Bold Text Disappears While Converting PDFs & Google Docs/MS Word

This is one of the most common formatting issues we see: you bold a title, signature, or sentence in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, export it to PDF… and the bold is gone or faded. If you’ve searched for:

• bold font save Word doc to PDF
• bolded words gone from PDF
• Word PDF export bold not showing

…you’re in the right place. Let’s break down why this happens — and how you can fix it using Smallpdf’s Edit PDF.

Why Bold Text Disappears When Exporting PDFs

When you save a Word doc or Google Doc as a PDF, bold formatting can disappear because of:

• Unsupported or unembedded fonts
• Simulated bold (fake bold that isn't an actual font weight)
• Corrupt font installations on your device
• Viewer errors when opening the file in different programs
• Font substitution during export or printing

This issue affects users on both Windows and Mac, especially those using custom fonts or older Word versions. Even basic fonts like Arial or Times New Roman may cause issues if bold isn’t correctly applied.

The Problem with Exporting from Microsoft Word

You might export a file from Word thinking everything’s fine—only to find the PDF doesn’t preserve bold text. Here’s why:

• Word sometimes applies a “fake” bold effect instead of a real bold font.
• If your system doesn’t have Arial Bold or Times New Roman Bold installed, the export skips the weight.
• Print to PDF options often don’t embed fonts unless you manually configure it.

So if you’ve seen searches like:

• bold is lost when Word to PDF
• Microsoft Word PDF not bolding
• word bold won’t show on PDF

— this is usually why.

Why Google Docs Isn’t Any Better

Google Docs uses web fonts that don’t always translate perfectly to PDF. When exporting:

• Bold text can appear lighter or completely normal-weight
• Fonts may be substituted with similar system fonts
• Your browser might affect how the export renders boldness

Result: you’re left with a file where bolded words are gone from the PDF, especially on printed documents.

How to Fix It with Smallpdf

The easiest fix is to open your exported PDF in Smallpdf’s Edit PDF tool and reapply bold formatting manually. It only takes a minute.

Here’s how.

Step-by-Step: Reapply Bold Text in a PDF

1. Export the original file as a PDF

• In Microsoft Word: File → Save As → PDF
• In Google Docs: File → Download → PDF Document (.pdf)

Even if the bold disappears, keep going—we’ll fix it next.

2. Open the PDF in Edit PDF

• Drag and drop the file or click Choose File
• Your PDF will load instantly, ready for editing

3. Add bold text using the Text tool

• Click the Text button in the toolbar
• Type the text you want to fix (match the original wording)
• Highlight it and select a bold font from the dropdown

You can also press the bold “B” in the toolbar to apply bold weight directly.

4. Resize, align, and match formatting

• Use the size slider or dropdown to match font size
• Use the color picker if needed (e.g., black for print clarity)
• Position the new bold text over the original faded section

Bonus: Fix Bold Signatures or Form Fields

If your signature appears faint or a fillable field drops bold formatting:

• Add a new text box where your name or value should be
• Type the content and apply bold
• Delete or ignore the original faded field

This works well for government forms, contracts, or any application where bold is legally required.

Save and Print Your Corrected PDF

Once everything looks right: 1. Click Download in the top right 2. Open the file in your preferred PDF viewer 3. Hit Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) 4. Your bold text will now appear clearly in print and digital copies

No formatting bugs. No faint text.

Why Use Smallpdf Instead of Re-Exporting?

Re-exporting usually won’t help if the font itself is the problem. Even if you troubleshoot every setting, Word and Google Docs can’t override missing or substituted bold weights in the exported file. With Smallpdf, you:

• Manually reapply bold with real font control
• Use supported bold fonts that display correctly
• Work in your browser without installing anything
• Fix formatting fast — even if the original tool failed

Fix Missing Bold Text for Good

If you’ve run into any of these issues:

• Export Microsoft Word PDF bold not showing
• Converting Word to PDF bold disappears
• Why does exporting Word documents into PDF change bold font?

You’re not alone. And you don’t need to waste hours reformatting.

Use Smallpdf’s Edit PDF tool to reapply bold styling exactly where it’s missing — and get your document print-ready in minutes.