How to Prevent Corrupted PDF Text by Embedding Fonts
Question details
The user needs to prevent PDF text from becoming corrupted, missing, or improperly substituted when combining or converting files from suppliers.
- Product
- Microsoft Word / Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Converting or combining supplied PDFs that were generated from source documents without embedded fonts.
- Observed behavior
- Text in the resulting PDF appears corrupted, turns into unreadable symbols, or is substituted with incorrect fonts because the original fonts were not embedded.
Ensure you have access to the original source document (such as the Microsoft Word file) whenever possible. If you only have the corrupted PDF file, you will likely need to request a new copy from the supplier with fonts correctly embedded.
Embed Fonts in Microsoft Word Before Exporting to PDF
The most effective way to prevent font corruption is to embed them directly into the source Word document before saving it as a PDF.
By embedding fonts in the source document, you guarantee that the PDF generator will include all necessary font data within the final file, ensuring it displays correctly on any device regardless of installed system fonts.
Go to 'File' in the top-left corner and click on 'Options' at the bottom of the menu.
Click on the 'Save' tab located in the left pane of the Word Options dialog box.
Under 'Preserve fidelity when sharing this document', check the box next to 'Embed fonts in the file'. Optionally, select 'Embed only the characters used in the document' to reduce file size.
Click 'OK' to apply changes. Go to 'File' > 'Save As', choose 'PDF' from the format drop-down, and save your document.
Identify Missing Fonts with Adobe Acrobat Pro Preflight
If you receive a PDF from a supplier, you can use Acrobat's Preflight tool to verify if fonts are properly embedded and detect conversion problems.
Easily Create Error-Free PDFs with Embedded Fonts in WPS Office
WPS Office provides a highly compatible built-in PDF converter that perfectly preserves document fonts and layouts, eliminating text corruption issues when sharing files.
- 1. Open Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your text document.
- 2. Access PDF Export: Click on 'Menu' in the top left corner, then select 'Export to PDF'.
- 3. Save as PDF: In the dialog box, confirm your save location and click the 'Export to PDF' button to generate a clean, accurate PDF file with all elements intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my PDF text look like gibberish or symbols?
This usually happens because the fonts used in the original document were not embedded into the PDF. If the viewer's device doesn't have those specific fonts installed, the PDF reader substitutes them, often resulting in corrupted or unreadable text.
Can I embed fonts into a PDF after it has been created?
It is very difficult and often requires advanced software like Adobe Acrobat Pro to embed missing fonts after creation. The best and most reliable method is always to embed the fonts in the original source document before exporting it to PDF.
Does embedding fonts increase the PDF file size?
Yes, embedding fonts adds the font data directly into the file, which increases the overall file size. To minimize this, you can enable options like 'Embed only the characters used in the document' in your word processor settings.
How do I request a properly formatted PDF from a supplier?
Ask your supplier to enable the 'Embed fonts' option in their document software's save settings before exporting the document to PDF. Alternatively, tell them to choose a 'High Quality Print' setting in their PDF generator, which usually forces font embedding automatically.
