My document is created in Word using Garamond. After formatting it and saving it as a PDF, when I try to edit Garamond is not available. How do I add Garamond?

Hi there 

Hope you are doing well and thanks for reaching out. We are sorry for the trouble you are experiencing.

This is actually a very common point of confusion, and once you understand why it happens it all makes sense. Let me explain what's going on and give you the best path forward.

Are you trying to edit the PDF on your Mobile device via Mobile app or on your desktop via Acrobat Desktop app?

When Word saves a document as a PDF, it embeds Garamond as visual shapes (outlines) inside the file, the text looks perfect, but the live font data isn't necessarily stored in a way that Acrobat's edit engine can reuse for new typing. When you try to edit that text, Acrobat looks for Garamond on your device. If it doesn't find it installed, it substitutes the closest match it has, in your case, Minion Pro, which is bundled with Acrobat.
The short answer: Acrobat can only use fonts that are installed on your device for editing. It doesn't "extract" the font from the PDF itself.

Here's how to fix it, depending on your situation:

1. Install Garamond on your device:
Garamond is a Microsoft-bundled font, so it lives on Windows and Mac computers but is not available on mobile devices by default.

On Windows: Garamond should already be installed. Open the Start menu, search for Font settings, and confirm it's listed. If it's missing, you can reinstall it via Optional features in Windows Settings, or download it from a licensed font source.

On Mac: Garamond may need to be activated via Font Book. Open Font Book, search for Garamond, and if it shows as off, click Enable.

On iPhone/iPad or Android: Garamond is not a system font on mobile. This is likely why you're hitting the issue, Acrobat Reader Mobile can only use fonts installed at the OS level, and mobile OSes have very limited font libraries.

Once Garamond is installed/enabled on your device, Acrobat will find it automatically the next time you go to edit that text.

2. Edit the document in Word, then re-export
Since your source document is a Word file, this is honestly the cleanest approach. Make your text edits in Word (where Garamond is fully available), then re-save as PDF. This avoids font substitution entirely and ensures the final PDF looks exactly as intended.

3. If you're on mobile and must edit the PDF
Acrobat Reader Mobile has limited font editing capabilities compared to the desktop version. If you need to edit text and match Garamond specifically on a phone or tablet, your best options are:

• Use Acrobat on the desktop instead, where Garamond is available

• Or accept a visually similar substitute (Minion Pro is actually a very close stylistic match to Garamond in most contexts) for minor edits

A quick note on "saving as PDF" from Word:
For best results when exporting from Word to PDF, use File > Save As > PDF (or Export to PDF) rather than printing to a PDF printer. The native export embeds fonts more completely and produces a cleaner PDF that Acrobat can work with more reliably.

Hope this information will help.

~Amal