PDF Not Opening Properly While Exporting From Word

Question

Hi everyone,

I’m facing an issue with PDFs for my college assignments. Whenever I export a Word document to PDF using Microsoft 365, the formatting gets messed up, images shift, and tables look disorganized. This is causing problems when submitting assignments online because the final PDF doesn’t match what I created. Is there any reliable fix or alternative method to get a clean, accurate PDF export? Anyone there

Thanks!

Answer 1

When exporting a Word document to PDF, formatting issues can occur due to various reasons, such as differences in how Word renders content for screen versus print. Here are some steps you can take to improve the quality of your PDF exports:

1. Check Page Setup: Ensure that your page setup in Word matches the intended PDF layout. This includes margins, page size, and orientation.
2. Use High-Quality Print Settings: You can adjust the print quality settings in Word. For Word 2013, you can modify the registry to set the default print quality to high. Here’s how:
   • Open the Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Word\Options.
   • Create a new DWORD value named PrintHighQualityDefault and set its value to 1. For Word 2010, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\14.0\Word\Options and create a DWORD value named PrintMediumQualityDefault with a value of 1.
3. Check Image and Table Formatting: Make sure that images and tables are properly formatted and anchored in your Word document. Sometimes, floating images or tables can shift during the export process.
4. Export as PDF: Instead of using the print function to create a PDF, use the built-in export feature in Word. Go to File > Export > Create PDF/XPS Document. This method often preserves formatting better than printing to PDF.
5. Update Your Software: Ensure that both Microsoft Word and your PDF viewer are up to date, as updates can fix bugs and improve compatibility.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider using a dedicated PDF creation tool that can handle complex formatting better than Word's built-in export feature.

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References:

• Image DPI is changed after you print to PDF from Word 2013 or Word 2010
• How to troubleshoot damaged documents in Word

Answer 2

Dear @Sophia, 

Good day! Welcome to Microsoft Q&A forum! 

Based on your description, I understand that you’re experiencing issues with PDF exports from Word where the formatting, images, and tables don’t appear as expected. You’re looking for a reliable way to ensure the exported PDF matches your original document.

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this issue.

To understand the situation better and provide you with the most suitable support, could you confirm the following information: 

• What version of Word are you using? You could check via Excel > File > Account > About Word
• Do you have any special layout elements? (e.g. section breaks, mixed page orientations, columns, floating/anchored objects, text wrapping settings, grouped shapes)
• Does the issue happen with a simple test file? (one page with a table, some paragraphs and an image) or only with the assignment document?
• Where is the file stored and edited (local drive or OneDrive)? If it's on OneDrive, could you open the assignment file via Word Online > File > Export > Download as PDF and check if the PDF is exported correctly?
• Does the same file export correctly on another device/account? (This helps isolate if the issue is about the machine/profile or the document itself)
• Does the “Microsoft Print to PDF” option show a different/correct PDF? You could try it by: In Word, select File > Print > Microsoft Print to PDF > Print, then find the file where it is saved and check if the behavior is different

Your confirmation would be very helpful in ensuring you receive the most suitable support!

If you’re able to share a bit more about your situation, I might be able to suggest some helpful next steps. 

Kindly let me know when there are updates or if you need further assistance. Any updates you’re able to share would be really helpful. I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing how things are going! 

Thank you for your time and patience.

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Answer 3

Ok, I will check your documention and get back