How to Embed Fonts in a Microsoft Word Document

If you use a custom font (anything other than Word’s built-in fonts) in your document, embedding those fonts ensures that whoever views the document sees it the way you intended.

If you’ve ever opened a Microsoft Word document with a custom font that you don’t have embedded, you know that Microsoft Word changes the custom font to your default font setting. That change can mess with the layout of your document and make it look sloppy and hard to read. You can embed custom fonts in your Microsoft Word document to make sure that it retains your formatting when you send it to someone else. Embedding fonts does make document file sizes a bit larger, but it’s worth it in some situations.

Here’s how to embed a custom font in your Microsoft Word document.

In an open document, switch over to the “File” menu.

On the sidebar that opens, click the “Options” command.

In the Word Options window, click the “Save” category.

On the right, select the “Embed fonts in the file” check box.

Check the box for “Embed only the characters used in the document (best for reducing file size).” Choosing this option means that Word will only embed a font if it’s used in the document. If you don’t check this option, Word will embed all fonts in your system in the file, even if they’re not being used.

You should leave “Do not embed common system fonts” checked. This option also reduces file size because it won’t embed common system fonts.

Click “OK” to save your settings.

Now the fonts you used in your document are embedded into the file, and your document will look its best when someone else views it.