Your Word doc looks perfect. You export to PDF. The PDF has different fonts, page breaks in wrong places, and spacing that's subtly off.
What's actually going wrong
Font substitution. Word uses fonts from your system; PDF needs them embedded. If embedding's off, fallback fonts appear. Page size mismatch. Word page setup and PDF page size disagree. Print settings. Word's PDF export uses your default printer settings, which can shift margins.
The quick fix
Use Flint's Word to PDF. Flint preserves fonts (embedding automatically) and standardises page size to match the Word document, eliminating most shifts.
If using Word's built-in export, enable 'Embed all fonts' in File > Options > Save, and use the 'High quality' PDF preset rather than 'Minimum size'.
If that didn't work
For documents where layout absolutely matters, set page size explicitly in Word before export, use standard fonts (Calibri, Arial, Times), and review the PDF on a different machine to catch font substitution.
For documents that must look identical everywhere, consider converting fonts to outlines before final export. Text becomes shapes, no font substitution possible.
Prevent it next time
Standardise on embedded fonts and standard page sizes. Use Flint for conversions to avoid Word's quirkier export defaults. And review every PDF after export, on a clean machine if possible.
FAQ
Why do my Word fonts look different in PDF?
Either fonts weren't embedded (and the viewer substitutes) or your PDF viewer renders differently. Embed fonts at export and the PDF looks identical everywhere.
Why do page breaks shift in PDF?
Word uses your default printer's page size for layout, even when exporting to PDF. If your default printer has different margins than expected, page breaks shift. Use Flint or explicitly set print preferences.
Can I lock the layout completely?
Convert fonts to outlines before export. Text becomes shapes that render identically everywhere. Downside: text is no longer selectable in the PDF.
Why is Flint better than Word's built-in PDF export?
Flint's defaults preserve more — fonts embed automatically, page sizes carry through, no dependency on your printer settings. Word's defaults sometimes shift content unexpectedly.
Use Flint's Word to PDF for predictable, faithful conversions.