Drawing objects misaligned when saving as PDF (Word for Mac)

Question

I have a Word document that includes drawing objects (like lines and circles) and PDF objects (like inline equations from MathType).

I want to publish my document as a PDF.

When I use the print dialog and choose “Save as PDF,” the resulting PDF has a problem whereby the drawing objects and inline equations are no longer aligned properly. The regular text stays put, but all the objects are slightly lowered compared to where they were in the Word doc. So the inline equations appear below the surrounding text, and the drawing objects aren’t properly lined up with where I positioned them.

I'm using Word 365 on a Mac. All the software is up to date.

Here is a screenshot of a sample docx file to show you what I'm talking about. Everything looks good here. The bottom of the word "tan" is lined up properly with the surrounding text. The circle is centered around the period.

Here is a screenshot of the resulting PDF when I "Save as PDF." The word "tan" now appears below the surrounding text, and the circle is no longer centered on the period. It prints this way too.

This happens for all my docx files. It looks like a small difference, but it causes problems for the way I need to use these PDFs for work. Please help!

Answer 1

Yes, I still need help. The issue has not been resolved. Here is a link to the video you requested.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/h4fbxokkeupafgq/Video%20of%20drawing%20object%20misalignment.mov?dl=0

I know this seems like a small issue, but it is causing problems for the way I need to use Word for work. We're trying to publish a book, and having everything misaligned looks unprofessional.

Thanks for your continued attention to this problem.

Answer 2

Hi frontdo,

Thanks for your updates.

I have following your steps on your video, I didn't meet the issue.

To check if the issue is related to Word for Mac, could you please try reinstall it to check the result, you can refer to the following article to uninstall Office:

Uninstall Office for Mac

Regards,

Qing

Answer 3

Hi frontdo,

Do you need further help? Do you have any updates?

Regards,

Qing

Answer 4

Hi frontdo,

Thanks for your reply on our private message.

First, I want to tell you that there is a newer version of Office releasing currently.

I suggest you update Office to check the result:

Update Office for Mac automatically

Besides, I have seen you try different user account to test, but I want to confirm if you are using the new user profile of your computer.

If not, you can refer to the following article to check it:

macOS Sierra: Set up users, guests, and groups on your Mac

If the issue still exists, I want to collect the affected file, as you provide the link before, it has deactivated.

If the file contains any privacy or confidential info that is unable to share in public, you can directly share with us via PM to proceed.”

Regards,

Qing

Answer 5

Hi frontdo,

We've tested this based on your description and we didn't encounter the same behavior. Since we can't reproduce it on our side, we would like to confirm the following:

1. Your exact Office version and build.
2. Your MacOS version.
3. Does this issue happens before? If not, did you make any changes on your computer prior to the problem?
4. Can you provide us the detailed steps on how you reproduce the issue?

Meanwhile, we suggest starting your Mac in safe mode and check if the issue persists. It will help isolate issues on Mac.

How to use a "clean startup" to determine whether background programs are interfering with Office for Mac

In addition, we would like to have a sample PDF and .docx files to check it on our side. You can send the files via private message we've sent.

Regards,

Justin