Export CSV in UTF-8 (Excel & Google Sheets): Avoid Garbled Certificate Names

Why special characters break on certificates

Certificates usually pull names from a CSV and render them into a PDF. If the CSV encoding is wrong, the PDF generator reads the bytes incorrectly and replaces accented letters with broken text. Organizers often notice it after export—when it’s already too late and reprinting becomes the only option.

The fix is not “change fonts” or “manually edit the PDF.” The fix is to make sure the source file is a UTF-8 CSV and that the system importing it treats it as UTF-8.

What is UTF-8 (and why it’s the safest CSV encoding)

UTF-8 is a Unicode encoding that can represent characters from many languages (including Spanish and other Latin-based alphabets) in a consistent way across systems. In certificate workflows, UTF-8 matters because:

• Certificates are global: participants often have names with accents, tildes, and non-English letters.
• CSV is fragile: unlike modern spreadsheets, CSV has no built-in “this is Unicode” guarantee unless the encoding is set correctly.
• Scale amplifies pain: at 1,000+ participants, even a 2% encoding issue becomes dozens of support tickets and reprints.

You’ll sometimes hear “Unicode” used loosely. The important part is: your CSV file must be saved as UTF-8, and the tool that imports it must read it as UTF-8.

The certificate workflow where encoding goes wrong

Most organizers follow a workflow like this:

1. Collect participant data in Excel or Google Sheets.
2. Export a CSV.
3. Upload the CSV into a certificate generator.
4. Generate certificates (often in bulk).

Encoding issues usually happen at step 2 (export) or step 3 (import). The tricky part is that names can look correct inside Excel, but become broken after export—because Excel’s “CSV” export option is not always UTF-8.

How to export a UTF-8 CSV from Excel

Excel is the #1 source of certificate name encoding problems—especially on Windows—because “CSV (Comma delimited)” may use your system’s default encoding instead of UTF-8.

Option A (best): “CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited)”

If your Excel version shows a UTF-8 CSV option, use it.

Option B (reliable fallback): Export via Google Sheets

If you don’t see a UTF-8 CSV option in your Excel (or the output still breaks), the simplest workaround is:

1. Upload the spreadsheet to Google Drive.
2. Open it in Google Sheets.
3. Download as CSV (Google Sheets exports CSV as UTF-8).

This “Excel → Google Sheets → CSV” method is very common for certificate workflows because it’s consistent across machines and reduces surprises.

Option C (advanced): Force UTF-8 on importers that mis-detect encoding

Sometimes the CSV is UTF-8, but the certificate platform reads it incorrectly (for example, showing José instead of José). In that case, you may need to import with an explicit UTF-8 setting or use a “UTF-8 with BOM” export option if your tooling supports it.

How to export a UTF-8 CSV from Google Sheets

Google Sheets is the easiest way to get a UTF-8 CSV export.

1. Open your sheet.
2. Click File → Download → Comma-separated values (.csv).
3. Upload that CSV to your certificate tool.

If you’re generating certificates for multilingual events, Google Sheets is often the “safe exporter” because it keeps special characters intact.

Other tools (LibreOffice / Numbers) that can export UTF-8 CSV

If you’re not using Excel or Google Sheets, look for a setting labeled Character set or Text encoding during export. Choose UTF-8.

• LibreOffice Calc: “Save As” → CSV → enable “Edit filter settings” → choose “Unicode (UTF-8)” as the character set.
• Apple Numbers: “Export To” → CSV → choose UTF-8 if the export dialog offers a text encoding option.

How to verify your CSV is really UTF-8 (before you generate 1,000 certificates)

Don’t wait until you’ve generated and sent certificates to discover an encoding issue. Verify the CSV first.

• Include test names: add a few “hard” names in your CSV (for example: José, Muñoz, García, François, Łukasz).
• Open the CSV in a plain text editor: confirm the characters display correctly (not broken or replaced).
• Do a small preview import: upload 5–10 rows first and render a preview certificate.

Common UTF-8 CSV problems (and fixes)

Problem: “José” becomes “José”

This usually means your CSV is UTF-8, but the importer assumed a different encoding. Fix it by forcing UTF-8 during import (if the platform offers an encoding choice). If not, try exporting as CSV UTF-8 again and re-upload. Some tools also detect UTF-8 more reliably when the file includes a UTF-8 BOM.

Problem: Accents become “�” or “?”

The “replacement character” (�) typically means the importer couldn’t decode the bytes. Re-export as CSV UTF-8 and avoid editing the CSV in tools that may change encoding silently.

Problem: The data is already lost (e.g., “Muñoz” becomes “Munoz”)

If accents disappeared entirely, the text may have been normalized or stripped earlier in the pipeline. The only fix is to go back to the source list and restore the correct names before exporting again.

Problem: Columns shift (commas inside names)

CSV is comma-separated. If a name includes a comma (for example, “García, Jr.”), it must be quoted properly. Spreadsheet exporters usually handle this automatically—problems happen when people manually edit the CSV afterward.

Why UTF-8 matters for certificate generation in 9Pic AI

With 9pic Certify, your certificates are generated from participant data. A properly exported UTF-8 CSV ensures names render correctly for Spanish and other supported languages—so you don’t end up with broken names when you’re generating certificates in bulk.

If you’re doing certificates for large events, UTF-8 isn’t a “nice-to-have.” It’s the difference between:

• A smooth certificate rollout (correct names, fewer support messages)
• A painful cleanup week (manual edits, re-exports, reprints, resend emails)

For multilingual events, you can also review platform language support on Language Support. If you want a recommended workflow for your event size, contact us.

FAQ

Does Excel export CSV in UTF-8 by default?

Not always. Many Excel setups default to “CSV (Comma delimited)” without UTF-8, which is where most special-character issues begin. Look specifically for a UTF-8 CSV option.

Is Google Sheets CSV export UTF-8?

In practice, Google Sheets is one of the most reliable ways to export a UTF-8 CSV for certificate tools. If Excel is giving inconsistent results, Google Sheets is a good fallback.

What is a UTF-8 BOM, and do I need it?

A BOM (byte order mark) is a small marker some software uses to detect UTF-8 more reliably. Many systems don’t need it, but some older import flows behave better when it’s present. If your UTF-8 CSV still imports with broken characters, BOM support can help.

Why do names look correct in Excel but wrong on certificates?

Excel can display Unicode correctly inside the spreadsheet, but the exported CSV encoding may not match what your certificate platform expects. The fix is exporting as UTF-8 and verifying with a preview.

Can I “fix” a broken CSV after exporting?

Sometimes. If the issue is just an encoding mismatch, re-exporting as UTF-8 (or importing with UTF-8 selected) fixes it. If accents were stripped earlier (data loss), you must restore names from the source list.

Should I use CSV or XLSX for certificates?

Many certificate tools accept CSV because it’s simple and works everywhere. If you’re using CSV, make UTF-8 your default. If your tool supports XLSX and you trust it end-to-end, it can also work—but CSV UTF-8 remains the most portable option.

Next steps

Before you generate certificates at scale, do a quick “encoding dry run”: export as CSV UTF-8, upload 10 rows, and preview certificates that include accents and special characters. If you want help setting up a bulletproof workflow for certificates, see 9pic Certify or contact us.