Excel to .pdf Format Suddenly Changed

Question

Excel to .pdf Format Suddenly Changed

Eva Micklethwaite 0

We use Excel for our PO forms. We have been using it for 20+ years. We have the Acrobat add-in in Excel, we then select as many sheets as we have pages to convert. Once in Acrobat, we bring in the background PO form and we have a digital PO.

Suddenly one of our computers had misalignment problems. The top part of the printed form looked great, but at about the 1/3 mark on the page it started to push down the words, pushing them out of the boxes that once worked perfectly.

You can see in the attached the Ship To box is starting to slip - by the time you get to Purchase Order Issued BY - it's completely been pushed by about 3 lines.

This started with 1 computer - now we have 2 out of the 3 computers doing this.

This happened before the Windows 11 upgrades. The 1 computer that still works is on Windows 11, so we can't trace it back to that.

I have tested old Excel files that once worked - they no longer work on these 2 computers. The attached document once worked perfectly - now it does not.

I have tried everything I know - resetting default fonts back to Calibri instead of Aptos - nothing seems to work.

This is a huge problem for us since it is the key to our work flow as a purchasing company.

We can't reformat the form because the 1 computer still works and for now - we need that computer otherwise, we would not be able to release any PO's.

I have been all over the internet trying to find a resolution - I even posted a question probably a year ago about this and never received an answer that worked.

I asked an MS agent about it when trying to fix another problem and they could not help me.

We really need a resolution - this happened for what appears to us to be no logical reason.

Thanks.

Moved from Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | Other | Windows

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Answer 3

Jade Ng 14,690 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Dear @Eva Micklethwaite,

Thank you for taking the time to provide such a detailed explanation of the issue. I understand how critical this workflow is for your business.

First, could you please resend the screenshots showing the issue? Unfortunately, I have not received any screenshots yet.

To help narrow down the cause, could you please provide the following information:

What version and build of Excel are installed on the affected computers?
Are the same default printers configured on both the working and affected computers?
What is the Windows display scaling setting (%) on each computer? You can check this under Settings > System > Display > Scale.
Have you tested creating a PDF using Excel's built-in PDF export instead of the Adobe Acrobat add-in? If yes, does the PDF generated through File > Save As > PDF (or Export > Create PDF/XPS) show the same alignment issue?
Additionally, you mentioned that you previously spoke with a Microsoft support agent regarding this issue. Could you please let me know how you contacted (for example, through a support ticket, chat session, or phone call)? What troubleshooting steps were performed or recommended by the support engineer?

I appreciate your patience, and I am here to help. Looking forward to your response!

Eva Micklethwaite 0 Reputation points

2026-07-27T03:47:11.69+00:00
I actually attached the file in my original post - but here's the screen shot and answers to your questions:

MS 365 MSO Version 2606 Build 16.0.20131.20154 64-Bit

Yes

Display Scale is 100% on both computers

I might have indicated this wrong - I believe it is actually the built-in PDF export - and not an Add-In.

There is no such option - FIle - Save As - only Save a Copy and Save as Adobe PDF. With this steps I just stated - Yes - same outcome - not in alignment.

I contacted them through a troubleshooting problem with One Drive. No troubleshooting was done. He was supposed to call me back Friday for the One Drive problem and this problem. I did not receive a call back.
Jade Ng 14,690 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-27T04:59:29.77+00:00

Dear @Eva Micklethwaite,

Thank you for the additional information. I’m sorry to hear that you did not receive the expected callback regarding either the OneDrive issue or this concern.

If you have the support ticket number or case ID, could you please send it to me via private message? I can help review the current status of the case and see how far it has progressed.

Additionally, if the case has already reached the troubleshooting stage, I would generally recommend continuing to work with the assigned support engineer whenever possible. The support team has access to diagnostic tools and investigation resources that are not available through the community forums, which can help them perform a deeper analysis of the issue and track any findings directly within the case.

For your privacy and security, please send the following information via Private Message by clicking the "Private messages" button shown below:

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
Eva Micklethwaite 0 Reputation points

2026-07-27T13:59:10.1033333+00:00

We have NOT reached the troubleshooting stage for this problem on the One Drive ticket. It has nothing to do with it. He cannot help me because the problem was with One Drive and then I tried to ask him for help with this other problem - because you cannot get an actual agent to help with Excel. I tried many times to create a new ticket - so please do not dismiss this problem. I will handle the One Drive problem on my own under that ticket. I provided answers to you - what is the next step to resolve this problem? Thank you.
Eva Micklethwaite 0 Reputation points

2026-07-28T02:25:51.77+00:00

Thank you for leaving me hanging here!
Jade Ng 14,690 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-28T04:58:03.94+00:00

Dear @Eva Micklethwaite,

I appreciate the additional context and understand how frustrating this experience has been. Next, I would also like to recommend the following tests:

1.Create a new local Windows profile on one of the affected computers and test whether the same Excel file can be converted to PDF without the formatting issue. For detailed guidance, you can refer to Microsoft’s official support article: Manage User Accounts in Windows - Microsoft Support

2.Upload the workbook to OneDrive or SharePoint and open it through Excel for the web. Then attempt to export or print the file as a PDF and verify whether the same alignment issue occurs.

As this issue appears to involve a custom Excel automation and workflow design requirement rather than a service incident or account-related problem, the best next step would be to post your scenario in the Microsoft Excel Tech Community. This is a dedicated forum where Excel MVPs, power users, and Excel specialists actively discuss advanced topics such as VBA, Power Query, automation, custom refresh processes, and data management.

This will help the community provide targeted guidance and potential solutions tailored to your specific workflow. I understand this may not be the resolution you were hoping for, but for advanced Excel design and automation questions, the Tech Community is often the most effective avenue for receiving specialized assistance from Excel experts.

Once again, thank you for your valuable time and cooperation.
Eva Micklethwaite 0 Reputation points

2026-07-28T16:48:28.28+00:00

I posted there and my post was deleted due to "code of conduct" when I posted the same exact question I posted here without the forms showing personal information. This is NUTS?! How am I supposed to get this SOFTWARE problem resolved if all everyone does is pass me off to someone else and then that even fails??
Jade Ng 14,690 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-29T05:44:54.25+00:00

Dear @Eva Micklethwaite,

I have already replied to you via private message. Please check it at your convenience.