If your PDF is missing text, the document can look blank when you load it in a PDF viewer or print it. In many cases, the text is still there but is not displaying correctly.
It might be because of font issues, software conflicts, or PDF corruption. This guide explains why your PDF is missing text and shares practical steps you can take to fix it.
Why Is My PDF Missing Text?
Your PDF missing text might be due to PDF display problems, font issues, or printing errors. Sometimes, the software cannot render the text properly, even though it is still in the file. Other times, the file itself is incomplete or damaged. Let’s look at some of the most common reasons why your PDF text is not showing up.
#1. Rendering vs. Content Issues
A rendering issue happens when your PDF viewer cannot display the text correctly, despite the text remaining in the file. For example, a web browser’s built-in viewer might struggle with certain fonts or layers, resulting in PDF blank pages.
Try to open the file in a PDF reader like PDF.net. If the PDF text suddenly appears, you know it was a PDF viewer issue.
Content issues mean the text was never properly saved in the first place. Your PDF might have been created with faulty software, or it was exported incorrectly. In this case, the layers or fonts could have been excluded during the process.
#2. Problems with Fonts or Encoding
Not every device has the same fonts installed, so you need to embed fonts in your PDF to make sure the text displays exactly as you intended. If your fonts are not embedded in the PDF, you will likely see boxes or blank spaces instead.
In files created with outdated tools, poor encoding causes problems as well. Encoding is how the text in your PDF is stored as data. If the encoding is incorrect or incomplete, your PDF viewer will not know how to translate the data. As a result, there will be missing content in the PDF.
#3. Corrupted or Improperly Generated PDFs
Another reason for PDF missing text is that the file itself is damaged or was not created correctly. A corrupted PDF file occurs when something interrupts the saving or exporting process. When the software crashes, for instance, parts of the content may be lost.
Improperly generated PDFs are files created with low-quality or outdated software that does not encode properly. Some free PDF editors skip embedding fonts or fail to save all the layers. Therefore, your text can appear in one program but disappear in another.
#4. Display vs. Print Issues (Screen vs. Paper)
When you look at a PDF on your device, the software can substitute missing fonts or smooth over problems so everything appears correct. However, when you send the file to a printer, it tries to process the content exactly as it was stored.
If fonts are not embedded, or if the printer does not support certain layers or transparency effects, the text can disappear. With a PDF missing text issue, you can try to print the PDF as an image or update your printer drivers.
4 Common Situations When Text in PDF Goes Missing
The PDF format is meant to help preserve formatting. However, certain situations can still cause text to disappear. Below are the four most common scenarios in which the PDF missing text becomes a problem.
#1. The PDF Opens Fine, but Text Doesn’t Appear When Printed
It is frustrating when a PDF looks perfect on screen but loses content when printed. Yet, it happens often because your printer uses a different rendering process.
You might notice that headings, paragraphs, or form fields are missing, while other PDF objects like images or lines still appear. In some cases, only certain fonts or sections are affected, leaving blank spaces in place of the text you expect to see.
#2. PDF Looks Blank in Browser but Opens in a PDF Reader
You might open a PDF in your web browser and see an empty file. Despite PDF blank pages, you know the file contains text. However, when you download the same PDF and open it in a PDF reader, everything shows up properly. This can be quite a hassle if you usually view PDFs quickly on your browser or want to email your PDF.
#3. PDF Text Disappears After Saving or Editing
Sometimes, your PDF looks exactly the way you want it. However, after saving or editing your PDF, some or all of the text goes missing. You might notice blank sentences or paragraphs, or text that turns into empty boxes.
This can happen right after adding comments, filling out forms, or optimizing the PDF for the web. The rest of the document, such as images or lines, still displays as normal.
#4. Copy-Pasted Text Turns to Symbols or Blanks
In this case, you can select and read the text in your PDF without any issue, but when you copy it into another program, it shows up as symbols or blanks. This makes it difficult to reuse text for other purposes, such as searching, translating, or note-taking.
That said, your PDF becomes unfriendly to use. If you are a business sharing an event brochure, for instance, attendees may not be able to copy the address. This creates unnecessary frustration and makes them less likely to share your event with others.
5+ Ways to Fix Missing Text in PDFs
Fortunately, there are ways to fix PDFs missing text. Below are six methods you can try to recover or preserve your content.
#1. Reopen in a Different PDF Viewer
If your PDF is missing text, the culprit could be your PDF viewer. Some built-in ones struggle with rendering fonts and layers. You should re-download your PDF and open it in a dedicated tool like PDF.net. If it opens normally, download a new copy to ensure it displays correctly when shared or printed.
#2. Use “Print as Image” Workaround
If your PDF is printing with missing text, try using the "print as image" workaround. It flattens each PDF page into a single image, so the printer does not have to process fonts or layers separately.
While it can slightly reduce the PDF's sharpness, it is a quick way to produce a complete print. You can also specify the resolution in dots per inch (DPI) to suit your needs.
#3. Embed Fonts Before Saving/Exporting
Embedding fonts before saving or exporting your file helps prevent issues like PDF missing text when opening or printing. All you need to do is take an extra minute to check your software's settings. For example:
- In Microsoft Word on Windows click Options > Save > Preserve fidelity > Embed fonts in the file.
- In Microsoft Word on Mac click Word > Preferences > Save > Embed fonts in the file.
#4. Convert to PDF/A Format
Conversion to PDF/A ensures that fonts are embedded and unsupported elements removed. PDF/A is an archival format that can solve problems with PDF text not showing in certain viewers and printers. However, keep in mind that interactive PDFs with forms or videos will be flattened or stripped out during conversion.
#5. Check Layer Visibility
Most of the time, PDFs contain multiple layers, such as text, images, or annotations, and if a text layer is accidentally turned off, the document may appear to have missing text even though the content is still there.
To resolve this, try opening the document in a few different viewers; if the text appears in one but not another, it is likely a layer visibility problem. In many cases, checking whether a layer is hidden and turning it back on can quickly solve issues with PDFs missing text.
Also, when these layers are not rendered properly, your PDF will just show blank pages or sections. Flattening PDF layers merges everything, so there are fewer chances of Windows or Mac preview PDF text missing.
#6. Update Your PDF Viewer or Printer Drivers
Updating your PDF viewer or printer drivers is an easy way to fix PDF missing text issues. Older software may not fully support embedded fonts, transparency layers, or newer PDF formats.
Therefore, your PDF might look fine on screen but show blanks when printed. Check that you have the latest version of your PDF reader, web browser, and printer drivers. Re-open your PDF or re-print it after updating to see if the ‘PDF missing text when printing’ problem has been resolved.
Fixing Missing Text on Mac, Windows, and Mobile Devices
Fixing missing text on Mac, Windows, and mobile devices involves different steps because each system handles fonts and layers differently.
On Mac, the most common issue is missing preview PDF text. macOS’s built-in app tends to struggle with layered PDFs and non-standard fonts. If characters are missing, open your PDF in PDF.net to check whether the text renders properly.
On Windows, try updating your PDF viewer or printing the file again to flatten the layers. If your PDF is printing but missing text, save a new copy of your PDF using PDF.net or convert it to PDF/A before re-printing.
On mobile, apps usually provide limited PDF support, so complex formatting might not display correctly. Open your PDF in a trusted PDF reader app like Foxit Mobile PDF to avoid this. This is a workaround; it is still better to view PDFs on computers or laptops.
When to Create a New PDF File
You should create a new PDF file if your original file is corrupted, uses fonts you cannot embed, or keeps losing content even after flattening or converting. All of these issues indicate that the file may not be repairable.
In these cases, go back to the source file and export a new PDF with optimized settings. If you no longer have the original file, you can manually copy any visible text to Word and convert it to PDF with PDF.net. It takes a bit more time, but it will ensure your PDF displays correctly.
Create Clean PDFs with PDF.net
PDF.net helps you clean up files right in your browser. You can change fonts to ensure they display correctly, remove or rearrange problematic pages, and save a new version in just a few clicks. There is no sign-up required, and your files stay secure thanks to built-in encryption. This way, you can fix PDFs missing text quickly without extra hassle.
Final Thoughts
Although PDFs are designed to be consistent, text can still go missing without warning. From unembedded fonts to corrupted files, there are many reasons a PDF might fail to display correctly.
The good news is that most PDF missing text issues can be fixed by re-exporting the file, embedding fonts, or updating your PDF viewer and printer drivers. If those steps do not work, creating a new PDF is often the most reliable solution. Use PDF.net to clean up your files and make sure they look exactly the way you expect.
PDF Missing Text FAQs
#1. Why does my text disappear on a PDF?
Your text disappears on a PDF either because fonts were not embedded, the file was corrupted during export, or your PDF viewer cannot render certain layers.
#2. How do I recover missing text in a PDF?
To recover missing text in a PDF, reopen the file in a different PDF reader, enable “print as image,” or re-export the document with fonts embedded. If the file is badly damaged, recreate it from the original source.
#3. How do I know if a font isn’t embedded in my PDF?
To know if a font is not embedded in a PDF, open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat, click File > Properties > Fonts, and see if Embedded Subset is next to the font; if not, it is not embedded.
#4. Why are some of the letters in my PDF invisible or blank?
Some of the letters in a PDF might be invisible or blank because your viewer cannot process fonts, layers, or transparency effects. Usually, embedding fonts or using the “print as image” workaround solves this.