Adobe PDF fonts overlapping ONLY on one computer

Report · Jun 06, 2023

We have one user in a group of 9 who, when she opens certain PDF files, the fonts overlap and are garbled/unreadable. This only happens on her computer. Others can view the PDF without error. She can even email the affected PDF to someone else and it views just fine on their computer.

If anyone knows the cause, or especially a fix for her, it would be greatly appreciated.

Report · Jun 07, 2023

Hi Valence5EE4,

Thank you for reaching out.

This seems to be a font-related issue. Please check if all the fonts are embedded in the PDF. Open the PDF and go to File > Document Properties. In the Properties window, go to the Fonts tab.

Also, check if the user has font available on the machine. Please confirm if all the users are using the same application version.

Share the screenshot of the fonts tab window in Document properties and how PDF appears at the user's end.

It would be helpful if you could share the PDF with us.

For more information on fonts, refer to the following help document: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/pdf-fonts.html.

Thanks,

Meenakshi

Report · Jun 07, 2023

Thanks for your quick reply. To further explain the issue... the person experiencing this issue is a customer service representative and the PDF's that aren't working correctly were created by a customer and sent to her through email. The PDF's include sensitive financial information so I can't share the actual documents. I have since found more information to share on the issue, including the font properties screen grab at the bottom of the following list that you asked for.

Only PDF's from one customer have this problem on her computer.
If she forwards the email to a co-worker, they can view the PDF's without error.
Her coworkers have the same Windows version, fonts, and Reader version.
I took the Arial fonts from my Windows 11 computer and installed them in the fonts folder on her Win 10 computer, and then the PDFs in question started showing in what looked to be a Webdings or Wingdings style font... but all other PDFs were unaffected, and Arial fonts still worked fine in Word, Excel, etc.

Report · Jun 07, 2023

Never mind for now.... it appears that copying over the different Arial fonts to her computer DID fix the issue, but they weren't registered or recognized the first time she opened the affected PDFs, hence the "Wingidingy" issue.

But... after opening other PDF files and then going back to the affected ones, they are now opening and displaying correctly.

Report · Jun 09, 2023

Hi Valence5EE4,

Thank you for letting us know. Glad to know that the issue is resolved now.

Let us know if we can be of any help.

Thanks,

Meenakshi

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