How to Fix Random Characters After Editing and Saving a PDF
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where text edits in a PDF document turn into unrecognizable or random characters after the file is saved.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- macOS Big Sur
- Scenario
- Modifying text in an existing PDF document and then saving the changes to the local device.
- Observed behavior
- The newly edited text appears perfectly fine on the screen during the editing process, but transforms into random characters (gibberish) immediately after the PDF is saved.
Before proceeding, check if this issue happens with all PDF files or just one specific document, and verify if the original document uses custom fonts that might not be installed on your Mac.
Print to PDF to Re-encode the Document
Re-saving the document by 'printing' it to a new PDF can rebuild the font encoding and strip out corrupted metadata that causes random characters.
Often, the original PDF has underlying encoding issues or uses a subset of a font that doesn't include the characters you typed. By printing the file to a new PDF, the system flattens the content and resolves compatibility glitches.
Open the unedited version of your PDF document in your PDF reader or web browser.
Go to File > Print from the top menu bar, or press Command + P on your Mac keyboard.
In the print dialog box, click on the 'PDF' dropdown menu usually located at the bottom left, and select 'Save as PDF'.
Save the new file to your desktop. Open this newly generated PDF in your editor, make your text changes, and save it to see if the issue is resolved.
Check Document Font Embedding
Verify if the fonts used in the document are properly embedded, as missing fonts will default to system symbols or gibberish when saved.
Recreate the Problematic Text Box
Sometimes specific text blocks or paragraphs carry hidden formatting errors. Deleting and recreating the text box can bypass the corruption.
Edit and Save PDFs Flawlessly with WPS Office
Avoid frustrating font encoding issues and random character glitches by using the built-in WPS PDF editor. It provides a highly stable environment to modify text, manage pages, and save your documents with perfect formatting preservation on Mac and Windows.
- 1. Open your PDF: Launch WPS Office and drag your PDF file directly into the workspace, or use the 'Open' button to locate your document.
- 2. Enter Edit Mode: Navigate to the 'Edit' tab located on the top ribbon and click on the 'Edit Text' tool.
- 3. Modify the Text safely: Click on any text block to update, add, or delete text. WPS handles the background encoding smoothly.
- 4. Save the Document: Click the 'Save' icon or press Command + S to save your perfectly formatted PDF without random characters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my PDF text turn into gibberish or wingdings when I save it?
This usually happens due to missing or improperly embedded fonts in the original PDF, or a mismatch in character encoding between the PDF and your operating system during the save process.
How do I check if fonts are properly embedded in my PDF?
You can check this by opening your PDF reader, navigating to File > Properties (or Document Properties), and selecting the Fonts tab. All fonts should ideally be listed as 'Embedded' or 'Embedded Subset'.
Can copying and pasting text from another source cause random characters in a PDF?
Yes. If the source text contains hidden formatting or uses a font encoding not supported by the PDF document, it might look correct when pasted but will corrupt into random characters when the file is finally saved.
