Drawing objects misaligned when saving as PDF

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Level 1

8 points

Drawing objects misaligned when saving as PDF

I have a Word document that includes drawing objects (like lines and circles) and PDF objects (like inline equations from MathType).

I want to publish my document as a PDF.

When I use the print dialog and choose “Save as PDF,” the resulting PDF has a problem whereby the drawing objects and inline equations are no longer aligned properly. The regular text stays put, but all the objects are slightly lowered compared to where they were in the Word doc. So the inline equations appear below the surrounding text, and the drawing objects aren’t properly lined up with where I positioned them.

I've asked Microsoft, but they seem to think it's a problem with Apple's PDF converter. I'm using Word 365 on a MacBook Pro. All the software is up to date.

Here is a screenshot of a sample docx file to show you what I'm talking about. Everything looks good here. The bottom of the word "tan" is lined up properly with the surrounding text. The circle is centered around the period.

Here is a screenshot of the resulting PDF when I "Save as PDF." The word "tan" now appears below the surrounding text, and the circle is no longer centered on the period. It prints this way too.

This happens for all my docx files. It looks like a small difference, but it causes problems for the way I need to use these PDFs for work. Please help!

MacBook Pro

Posted on Feb 8, 2019 8:29 AM

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Answer 1

VikingOSX

Level 10

124,208 points

Feb 8, 2019 8:51 AM in response to Frontdo

Are you using the current release of MathType for the Mac? Have you installed the just released LibreOffice v6.2.0, opened your Word document in it, and exported to PDF? I recommend this because LibreOffice has its own PDF library, and the conversion to PDF excludes Apple's PDF conversion software. LibreOffice may or may not get indigestion with the MathType equations though.

You will have to perform the one-time, non-Apple App Store ritual of right-clicking on the installed LibreOffice icon, and selecting Open, and on the next pop-up, select Open again. You will see a progress bar as Apple's security solutions process the application for malware, etc. Once done, the application can be launched normally with a double-click.

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Answer 2

Feb 8, 2019 8:51 AM in response to Frontdo

Try this: instead of using the print command to make the pdf, save the document from Word as a pdf (File->Save As... and then choose PDF as the format).

Does that come out ok?

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Answer 3

Frontdo Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 9, 2019 2:00 PM in response to VikingOSX

Hi, thanks for your suggestion. I do have the current release for MathType. Since the issue also affects drawing objects in the same way, my guess is that it's not a MathType problem.

I also tried LibreOffice. It does create pdfs that look the same as the docx file, so that's an improvement. Unfortunately, it does struggle with the equations, and when I open existing documents, the drawing objects aren't where I originally had them. So it's not really a solution for my existing documents.

I appreciate the suggestions, though. Any other ideas?

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Answer 4

Frontdo Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 9, 2019 2:05 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Hi, thanks for your suggestion. I tried it out. There are two options: one is "Best for printing," and the result there is the same as what I've been getting.

The other is "Best for electronic distribution and accessibility (uses Microsoft online service)." This results in the equations being properly aligned, but I've lost my font, and the drawing objects are much further off (to the left this time).

I appreciate the help, though. Any other ideas?

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Answer 5

Frontdo Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 9, 2019 2:46 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks for this additional idea. I tried your suggestions, but the issue persisted. I don't think it's a problem with the way the PDF is displaying. That's because the PDF looks the same across several computers (Mac and PC) and several PDF viewers. It also prints that way.

Instead, I think it's a problem with the way the PDF is being created using the "Save as PDF" process. Thanks for any additional recommendations you might be able to provide.

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Answer 6

VikingOSX

Level 10

124,208 points

Feb 9, 2019 5:14 PM in response to VikingOSX

On macOS High Sierra 10.14.3 (18D109), and using the same Pages v7.3 document without any baseline shift, the PDF imaged correctly with no change in equation elevation from rest of the sentence. I tried this via Export best, and via Print menu : PDF : Save as PDF with no variation.

This is 10.14.3 with the Feb. 7 supplemental update.

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Answer 7

Frontdo Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 11, 2019 8:17 AM in response to VikingOSX

Hi, thanks for your continued attention to this and for your detailed investigation. I'm not sure about High Sierra 10.13.6, but I now have High Sierra 10.14.3 (18D109), and I can confirm the same thing you observed: in Pages, the MathType equations and drawing objects behave properly when the document is saved as a PDF.

Unfortunately, the problem has not resolved itself in Word. Switching to Pages is not really a viable option for me, as the current document I'm working on already has 170 pages of material, with lots of equations, drawing objects, and specialized formatting. It simply doesn't translate to other word processors. I'm just not sure what to do.

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Answer 8

VikingOSX

Level 10

124,208 points

Feb 9, 2019 4:57 PM in response to Frontdo

If I embed a LaTeX equation in Pages using its equation editor, and do nothing, the exported PDF shows the equation has climbed slightly in the sentence. Preview PDF views are from Preview 10.0 in High Sierra 10.13.6 (17G5019). The point of the following is that yes, there is probably a bug in the PDF generation library, and you may be able to wiggle your equation back into line using a negative baseline shift of strictly your equation selection in Word.

Before (looks normal enough):

and from the exported (best) PDF at 100%:

And back to Pages, where I have selected the equation, and used a baseline shift of -1% to counter-effect the equation's tendency to climb:

and the resulting PDF, again at 100%:

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Answer 9

VikingOSX

Level 10

124,208 points

Feb 9, 2019 2:19 PM in response to Frontdo

If you don't have it, get Adobe Acrobat Reader DC v2019.010, and see if the PDF images correctly in it. Also, try tweaking Apple's Preview Preferences : PDF as shown below:

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Drawing objects misaligned when saving as PDF

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