How to Fix Strange Characters When Editing a PDF in Adobe Acrobat
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where extra marks and unreadable text appear when trying to edit a PDF document.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Editing a standard or scanned PDF document using the Edit PDF mode.
- Observed behavior
- Strange characters, extra marks, or unreadable symbols replace the correct text when the document is in editing mode.
Before troubleshooting, open a different PDF file in Acrobat to determine whether the font substitution issue is specific to one document or happening across all your files.
Disable System Font Substitution
Prevent Acrobat from improperly replacing the document's embedded fonts with local system fonts.
This issue often occurs when Acrobat attempts to map an embedded font that it cannot fully read to a similar local font installed on your computer. Disabling this setting forces the software to handle the text natively.
Open your PDF document in Adobe Acrobat and click on the 'Edit PDF' tool from the right-hand pane.
In the right-hand formatting pane under the Edit PDF menu, locate and click on 'Settings'.
Find the option labeled 'Use Available System Font' and uncheck the box to disable it. Try editing the text again to see if the characters display correctly.
Adjust OCR Settings for Scanned PDFs
Fix gibberish and strange symbols caused by inaccurate text recognition in scanned documents.
Edit PDFs Without Font Errors Using WPS Office
If Adobe Acrobat continues to struggle with font substitution or OCR errors, try WPS Office. Its built-in PDF editor offers robust font handling, highly accurate OCR text recognition, and a user-friendly interface to modify text and images without rendering issues.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for free and launch the application on your device.
- 2. Open Your PDF: Click on 'PDF Edit' from the home screen and select the problematic PDF file to open it.
- 3. Edit Text Seamlessly: Navigate to the 'Edit' tab and click on the text you want to modify. WPS PDF will automatically match the embedded fonts accurately.
- 4. Save the Document: Once your edits are complete, click 'Save' or 'Export' to keep your newly formatted PDF document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do strange symbols appear when I copy text from a PDF?
This happens when the PDF was created with custom or unmapped fonts. The visual characters you see do not have the correct underlying Unicode values mapped to them, resulting in gibberish when the text is extracted to the clipboard.
How can I ensure fonts don't break when sharing a PDF for editing?
When creating or exporting a PDF from the original authoring software (such as Microsoft Word or InDesign), check the export preferences and ensure the option to 'Embed fonts in the file' is selected.
Does OCR accuracy depend on the quality of the scanned PDF?
Yes. Low-resolution scans, handwritten text, faded ink, or documents with complex backgrounds can cause OCR engines to misidentify letters, leading to strange characters appearing when you try to edit the recognized text.
