image defects saving as pdf from Word

Question

When saving as pdf from the Acrobat Word add-in there are defects in the images in the document.  Similar to artifacts in the image when compression such as jpg is used.  This doesn't happen if we print to pdf from Word, but that loses the bookmarks which we need.  Word image settings are set to high quality.  Already went in to the add-in preferences and disabled image downsamling and compression, didn't seem to help.  Tried uninstalling Acrobat and Word and re-installing.  Anyone have any suggestions?

AnandSri · Answer

Hello @Intech_Hawaii

I hope you are doing well. Thanks for detailing the steps you’ve already tried — that’s very helpful.

Recommended fix:

Acrobat PDFMaker Settings

Use “Create PDF” from the Acrobat Ribbon:

Avoid using “Save As PDF” from Word’s native menu.
Use Acrobat > Create PDF from the Word ribbon for better fidelity.

Embed Fonts and Graphics:

In Word: File > Options > Save > Embed fonts in the file.
This prevents font substitution and layout shifts.

In Word, go to Acrobat > Preferences.
Under Settings, ensure:
- Conversion Settings = High Quality Print (not Standard).
- In Advanced Settings, verify that “Downsample” is disabled and Compression is set to “None” or “Lossless.”

Please ensure you have the latest version of Acrobat installed on the machine: Win: 25.001.20672, Mac: 25.001.20668, Sept 03, 2025. Check for any pending updates from the Menu > help > check for updates, install the updates, restart the app and the machine, and try again.

If the issue persists, please share a screen recording, a sample PDF file, and the source file for further investigations.

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

Acrobat PDFMaker Settings

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