Free
Change the font of the text in a PDF
To change the font in a PDF with FontiaPDF, open the file, click the line and pick another typeface from the floating toolbar, where you can also change the size, color, bold, italic and underline. Changes apply to the selected line, so you can match a heading or make a figure stand out without touching the rest of the document.
The font list starts with the ones already inside your PDF, grouped under “Included in the PDF”. They are the most faithful choice, because the downloaded file reuses exactly that typeface. Below them come the “Standard” group and a selection of free fonts such as Roboto, Lato and Montserrat.
A real example
A poster for a “Beginner photography workshop” had its title in Lato Bold and its body text in Merriweather, with a subheading or two in Merriweather Bold. To give the whole poster one type family, the title was selected and Merriweather Bold was picked from the “Included in the PDF” group of the font picker: the very font the document already carried. Before applying it, the editor checks that it has every character in the line. The “After” screenshot is the downloaded PDF: the title is now in Merriweather Bold and the rest of the poster is unchanged.
Before
After
How to change a PDF’s font in 3 steps
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Open the PDF in the editor
Upload the document (up to 50 MB). FontiaPDF detects the embedded fonts and lists them at the top of the font picker.
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Select the line and choose a font
Click the text and use the font picker in the floating toolbar; on a phone it sits behind the “Aa” button. Size in points and color are right next to it.
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Download the PDF
Hit “Download PDF”. Every font that gets embedded carries only the characters you use, so the file barely grows.
What happens with non-embedded or subset fonts
A PDF can either carry its fonts inside the file or just name them. The ones inside show up under “Included in the PDF”. The ones that are only named, like the Helvetica or Times used by plenty of machine-generated documents, are not in that group: when you edit a line set in one of them, the downloaded PDF gets a free equivalent with identical metrics (Arimo for Arial or Helvetica, Tinos for Times, Cousine for Courier). For other typefaces, the editor picks a free font based on the font’s name.
On top of that, most apps embed only a subset: the characters the document used and nothing else. If you type one that is missing, that line switches to the equivalent font so it stays fully visible instead of leaving a blank gap. And if you pick a font from “Included in the PDF” for a line that contains a character the font lacks, the editor tells you: “"Lato-Bold" doesn't include the character "ñ" in this PDF — an equivalent font was applied so the text stays fully visible.”
Bold and italic work the same way: if the PDF carries the bold version of its font, the editor uses it; if not, it tells you which font it will use instead. And if the download ends with a notice like “Exported with 1 warning(s): 1 font”, a font couldn’t be used exactly as requested, so check that line in the downloaded file.
Which fonts the picker offers, and what gets embedded
The “Standard” group has Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Courier New, Georgia, Calibri, Cambria, Garamond and Comic Sans MS. These are proprietary fonts, so the PDF gets a free equivalent, and the picker names it in parentheses, for example “Georgia (Gelasio)”. The editor’s preview already uses that font, so what you see while editing is what ends up in the file.
- Identical metrics: Arial and Helvetica (Arimo), Times New Roman (Tinos), Courier New (Cousine), Georgia (Gelasio), Calibri (Carlito), Cambria (Caladea) and Comic Sans MS (Comic Relief).
- Similar look with slightly different widths: Garamond (EB Garamond).
- Embedded as they are, no substitute: Roboto, Open Sans, Lato, Montserrat, Raleway, PT Sans, Merriweather, Playfair Display, Source Sans 3 and Inter.
Tips for a change nobody notices
- For added text that has to look like part of the document, pick the neighboring paragraph’s font from “Included in the PDF” and copy its size in points.
- If the document uses Calibri or Cambria and they aren’t listed under “Included in the PDF”, choose “Calibri (Carlito)” or “Cambria (Caladea)”: they measure the same, so the text takes up the same space.
- A wider font pushes the line further to the right and can bump into nearby text; make up for it by dropping the size half a point or one point.
- Changed your mind? Ctrl+Z brings back the previous font, and if the original font was embedded you can pick it again under “Included in the PDF”.
What’s preserved and what isn’t
Preserved
- Fonts under “Included in the PDF” are reused with their original font program, as long as they have every character in the line.
- The line’s position, size and color, and everything you didn’t touch: only what you change changes.
- Text stays text: in the downloaded PDF it can still be selected, copied and searched.
Limits
- Changes are per line: you can’t change the font of the whole document in one go, or of a single word inside a line.
- You can’t upload your own fonts (TTF or OTF): the picker offers the document’s fonts and its two built-in lists.
- A font whose license forbids embedding is not reused, even if it ships inside the PDF: its equivalent is used instead.
- Verdana, Trebuchet MS, Impact, Palatino, Bookman and Consolas aren’t in the picker because there is no faithful free substitute: if a line set in one of them can’t reuse the PDF’s font, it comes out in another free font and the download warns you.
Free or Premium
Free
20 exports a day, no sign-up and no watermark.
- Change font, size and color
- Bold, italic and underline
- Reuse the fonts included in the PDF
Premium
Unlimited exports and extra features.
- Unlimited exports
- Reorder, duplicate and extract pages from the panel
- Password-protect the PDF
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a font from the PDF on other text?
Yes. Fonts under “Included in the PDF” can be applied to any line, as long as they contain all of its characters. It is the safest way to make added text blend in with the rest of the document.
Why does the font look different in the downloaded PDF?
It happens when the original font is a subset that lacks a character you typed, or when its license doesn’t allow embedding: the line then comes out in its free equivalent. For an identical result, pick a font from “Included in the PDF” that has every character in the line.
Can I upload my own font?
No. You can choose between the fonts already in the document and the ones in the editor’s list.
Is changing the font free?
Yes. Changing the typeface, size, color and style is part of text editing, which is free: 20 exports a day with no sign-up and no watermark.
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