A Word file opens on one computer and looks right. The same file converted to PDF has a heading on the wrong page, a table that no longer fits, a different typeface or a line of comments in the margin. The PDF is not wrong in a random way. A Word file does not store its pages. Word works them out again each time, using the fonts, printer settings and page size of the machine that opens it. A PDF stores the finished pages. Anything that differs at the moment of conversion ends up frozen in the PDF.
This guide lists the usual causes, shows how to check each one, and is plain about what DocPro's Word to PDF does and does not keep.
Why the layout changes
Fonts that are not installed.
If a document uses a typeface the converting computer does not have, a substitute is used. Substitutes have different letter widths, so lines wrap differently and everything after moves. Microsoft explains that embedded fonts keep "the fonts, layout, and styling of the document" unchanged when the recipient lacks them, and that the option is called "Embed fonts in the file" under File > Options > Save in Word. It also says "not all TrueType fonts can be embedded", because the font's creator sets whether embedding is allowed. Fonts from Office's cloud font library download automatically, so they are less of a risk inside Office itself.
A converter outside Word may not have your fonts and may not use them at all. A PDF made from Word on the same machine as the document has the best chance of using the right fonts.
Page size: A4 or Letter.
Word stores a paper size for each document. A4 (210 × 297 mm) and US Letter (216 × 279 mm) differ enough to move page breaks, and a converter that applies its own size changes them again. In Word the size is set on the Paper tab of Page Setup, which Microsoft describes as "where you choose the paper size for your printed document", with a list of standard sizes and a custom option. Check it before converting. The effects of mixing the two sizes on a printout are covered in A4 vs US Letter: why a PDF prints cut off or gets rejected.
Images and text boxes.
Pictures that are anchored to a spot on the page, wrapped by text or placed inside a text box depend on layout rules that simple converters do not follow. Such objects typically drop into the flow of the text, move to a different page or disappear. Vector pictures in older formats (EMF and WMF) are a frequent cause of missing images.
Tracked changes and comments.
Tracked changes are part of the file. Microsoft states that "hiding changes doesn't remove them from the document", and that markup can be switched on or off in print settings. Whether a PDF shows the red lines, balloons and strikethrough text depends on the markup view at the time of export, and on the tool. Check the view in the Review tab before exporting. To remove markup for good, accept or reject each change.
Hyperlinks, headers, footers and page numbers.
A good export keeps links clickable and prints headers, footers and page numbers where Word put them. A simplified converter may show a link as coloured text only, or leave out the header and footer, and with it the page numbers.
What DocPro's Word to PDF keeps and does not keep
DocPro's Word to PDF opens a .docx in the browser, reads its content and lays the text out again on new A4 or Letter pages. It does not copy Word's own page layout, so a complex document will not match. The tool says this on its own page: it is a "basic layout" conversion.
Kept, in simplified form:
- Headings, bold and italic text, bulleted and numbered lists.
- Tables, with column widths worked out from the amount of text in each column rather than copied from Word. A table row taller than one page is cut off instead of continued.
- Pictures in common formats such as JPEG and PNG, shrunk to fit the page width if needed, placed in the text flow. You can switch them off with "Include pictures".
- Hyperlink text, drawn in blue with an underline. The code does not add clickable link areas, so do not rely on the links working in the PDF.
- Right-to-left text, such as Arabic, is detected and laid out right to left. Non-Latin characters are drawn as small images of text, so they are not selectable or searchable in the PDF.
Not kept:
- Fonts. Text is set in a standard Helvetica-style typeface, in your choice of body size, so the PDF will not use your document's typefaces. Line and page breaks will differ.
- Columns, text boxes, headers and footers, and exact spacing, which the tool describes as simplified. Page numbers in a footer should not be expected.
- Floating image positions and text wrapping. Pictures that cannot be converted, such as EMF and WMF images, are skipped, and the result says how many.
- Older .doc files. Only .docx opens. Save older files as .docx in Word first.
- Comments are not printed. Judging from the converter's code, deleted text from tracked changes is left out and inserted text is kept, so the PDF shows the document as if all changes were accepted. This has not been verified on every kind of file, so accept or reject changes in Word first to be certain.
Checklist before converting
- Open the document in Word and look at Review > the markup view. Accept or reject tracked changes, and delete comments that should not be seen.
- Check the paper size on the Paper tab of Page Setup, and make sure it matches the paper or the portal rule.
- Check fonts. Prefer common fonts, or use "Embed fonts in the file" under File > Options > Save if the file travels.
- Fix images that float or sit in text boxes by setting them inline with text if the file will be converted outside Word.
- Update fields such as the table of contents and page numbers.
- Convert, then compare the PDF with the document page by page. Look at page breaks, tables, images and the last page.
- Search the PDF for a few words, and click one link, to confirm text and links work.
How to use DocPro's Word to PDF
- Open Word to PDF and choose the .docx file. Files up to 100 MB are accepted.
- Under "Page size", choose A4 or Letter. The page size in the Word file is not read, so choose the one that your reader or printer expects.
- Under "Margins", choose Narrow, Normal or Wide, and under "Body text size", choose 10, 11, 12 or 14 pt.
- Leave "Include pictures" ticked unless you want a text-only PDF.
- Press "Convert to PDF". The result card shows the page count, any pictures that were skipped and a note when some Word features were simplified.
- Download the file and check it as in the list above. If the page size is wrong for a portal, Resize PDF to A4 or Resize PDF to Letter can change it. Use Compress PDF if the file is too large.
The tool is free, needs no account and the document is not uploaded.
When to use something else
For anything where the layout must be exact, such as a CV with a designed layout, a form, a contract with a table of contents, or a file for a printer, export from Word itself. DocPro's own tool page gives the same advice.
- In Word, choose File > Save a Copy (or Save As), select PDF in the file type list, then Save. Microsoft's help lists the options under More Options > Options.
- "Bitmap text when fonts may not be embedded" makes images of the text so the PDF matches the original when fonts cannot be embedded. The trade-off is that the text is no longer real text.
- "ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A)" produces a PDF intended for archiving. Use it when an archive or authority asks for PDF/A.
- "Document structure tags for accessibility" makes the file easier to read for screen-reading software.
- "Create bookmarks using" adds a navigation outline from headings or Word bookmarks.
Word for the web, LibreOffice and Google Docs also have their own PDF export. They use their own fonts and layout engines, so compare the result in the same way.
After exporting from Word, DocPro can still help with the PDF itself: Merge PDF to join files, Compress PDF for size, or Resize PDF for paper size. If a PDF must become editable again, see How to convert a PDF to Word and what to expect.
Menu names change between Word versions, so check the current Microsoft help if a command is not where this guide says (checked October 2026).
Frequently asked questions
Why does my PDF have different fonts from my Word file?
The converting program did not have, or did not use, the fonts in the document. Embedding fonts in Word or exporting from Word on the same machine keeps them. DocPro's Word to PDF uses a standard typeface instead.
Will DocPro's Word to PDF match my Word layout?
No. It lays the content out again and keeps headings, bold and italic, lists, tables and pictures. Fonts, columns, headers and footers and exact spacing are simplified. Use Word's own Save as PDF for an exact copy.
Why do my tracked changes or comments show up in the PDF?
A PDF made by Word follows the markup view at the time of export. Hiding changes does not remove them from the document, so accept or reject them first. DocPro's converter does not print comments.
Are the links in the PDF clickable?
Not in DocPro's Word to PDF. Link text is shown in blue and underlined, but it is not clickable. Word's own export keeps links.
Can I convert an old .doc file?
DocPro opens .docx only. Save the older file as .docx in Word or LibreOffice first.