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A Word or PowerPoint file shows different fonts than the sender's

Word silently substitutes missing fonts with something similar. The document is not broken; your system is missing a font.

Try this first

  1. 1A yellow bar at the top of the document sometimes says 'A font is missing'. The name is there.
  2. 2Ask the sender to share the font file (.ttf or .otf), or save the document with 'Embed fonts' (Word > File > Options > Save).
  3. 3Install the font: double-click the file > 'Install'. Close Word and reopen.
  4. 4No access to the font? Change the font in the document so it looks right; save under a different name so the original survives.

When to bring us in

Paid fonts (e.g. brand fonts) need a licence before we roll them out broadly. Check internally first.

See also

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