Incorrect PDF export settings

How you'd notice this

The exported PDF looks fine on screen but gets rejected by KDP or IngramSpark, or looks noticeably different once printed than it did in your formatting program, wrong page size, missing bleed, fonts not embedded, or images that look softer than expected are all frequently traced back to the export step itself, not the layout.

Why it happens

Most programs offer more than one "export to PDF" path, and the quick ones (a generic "print to PDF" driver, or a web/online-optimized preset) skip settings that matter for print, font embedding, full resolution images, and bleed inclusion among them. The layout can be perfect and still produce a bad file if the wrong export path or preset is used.

How to fix it

• Always use your program's real "Export/Save as PDF" or "Create PDF" feature, never a generic "Print to PDF" virtual printer, which typically strips font embedding and uses screen resolution.
• Choose a print-quality preset over a web/online-optimized one whenever the export dialog offers a choice.
• After exporting, re-open the PDF and manually confirm: page size matches trim size, fonts show as embedded in your PDF viewer's document properties, and any bleed pages show artwork extending past the trim line.
• The exact steps differ by program, see the software-specific PDF Export walkthrough linked above for Word, Google Docs, Atticus, and InDesign specifically.