In some cases, a document looks different after it has been generated than you had intended. Text that jumps, colours that differ, or images that are not positioned correctly. In this article, we explain what could be causing this and what you can do to prevent it.
1. Fonts are not displayed correctly
The document generator does not support all fonts. If a font is not recognised, it is automatically replaced by a standard font. This can cause the text to become longer or shorter, causing the layout of your document to jump and elements on the page to end up somewhere else.
Solution: Use common fonts such as Times New Roman, Courier New, Calibri, Arial, Source Sans Pro, Cambria, Noto Sans or Noto Serif. These are safe and well supported.
2. Staggered text due to alignment with blank lines (‘enters’)
It can be tempting to get empty lines of text (enters) in exactly the right place. However, this is very sensitive to small shifts. If a line is added or removed somewhere, the entire layout shifts.
Solution: Use fixed page margins or tables for positioning. And if you want a heading to always start on a new page, use ‘Page break’ in Word instead of multiple returns.
3. Use of footnotes or background images
Footnotes and background images are sometimes not processed correctly when generating documents. This can lead to errors in the layout or missing elements.
Solution: Avoid complex elements where possible. If a background is necessary, use a high-quality image in the correct colours (see below).
4. Fixed position images
An image that you have placed in a fixed position (‘fixed position’ in Word) may be displayed differently if the surrounding text changes. This can cause the layout to break unexpectedly.
Solution: For images, choose a positioning option such as ‘In text’ or "Above/below text, so that the image can move with the text.
5. Image colours are incorrect
Sometimes the colour of an image changes in the generated document. This often happens when an image is saved in CMYK (printing colours) while the document is generated in RGB (screen colours).
Solution: Always convert images to RGB before using them in your document. This prevents colour deviations when generating the final document. Do you have a graphic designer on your team? They can probably help you with this.