendering and random bold text issues without destroying your carefully crafted resume layout.

1. Open the PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your problematic PDF resume using the WPS PDF tool.
2. Convert to Word: Click the 'PDF to Word' button located on the Home or Tools tab to extract your text and layout perfectly.
3. Adjust Fonts: Select the text that is randomly bold or improperly rendered, and apply a standard font style using the WPS Writer toolbar.
4. Export as PDF: Go to the 'Menu' button in the top left, click 'Export to PDF', and save your clean, properly embedded resume.

Instantly convert PDF to Word with high layout retention to easily fix text issuesSeamless format compatibility with Microsoft Word (.docx) and PDF standardsAutomatically embeds fonts correctly when exporting to PDF to prevent rendering errorsLightweight, fast, and completely free to download

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do some letters look randomly bold in my PDF when zoomed out?

This is often a visual glitch caused by your PDF viewer's rendering engine. Features like 'Enhance thin lines' attempt to make text readable at small scales, which can incorrectly make specific stems of letters look overly bold. Zooming in usually reveals that the text isn't actually bold.

What does it mean when a font is not embedded in a PDF?

When a font is not embedded, the PDF file doesn't carry the font data with it. The viewer's computer must substitute a local font instead, which can lead to misaligned text, incorrect characters, or corrupted font names like Times New Roman-7217 appearing.

How do I ensure fonts are embedded when saving my resume?

When saving or exporting your document from Word or WPS Writer, click 'Options' in the save dialog. Look for the 'Save' or 'Export' settings and ensure the box for 'Embed fonts in the file' is checked before generating the final PDF.

PDF Troubleshooting