Cannot view pdf files through e-mail or finder - document distorted

Hi MikeAfrica,

Thanks for reaching out here in the Apple Support Communities. I understand that PDFs from one sender is displaying as dots where characters should be when downloaded to a Mac or viewed in the Mac Mail app.

The screenshot is a great way to see what you mean, and I'm glad to help with this.

It helps to know this only happens with one sender, which would indicate that the Issue originates with how that person is creating the PDF.

Usually this happens if the fonts used when creating the PDF aren't available on your computer, and the sender didn't properly embed the fonts when creating the PDF.

It makes sense that it would appear properly in a web browser, since that PDF-viewer isn't depending on fonts that are installed on your Mac.

I suggest you see how the sender is creating and saving the PDF, and if they are creating it from within another program, or are using unique fonts.

I would also ask them to test with a completely different document, and use common fonts, and see if the issue still remains.

I hope this helps.