Your preview and your PDF are built by the same rendering engine, so in almost every case they match closely. When something looks off, it is usually one of a few simple causes below.
Why they should match
The editor preview and the downloaded PDF are produced from the same template and the same engine. The preview is designed to be an accurate picture of the final file, not a rough approximation. Small pixel-level smoothing differences between a screen and a PDF reader are normal and do not change your layout.
Common causes and fixes
- Browser zoom. If the editor is zoomed in or out, text and spacing can look different on screen. Reset zoom to 100% (
Cmd/Ctrl + 0) and compare again. - Very long content overflowing. If a section runs past the page, the preview and PDF may break it in places you did not expect. Trim a few bullets or shorten long lines and the layout settles. See Fix spacing and page breaks.
- An older PDF. If you downloaded earlier, then kept editing, your saved file is from before those edits. Download a fresh copy.
- The PDF reader. Different readers render fonts slightly differently. Try opening the file in another viewer (for example, your browser) to confirm.
If it still looks different
Refresh the editor so the preview rebuilds, then download once more. If the two genuinely do not match after that, contact us and let us know which template you are using.