Why DOCX formatting changes
DOCX files can depend on fonts, margins, page setup, images, tables, headers, footers, and app-specific rendering. PDF is designed to lock the view, but the source document still needs to be clean before conversion.
Before converting
Check page breaks, table widths, image placement, headers, footers, and tracked changes. Remove comments if they should not appear in the final PDF.
Use standard fonts when possible, especially for resumes, contracts, invoices, and forms.
After converting
Open the PDF and review every page. Check links, page numbers, bullets, spacing, signatures, and tables. If the file is important, open it on a phone or second browser before sending.
When to keep DOCX
Send PDF when the document is final. Keep DOCX as the editable source for future changes, comments, or version updates.