Lines of text stack on each other. Headers crash through paragraphs. Two columns of content merge into one tangled mess.
What's actually going wrong
Almost always font substitution. The PDF references fonts your viewer doesn't have, falls back to wider replacements, and the original layout (which assumed narrower fonts) now overflows itself.
Less common: the PDF has actual overlapping text in the file, deliberately or due to an export error.
The quick fix
Re-export from source with 'Embed all fonts' enabled. The PDF carries its fonts and renders identically everywhere.
If source is unavailable, convert to Word. Flint produces structured text rather than positioned text, eliminating overlap by definition. Format the Word doc cleanly, export back to PDF.
If that didn't work
For PDFs that overlap deliberately (designer document with stacked layers), the overlap is intended. Don't fix what isn't broken.
For PDFs where overlap is genuinely a layout error in the source, the source needs fixing. The PDF reflects what the source produced.
Prevent it next time
Embed fonts at PDF export. Use standard fonts for documents that need universal compatibility. And test exports on different machines to catch font substitution before distributing.
FAQ
Why does my PDF overlap on one computer but not another?
Font substitution. The computer with proper fonts renders correctly; the one without substitutes wider fonts and creates overlap. Embed fonts at export.
Can I fix overlap without rebuilding?
Not really. Once fonts are wrong in the file, layout is broken. Re-exporting or converting is the practical fix.
Does converting to Word always fix overlap?
Yes, because Word doesn't use positioned text — it flows in paragraphs. The overlap can't survive conversion. Some manual cleanup of structure may be needed.
Why do my designers use overlapping text intentionally?
Stylistic effects, layered designs, watermarks. Overlap can be intentional. Distinguish design overlap (consistent, structured) from error overlap (chaotic, varies between viewers).
Overlap from substitution fixes via Flint's converter. Rebuild clean.