Text Quality Issues

Fix blurry, pixelated, or poor-quality text in print PDFs

Common Text Problems

Text quality is critical for professional printed materials. Poor text rendering can ruin an otherwise perfect design.

Good news: Most text issues are easily fixable with correct export settings. Text should always be crisp and sharp in print.

Problem 1: Blurry or Pixelated Text

Symptoms:

• Text looks fuzzy or pixelated when zoomed in PDF
• Jagged edges on letters
• Loss of detail in small text
• Poor quality when printed

Root cause: Text rasterized instead of kept as vector

Understanding Vector vs Raster Text

Vector Text (Correct)

What it is:

• Text stored as mathematical outlines
• Infinitely scalable
• Always sharp at any zoom level
• Small file size

In PDF:

• Fonts embedded as vector data
• Perfect quality at any resolution
• Smooth curves and edges

Example:

Text "Hello" at 12pt
Vector: Perfect at 100% and 1000% zoom
File size: ~5 KB

This is what you want: Sharp, crisp, professional

Raster Text (Wrong)

What it is:

• Text converted to pixels/image
• Fixed resolution
• Pixelated when zoomed
• Large file size

In PDF:

• Text becomes embedded image
• Quality limited by DPI
• Jagged edges visible

Example:

Text "Hello" at 12pt
Rasterized at 300 DPI: Pixelated at high zoom
File size: ~50 KB

Avoid: Unless special effects require it

How to Check

In Adobe Acrobat:

1. Open PDF
2. Zoom to 400-800%
3. Look at text edges

Vector text: Smooth curves at any zoom Raster text: Pixelated, jagged edges when zoomed

Also check:

• File → Properties → Fonts tab
• Should list embedded fonts
• If no fonts listed = text rasterized (bad)

In Preview (Mac):

1. Open PDF
2. Zoom to 400%
3. Try to select text (Text tool)

Vector: Selectable Raster: Not selectable (it’s an image)

Solutions

Solution 1: Ensure Text Not Flattened

In Figma before export:

Check for issues:

• Text with certain effects may rasterize
• Heavily outlined text
• Text with complex masks
• Text converted to outlines manually

Keep text as text:

• Use native Figma text layers
• Avoid converting to outlines unless necessary
• Minimize effects on text
• Use separate layers instead of masks when possible

When to convert to outlines:

• Only if font can’t be embedded
• Custom lettering/logos
• Special effects requiring it

Result: Text stays vector through export

Solution 2: Verify Export Settings

In Printery:

Check these settings:

Export tab:

• ✓ Embed fonts: Enabled (critical)
• ✓ Subset fonts: Enabled (recommended)
• DPI: 300 (for images, not text)

What “Embed fonts” does:

• Includes font data in PDF
• Text remains vector
• Quality perfect

If disabled:

• Fonts not embedded
• Text may substitute
• Or text rasterized (bad)

Always enable: Font embedding

Solution 3: Check DPI Settings

Common confusion: DPI affects images, not vector text

Correct understanding:

• Vector text: Resolution-independent (always perfect)
• Rasterized text: Limited by DPI

If text looks bad:

• Problem is NOT DPI setting
• Problem is text was rasterized
• Fix: Keep text as vector (see solutions above)

DPI only matters:

• For images in your design
• For rasterized effects
• Not for normal text

Setting: Keep DPI at 300 for images

Solution 4: Avoid Problematic Effects

Some effects force rasterization:

Effects that may cause issues:

• Heavy layer blur on text
• Complex blend modes
• Multiple overlapping effects
• Extreme transformations

Alternatives:

Instead of blur on text:

• Use separate background blur layer
• Apply effect to shape behind text
• Keep text layer clean

Instead of complex blending:

• Simplify effect
• Use solid colors where possible
• Separate text from effect layers

Test: Export and check PDF after each effect added

Solution 5: Font Licensing Issues

Some fonts can’t be embedded (licensing):

Symptoms:

• Font embedding fails silently
• Text substituted with default font
• Or text rasterized to preserve appearance

Check font license:

1. In Figma, select text
2. Check font name in properties
3. Research font license (Google font name + “embedding”)

Solutions:

Option A: Use embeddable font

• Google Fonts: All embeddable
• Adobe Fonts: Most embeddable
• Check license before using

Option B: Convert to outlines (last resort)

• Right-click text → “Outline Stroke”
• Text becomes vector shapes (still sharp)
• But no longer editable as text
• File size slightly larger

Option C: Contact font creator

• Purchase commercial license
• Get permission for embedding

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Problem 2: Small Text Not Readable

Symptoms:

• Text under 6-8pt hard to read
• Fine details lost
• Letters blending together

Cause: Text too small for print medium or font choice

Minimum Readable Sizes

Print Size Guidelines

Minimum sizes for readability:

Body text:

• Minimum: 8pt
• Recommended: 9-12pt
• Optimal: 10-11pt

Fine print (disclaimers, etc.):

• Minimum: 6pt (legal limit for some)
• Recommended: 7-8pt
• Below 6pt: Often unreadable

Headlines:

• Minimum: 14pt
• Recommended: 18-24pt
• Large format: 36pt+

Business cards:

• Name: 10-14pt
• Title: 8-10pt
• Contact: 7-9pt
• Website: 7-8pt minimum

Rule: If you squint to read on screen, too small for print

Font Choice Matters

Not all fonts equal at small sizes:

Better for small text:

• Arial, Helvetica (clean, simple)
• Georgia, Times (serifs for body text)
• Open Sans, Roboto (modern sans-serif)
• Verdana (designed for screen, works print too)

Worse for small text:

• Decorative fonts (ornate details)
• Script fonts (thin, flowing)
• Condensed fonts (letters too narrow)
• Ultra-light weights (strokes too thin)

Example:

8pt Arial: Readable ✓
8pt Scriptina: Barely readable ✗

Choose wisely: Legibility > style for small text

Weight and Style

Affect readability:

Font weight:

• Regular: Best for small text
• Light: Avoid below 10pt
• Bold: Good for emphasis, use sparingly
• Heavy/Black: Avoid for body text

Style:

• Roman/Regular: Most readable
• Italic: Harder to read small, use sparingly
• All caps: Harder to read, use only headlines

Kerning/Tracking:

• Normal: Best for small text
• Tight: Makes smaller text harder
• Loose: Wastes space but more readable

Stick to defaults: For text under 10pt

Solutions

1. Increase Text Size

   Simple but effective:

   Minimum adjustments:

   • 6pt → 8pt (significant improvement)
   • 8pt → 9pt (better readability)
   • 10pt → 11pt (optimal for body text)

   Adjust layout:

   • May need to reflow text
   • Increase text box size
   • Reduce other elements if needed

   Priority: Readability > fitting everything

2. Change Font

   To more readable option:

   Replace:

   • Decorative → Simple sans-serif
   • Light weight → Regular weight
   • Condensed → Normal width

   Test: Print sample at actual size, read from 12-18” away

   Maintain style: Choose readable font within brand guidelines

3. Increase Contrast

   Make text stand out:

   Color combinations (best to worst):

   • Black on white: Maximum contrast ✓
   • Dark gray on white: Good ✓
   • White on black: Good (reverse type) ✓
   • Light gray on white: Poor ✗
   • Yellow on white: Very poor ✗

   Fix:

   • Darken text color
   • Lighten background
   • Aim for high contrast

   Check: Squint test - can you still read it?

4. Use Bold for Emphasis

   Instead of size:

   If text must stay small:

   • Make important parts bold
   • Use medium/semibold weight
   • Don’t use light weights

   Example:

   Name: John Doe (bold 8pt)
   Title: Designer (regular 8pt)
   

   Result: Hierarchy maintained even at small size

5. Print Test at Actual Size

   Critical check:

   1. Export PDF
   2. Print at 100% (actual size, not “fit to page”)
   3. Read from normal viewing distance
   4. If hard to read, increase size

   Viewing distances:

   • Business card: 12-18”
   • Flyer: 18-24”
   • Poster: 3-6 feet
   • Banner: 10-20 feet

   Adjust accordingly: Larger viewing distance = larger text needed

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Problem 3: Font Substitution

Symptoms:

• PDF shows different font than designed
• Text looks wrong
• Layout shifted/broken

Cause: Font not embedded, system substituted different font

Diagnosis

Check Font Embedding

In Adobe Acrobat:

1. File → Properties
2. Fonts tab
3. Check list of fonts

Should show:

Helvetica Neue (Embedded Subset)
Georgia (Embedded Subset)

If shows:

Helvetica Neue (Substituted)

= Font not embedded, substituted

Empty font list: Text rasterized or fonts missing

Common Causes

Why fonts not embedding:

1. Font licensing prohibits embedding:

• Some fonts legally can’t be embedded
• Check font license

2. Font not installed when exporting:

• Figma font missing locally
• Can’t embed what’s not available

3. Export settings wrong:

• “Embed fonts” disabled
• Check Printery settings

4. Font file corrupted:

• Rare but possible
• Try reinstalling font

5. Special characters missing:

• Font doesn’t include character
• Character substituted

Solutions

1. Enable Font Embedding

   In Printery:

   Export tab → ✓ Embed fonts

   Also enable:

   • ✓ Subset fonts (smaller file size)

   Re-export: Generate new PDF

   Verify: Check PDF fonts tab again

2. Use Embeddable Fonts

   Safe choices:

   Google Fonts: All free to embed

   • Roboto, Open Sans, Lato, Montserrat, etc.

   Adobe Fonts: Most embeddable (check individual license)

   System fonts: Usually embeddable

   • Arial, Helvetica, Times, Georgia

   Avoid: Fonts from unknown sources without clear license

3. Convert to Outlines (Last Resort)

   If font can’t embed:

   In Figma:

   1. Select text layer
   2. Right-click → “Flatten Selection”
   3. Text becomes vector shape

   Advantages:

   • Appearance preserved exactly
   • No embedding needed
   • Still vector (sharp)

   Disadvantages:

   • No longer editable as text
   • Larger file size
   • Can’t search/copy text in PDF

   Use when: Font licensing prevents embedding

4. Check Special Characters

   If only some characters wrong:

   Possible cause: Font missing those glyphs

   Check:

   • Currency symbols (€, £, ¥)
   • Accented characters (é, ñ, ü)
   • Special punctuation (—, ”, ”)

   Solution:

   • Use font that includes needed characters
   • Or use character from different font for those specific symbols

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Problem 4: Text Not Overprinting (White Gaps)

Symptoms:

• White gaps around black text on colored background
• Text looks misaligned
• Registration issues

Cause: Overprint not enabled for black text

Understanding Overprint

What is Overprint?

Printing concept:

Without overprint (knockout):

• Background color removed under text
• Text printed in gap
• If misaligned = white gap visible

With overprint:

• Background color prints normally
• Black text prints on top
• Small misalignments invisible

Example:

Black text on cyan background
Without overprint: C knocked out, K prints in gap
With overprint: C100 prints, then K100 on top

Result: No registration problems

When to Use Overprint

Always overprint:

• Black text on colored backgrounds
• Black outlines/strokes
• Black graphic elements over colors

Never overprint:

• Colored text (will mix with background)
• White text (makes invisible)
• Reversed text (white on black background)

Rule: Only pure black (K100) should overprint

Check in PDF

Adobe Acrobat:

1. View → Overprint Preview
2. Look at black text on colors
3. Should NOT show white gaps

If white gaps visible:

• Overprint not working
• Registration problems likely in print

Fix: See solutions below

Solutions

Enable Black Overprint

In Printery:

Color tab → Black handling → Overprint black

What it does:

• Automatically sets black objects to overprint
• Prevents registration gaps
• Industry standard practice

Re-export: PDF now has overprint enabled

Verify: Use Overprint Preview in Acrobat

Manual Overprint in Acrobat

If Printery doesn’t support:

Adobe Acrobat Pro:

1. Tools → Print Production → Output Preview
2. Select black text
3. Set to overprint
4. Save PDF

Disadvantage: Manual process, not ideal

Better: Use Printery’s automatic option

Use Rich Black for Areas

For large black areas (not text):

Instead of: K100 (may show pinholes)

Use: C60 M40 Y40 K100 (rich black)

• Deeper black
• Fills any small gaps
• Should NOT overprint (knockout)

Text remains: K100 with overprint

Result: Best of both - rich areas, safe text

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Problem 5: Text Looks Lighter/Thinner Than Expected

Symptoms:

• Text appears thinner in print than on screen
• Light fonts nearly invisible
• Headlines lack weight

Cause: Ink spread, paper absorption, font weight

Understanding Ink Gain

What is Ink Gain?

Physical printing reality:

Ink spreads when hits paper:

• Absorbs into fibers
• Spreads beyond intended area
• Makes everything slightly thicker/darker

Typical gain: 10-20%

Effect on text:

• Heavy text: Gets heavier (good)
• Light text: May not compensate (looks thin)
• Thin fonts: Can become too light

Paper type matters:

• Coated: Less spread (better)
• Uncoated: More spread
• Newsprint: Most spread

Font Weight Compensation

Screen vs print:

On screen:

• Light fonts look elegant
• Thin strokes visible (backlit)

In print:

• Light fonts can disappear
• Thin strokes don’t reflect light well
• Needs more weight

Recommendation:

• Screen: Regular weight OK
• Print: Use Medium or Semibold for same visual weight

Solutions

1. Increase Font Weight

   Compensate for print:

   Replace:

   • Light → Regular
   • Regular → Medium
   • Medium → Semibold

   Especially for:

   • Headlines (need impact)
   • Reversed text (white on black)
   • Uncoated paper stock

   Test: Print sample to verify

2. Increase Font Size

   Make strokes thicker:

   Larger text = thicker strokes = better visibility

   Example:

   • 10pt Light: Too thin
   • 12pt Light: Better
   • 10pt Regular: Better

   Adjust as needed: Size + weight together

3. Avoid Ultra-Light Fonts

   For print projects:

   Don’t use:

   • Helvetica Neue UltraLight
   • Roboto Thin
   • Any “Hairline” fonts

   Better choices:

   • Regular weight minimum
   • Medium for headlines
   • Bold for emphasis

   Exception: Large format (posters, banners) from distance

4. Increase Ink Coverage (Advanced)

   For pure black text:

   Instead of: K100 only

   Use: K100 + C20 (makes slightly denser)

   • More ink = less pinholes
   • Text appears more solid
   • Small difference but helps

   Caution: May cause registration issues if misaligned

   Best for: Large text (>18pt), uncoated paper

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Problem 6: Text Has Color Fringing/Halo

Symptoms:

• Colored edge around black text
• Rainbow effect on text
• Misaligned color layers

Cause: Trapping/registration issue or CMYK black on color background

Understanding the Problem

CMYK Black vs Pure Black

Two types of black:

Pure black (K100):

• Single ink (black only)
• Sharp, clean edges
• No color fringing

CMYK black (C60 M40 Y40 K100):

• Four inks combined
• If misaligned = color fringing
• Registration critical

For text: Always use pure K100 For areas: Can use CMYK (rich black)

Overprint vs Knockout

Affects appearance:

Overprint (text on top):

• Black prints over background
• No fringing
• Safe

Knockout (text cuts hole):

• Background removed
• Text prints in gap
• If CMYK black + misalignment = fringing

Solution: Pure black text with overprint enabled

Solutions

1. Use Pure Black for Text

   In Figma:

   Set text color to: R0 G0 B0

   In Printery:

   Color tab → Black handling → Preserve black

   Ensures: Text stays K100 (pure black)

   Not converted: To CMYK mix

   Result: Clean, sharp text with no fringing

2. Enable Overprint

   In Printery:

   Color tab → Overprint black text

   What it does: Black prints on top of background

   Prevents: Fringing from misalignment

   Verify: Overprint Preview in Acrobat shows no fringing

3. Check Trapping (Advanced)

   For professional print:

   Ask printer: “Do you handle trapping?”

   Most professional printers: Yes (automatic during RIP)

   What trapping does:

   • Slightly overlaps colors
   • Prevents white gaps
   • Compensates for misalignment

   You shouldn’t need: To handle manually

   If printer doesn’t: Find better printer

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Text Quality Checklist

Before exporting:

• All text in readable fonts (avoid decorative for small text)
• Minimum size 7-8pt (6pt absolute minimum)
• Black text uses pure black (R0 G0 B0), not CMYK mix
• Font weights appropriate (not ultra-light)
• High contrast between text and background
• Special characters present in chosen font

In Printery export settings:

• Embed fonts: Enabled ✓
• Subset fonts: Enabled ✓
• Black handling: Preserve black
• Overprint black: Enabled ✓
• DPI: 300 (for images, text is vector)

After exporting:

• Open PDF, zoom to 400% - text has smooth edges
• File → Properties → Fonts: All fonts embedded
• Use Overprint Preview: No white gaps around text
• Text selectable with cursor (not rasterized)
• Print test: Text readable at actual size

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When Text Quality Really Matters

Critical for:

• Business cards (name, contact info must be perfect)
• Letterhead (professional image)
• Resumes (readability critical)
• Legal documents (fine print must be readable)
• Packaging (ingredient lists, legal text)
• Books/booklets (pages of body text)

Less critical for:

• Posters (viewed from distance, size compensates)
• Banners (large text, outdoor viewing)
• Stickers (decorative, not informational)

Invest time: In getting text perfect for critical materials

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Learn More

Export Settings

Configure export options correctly

Black Handling

Understanding pure vs rich black

Preflight Checklist

Complete quality control guide

Design to Print

Full workflow tutorial

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Golden rule for text: Keep it simple, keep it vector, keep it embedded. 99% of text problems come from rasterization or missing font embedding.