Strange characters in PDF mail merge

Problem

When generating a mail merge, strange characters are appearing in the PDF output.

Explanations

Non-standard characters

Copy and paste from applications such as Microsoft Word can put non-standard characters into the HTML which is converted into Unicode.

These mainly include punctuation such as:

• Curved apostrophes

• Curved quotes

• Dashes of various lengths (such as the long dash)

example of strange characters resulting from use of a wrong apostrophe

Solution

Locate the non-standard characters and replace them with web safe (Unicode) alternatives

More Help

If you've read through these instructions and are still stuck contact the Service Desk we can assist you to identify potential problems with the template/s.

Send us a copy of your HTML via the service desk and we can help to resolve the issue.