PDF Fonts Look Wrong or Show Strange Characters
The PDF usually doesn't embed its fonts, so your viewer substitutes others. Try opening it in a different viewer (Chrome, Edge, Acrobat Reader). If you made the PDF, re-export it with fonts embedded. If you received it, ask the sender to do the same.
Quick fixes if you received the PDF
- Try another viewer. Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Preview and Acrobat Reader each handle font substitution differently.
- Update your reader. Old versions may not support newer font formats.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader + Asian fonts. Reader offers to download language packs for Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
- Ask the sender for a copy exported with embedded fonts, or as PDF/A (which requires embedding).
If you created the PDF
- Word: File > Save As > PDF. Fonts are embedded by default. If you used “Print to PDF”, switch to Save As.
- Word options: File > Options > Save > Embed fonts in the file.
- Check font licences: some fonts forbid embedding, and the PDF generator silently substitutes them. Switch to a font that allows embedding.
- Export as PDF/A to force full embedding.
- Last resort: convert text to outlines/curves in design software. It looks right everywhere, but the text is no longer searchable.
How to check the fonts
In Adobe Acrobat Reader: File > Properties > Fonts tab. Every font should say (Embedded) or (Embedded Subset). Anything without it is the likely culprit.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Chinese or Japanese characters show as boxes in a PDF?
The CJK font isn't embedded and your device lacks it. In Adobe Acrobat Reader, install the free Asian font pack when prompted, or ask the creator to embed fonts.
Why does my PDF look fine on my computer but wrong on others?
Your computer has the fonts installed, so the PDF looks correct there even though they aren't embedded. Other computers don't have them. Re-export with fonts embedded.
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