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Megan227740875pli
New Participant
January 21, 2022
Question

Error converting Word to PDF - Missing Words and Sentences

  • January 21, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 28401 views

I normally convert Word documents to PDF, but lately, many of the converted PDF documents are missing huge chunks of the text that should have transferred over from Word. There are random missing lines, random missing titles, etc. Image 1 is the Word document with all of the lines; Image 2 is the PDF with line "Unit 3" totally missing!

 

I've gone in and checked under Adobe DC -- Edit > Preferences > Accessibility and "Replace Document Colors" is already unchecked.  I am using Calibri 11 font, so the font is normal. None of these areas of text are tables - just plain font/text like the lines above them had been. 

 

Surprisingly, if you go in and "print" the document and just "save as PDF" - everything saves correctly?! 

 

What the HECK is going on!?! How do you just get Word and PDF to connect seamlessly again? This is a HUGE problem because in lengthy documents, you don't even realize when a line or two hasn't properly saved from your typed Word document to the converted PDF. Thanks for any help or advice you can provide!

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    3 replies

    Q
    Quinn Law Corporation
    New Participant
    February 6, 2024

    all my documents are recently missing huge chunks, I think I'm going to drop adobe,  nothing but problems over the past several months

    Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com
    Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com
    Brainiac
    February 7, 2024

    Since this is a volunteer user-to-user help forum, it makes no difference to us what software you use. Your comment will fall on deaf ears.

     

    But did you try the suggestions listed above?

     

    If it didn't work, can you describe the steps you're taking to make the PDFs from Word?

    What version of MS Office are you using?

    What version of Adobe Acrobat are you using? (Note that Acrobat installs the PDF Maker Acrobat Ribbon in Word that is used to export PDFs.)

     

    Your answers will help us help you out.

     

    |    Bevi Chagnon   |  Designer, Trainer, & Technologist for Accessible Documents ||    PubCom |    Classes & Books for Accessible InDesign, PDFs & MS Office |
    Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com
    Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com
    Brainiac
    January 22, 2022

    First, let me clear up the talk about Acrobat on Windows.

     

    The "Pro" is listed in the Help menu when you select "About Adobe Acrobat Pro DC" to view your version of the software.

     

    When making PDFs from MS Office / Windows, you have 2 methods from Adobe and 1 from Microsoft.

    • On the Windows platform, Adobe installs the PDF Maker plug-in into Office apps when Acrobat is installed. You use it from 2 different locations:
      1. From the Acrobat ribbon bar; this method gives you the most control over how the PDF will be made (resolution, accessibility tags, printing inks, etc.) by setting the Preferences.
      2. From File / Save As Adobe PDF; think of this method as the shortcut. Quick, but you have fewer settings to control.
    • Microsoft's PDF export utility is built into the program. Access it:  File / Save As / PDF (file type). Be sure to check the various options available.

     

    Don't confuse these options: Adobe's can pretty much make the same quaility of PDF, but Microsoft uses different algorithms so your results can vary.

     

    What might cause the missing text:

    Lots of reasons.

    My first recommendation is to check the original source Word file and see how that text was formatted. Did the author use styles, or did they manually format it from the top ribbons?

     

    Using styles is the preferred method as it eliminates any possibility of residual hidden code in the file that can (and often does) cause problems like this.

     

    1. Open the Word file.
    2. Bring up the Style Navigator panel.
    3. Select the missing text (I'd actually select the entire section of text) and clear all of the formatting. Click the pink erasers on the right, starting with the bottom-most erase and up, and then click Clear All button. This process strips the content of all underlying formatting and code.
    4. Save the file. Give it a new name so that it completely  rewrites the file's code from start to finish.
    5. Then format that section of text again.
    6. Re-export to PDF with your preferred method.

     

    Here's a screen capture of the Styles and Style Inspector panels.

     

    Let us know if this solves the problem for you.

     

     

     

    |    Bevi Chagnon   |  Designer, Trainer, & Technologist for Accessible Documents ||    PubCom |    Classes & Books for Accessible InDesign, PDFs & MS Office |
      gary_sc
      gary_sc
      Community Expert
      January 21, 2022

      Hi Megan,

       

      First off, if you did use "Save as PDF," Acrobat is not at fault here because that means that the OS did the PDF conversion. If you used "Save as Adobe PDF," than it was Acrobat's fault. Please check on that.

       

      2nd issue: Exactly which version of Acrobat are you using. Because you state "Save as PDF," I'm going to assume you're on a Mac because on a PC, the wording is a bit different. Please verify. But, are you using Acrobat Reader or Acrobat Pro? (Adobe doesn't help because lately they are just referring to Acrobat, not giving you the full answer without some digging.)

       

      If you are using Word, and you have Acrobat Pro, do you see an Acrobat option in the ribbon options on the top? I would look like this:

       

      Let us know and then we'll be closer to helping you.

      M
      Megan227740875pliAuthor
      New Participant
      January 21, 2022

      Hi @gary_sc - 

      Good thoughts here.

       

      I am PC user on a Windows 10 Home edition with OS build 19043.1415 (not sure if this is relevant, but I am including it here). 

       

      First - I use the "Save as Adobe PDF" from the main Word File Options (screenshot below). That's the button I've always preferred to use, and since it specifies Abobe, I do not think it is my OS doing the conversion? 

       

      Second - I use Adobe Acrobat DC. It definitely isn't Adobe Reader, but I am not sure if it is "Pro" since it doesn't use that name. Just Adobe Acrobat DC. 

       

      Third - I DO have the ribbon in Word (so, arguably I have the Pro version), but I just used it to "Create PDF," and the same error occurred again with the "Unit 3" line from this document. 

       

      Interestingly, I just tried to make a quick copy of the Word document for you to mess with, and in cutting/pasting the text, whatever formatting was causing the error has somehow disappeared. So, I went back into my original Word document, cut/paste that section without any of the formatting, and saved the document. Then, I clicked "Save as Adobe PDF" again, and it converted the "Unit 3" troubled line entirely correctly. 

       

      Regardless of this one success, there is some internal programming error with certain lines in Microsoft Office (via formatting or whatever) that is causing a glitch for the "Save as Adobe PDF" perfect transfer. It happened in another syllabus earlier this semester - it didn't properly convert whole chunks of my syllabus correctly. So, this isn't an obvious error or formatting issue on the user end, and users cannot be expected to "cut/paste without formatting" whole sections of Word documents that aren't converting correctly. This isn't a good workaround, although it is one I will try and use again if it comes up as an issue again.  

       

      Thanks for any added help you can give here!

      gary_sc
      gary_sc
      Community Expert
      January 22, 2022

      Hi Megan,

       

      Hey, I want to thank you for letting me know that PCs do that both the "Save as PDF" and "Save as Adobe PDF." Recently someone else in these forums said that that didn't exist on PCs, they were seeing "Print to PDF." (My ignorance of the PC system is profound.)

       

      Adobe has a strange relationship with name: They want to make it as hard as possible for those of us in the forums trying to help people. Back in the old days the products were clearly marked as Acrobat Reader, Acrobat Standard, and Acrobat Pro. Now, as you've pointed out, you're seeing Adobe Acrobat DC (where's the Pro???).

       

      Anyhow, a few more questions: Do you have your preferences (just to the right of "Create PDF" set to have the Word document be converted in the Clouds or in your computer? Whichever you have it set for, try the other one.

       

      Did you create the Word document? If not, do you know who did and how? Was there any scanning done in the process of making these documents?

       

      Do you mind sending me one of these Word documents with issues? If you want, you can try sending it to me in a PM.

       

      Best,

       

      Gary

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