"Save as PDF" is one of Word's most-clicked menus, but anyone who's used it knows: every conversion is a lottery. Common failures: fonts become Song-ti, tables get cut off, comments vanish, TOC page numbers misalign, links become unclickable.
1. Why Word-to-PDF Conversion Always Has Issues
A Word .docx is essentially a ZIP archive containing XML describing content, styles, and relationships; PDF is a binary format with fixed page layout. Their data models differ: Word describes "how it should look," PDF describes "how it already looks."
Conversion is Word's layout engine reflowing content based on the current system (fonts, paper size), then "printing" to PDF. This means: the same .docx may produce different PDFs on different computers.
2. Font Pitfalls (5)
Pitfall 1: Chinese fonts replaced with Song-ti
Cause: Conversion tools can only use installed fonts. Fix: Check "Embed fonts in file" in Word.
Pitfall 2: English fine but Chinese garbled
Cause: Mixed Latin+CJK font scheme loses pairing. Fix: Explicitly set CJK font and embed.
Pitfall 3: Bold becomes regular
Cause: Original font lacks a bold variant; system uses "fake bold" rendering. Fix: Use a font with real bold variants.
Pitfall 4: Downloaded fonts cause layout shifts
Fix: Embed the font, or rasterize critical visuals to images.
Pitfall 5: Emoji become boxes in PDF
Fix: Replace key emoji with images, or confirm target reader supports color emoji.
3. Layout Pitfalls (4)
Pitfall 6: Tables cut to next page
Fix: Select table → Table Properties → Row → uncheck "Allow row to break across pages."
Pitfall 7: Image position drifts
Fix: Change critical images to "In Line" or "Top and Bottom" wrapping.
Pitfall 8: Margins become smaller
Fix: Use Word's built-in "Export as PDF," not "Print to PDF."
Pitfall 9: Two-column documents have inconsistent column widths
Fix: Verify Word's paper size matches target use before conversion.
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4. Dynamic Element Pitfalls (3)
Pitfall 10: Comments/revisions lost
Fix: Accept all revisions or delete all comments before exporting; or check "as annotations" in export options.
Pitfall 11: TOC page numbers misalign
Fix: Ctrl+A → F9 to update all fields before exporting.
Pitfall 12: Hyperlinks become plain text
Fix: Use Word's native "Export as PDF."
5. Real Performance of Different Tools
| Tool | Fonts | Comments | Links | Best for |
|---|
| Word built-in | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Optimal |
| WPS built-in | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★ | WPS users |
| LibreOffice | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★★ | Server batch |
| Cloud online | ★★★ | ★ | ★★★ | One-off |
| Local online | ★★★ | ★ | ★★ | Privacy-first |
Rule: Word/WPS built-in export is always highest quality. All third-party tools are "second-best."
Conclusion
Word-to-PDF conversion looks simple but involves font engines, layout reflow, dynamic field updates. Hopefully this article helps you anticipate fewer surprises.