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RobertCBoston
Inspiring
February 19, 2022
Answered

Change font and size in text box

  • February 19, 2022
  • 11 replies
  • 16921 views

I'm using a standalone Adobe Standard 2020, upgrading from an Adobe Standard 9.  Under "9", I used to be able to alter font and size of text in a textbox by going into the "properties" of the text box, but under "2020" the "properties" menu is limited to "delete".  So, I then go to "edit .pdf" and then highlight the text in the textbox I created within an existing .pdf file, but the sidebar (on the right of the screen in the app) is grayed out and won't let me change text or text size.  I have tried all kinds of ways, and the only thing I came up with is to (yes, believe it or not!) create a Microsoft Word file, type in what I want, pick the text size, then copy and paste that into the text box.  There must be a better way, and I would very much appreciate it if someone could provide instructions on "how do I change font and text size withing a textbox".  Thanks.

    Correct answer RobertCBoston

    Hello and thanks for taking the time to help with this issue.  By "textbox" what I mean is that I will open a regular .pdf file, and then on the Quick Tools Bar there is an icon that is a little square with the capital letter "T" inside of it.  Hovering over that icon reveals the nature of the icon "Add text box".  I then create the textbox and type some text inside of it.  Under my older version of Adobe Standard 9, I could then right click on the text box and open "Properties", and within the Properties menu, I could change fonts, font size, and some other things.  That is no longer with Adobe Standard 2020 (standalone version on PC).  I have tried using Ctrl-e to "edit .pdf", but the sidebar (on the right side of the screen) with the editing options, is totally grayed out.  I cannot figure how to edit the text inside of the text box to change fonts, font size, font color, etc. - I can only add or delete text.  Hope this helps. - Postscript Comment - I just tried creating a new .pdf with text box so I could do a screenshot and attach a file, and the Ctrl-e worked...go figure.  If I have problems with an existing .pdf (as opposed to one I just created), I'll update this post, but for now, I may be all set.

    11 replies

    OneSkyWalker
    OneSkyWalker
    Inspiring
    August 29, 2026

    Thanks for posting this, Robert!

    As you commented, when a new text box is first created, it is possible to edit the properties of the text box using Ctrl-E. And it is possible to adjust the font and/or font size.

    But as soon as anything is done with the text box (including adjusting the dimensions of the box), while it is still possible to open the Properties window, the Properties window has changed so that it is no longer possible to adjust the font and/or font size!?!! 😡😡

    It seems that Adobe Acrobat is broken as designed here. I am using Acrobat Free Version 2026.001.21789 on Windows 10.

    So, in answer to the question you originally posted, it is impossible to alter the font and/or font size in an existing text box!?!! 😡

    The only viable option is to first copy the text in the existing box. And please note that it is not possible to select and copy text from the text box directly!?!! 😡. Instead, it is necessary to open the Comment panel. (One way to do that is to select Edit > Search More Tools and select Comment.) Once the Comment panel is open, position the cursor over the text in that panel, right-click, and select Copy Text.

    Once the text is copied, create a new box, paste the text into the new box (use Shift-Ins or Ctrl-V on Windows), select the text just pasted using Ctrl-A, and type Ctrl-E to alter the font and/or font size of the selected text.

    And please note that it is not possible to adjust the size of the text box prior to doing this. One must choose an appropriate font and font size with the text box at its default dimensions!?!! 😡 Only after adjusting the font is it possible to adjust the text box to the desired dimensions and see if the selected font and font size works well!?!! 😡😡

    BaniVerma
    Community Manager
    BaniVermaCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    August 31, 2026

    Hi ​@OneSkyWalker,

     

    Thanks for sharing the detailed steps and for explaining what you're seeing.

     

    You should be able to change the font attributes of text in an existing text box comment without having to copy the text and recreate the text box.

     

    Please try the following:

    1. Select the Select text tool from the Quick Actions toolbar.

    2. Double-click the existing text box comment. You can just select the text you want to modify.

    3. Select Set or change properties for the selected text from the Quick Actions toolbar.

    4. You can use the available formatting options to change the font attributes.

     

    You can also resize an existing text box by selecting it with the Select text tool and dragging an edge of the text box. Resizing the text box should not require you to recreate it before changing the text formatting.

     

    For detailed steps, please refer to:
    https://adobe.ly/4zRKyeA

     

    If the text formatting options are no longer available after you resize the text box, as you described, could you please share a short screen recording showing the complete workflow, from creating the text box through resizing it to attempting to change the font or font size?

     

    That will help us understand the behavior you're seeing with Acrobat 2026.001.21789.

     

    Thanks,
    ^BS

    OneSkyWalker
    OneSkyWalker
    Inspiring
    August 31, 2026

    Thanks for your prompt response, BaniVerna!

    As RobertCBoston notes in his 'Correct answer', what is meant by ‘textbox’ is the box which opens when one selects (from the ‘Comment’ quick action tools bar) the icon that is a little square with the capital letter "T" inside of it, and then left-clicks somewhere in the document.

    If one then immediately types Ctrl-E, here is what one sees:

    However, the Text Box Text Properties popup shown here is not what I saw when I attempted this yesterday. As I recall, the Text Box Text Properties popup was simpler and only allowed me to change the font and font size. And once I typed text into the text box, the Text Box Text Properties popup had some other options, but not options to allow me to change the font and font size.

    What has changed since yesterday, you ask?

    As of yesterday, I had never used the ‘Aa’ icon in the ‘Comment’ quick action tools bar. Once I used that icon once, the behavior of Acrobat changed to something more reasonable. I am now unable to reproduce the unreasonable behavior I saw yesterday.

    I can only suppose that using the ‘Aa’ icon changed some defaults somewhere in Acrobat.

    Is there a way to reset Acrobat to factory defaults?

    If I use that, I might be able to reproduce for you the behavior I saw yesterday, about which many people seem to be complaining. Better yet, you might be able to use that option in a test environment to reproduce the behavior I am seeing.

    Thanks for your prompt attention to this matter!

    try67
    Community Expert
    try67Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 19, 2022

    What do you mean by "textbox", exactly? Is this a text form field? A comment? Static text? Something else? Please clarify and we will help you find the correct way to edit it.

    RobertCBostonAuthorCorrect answer
    Inspiring
    February 19, 2022

    Hello and thanks for taking the time to help with this issue.  By "textbox" what I mean is that I will open a regular .pdf file, and then on the Quick Tools Bar there is an icon that is a little square with the capital letter "T" inside of it.  Hovering over that icon reveals the nature of the icon "Add text box".  I then create the textbox and type some text inside of it.  Under my older version of Adobe Standard 9, I could then right click on the text box and open "Properties", and within the Properties menu, I could change fonts, font size, and some other things.  That is no longer with Adobe Standard 2020 (standalone version on PC).  I have tried using Ctrl-e to "edit .pdf", but the sidebar (on the right side of the screen) with the editing options, is totally grayed out.  I cannot figure how to edit the text inside of the text box to change fonts, font size, font color, etc. - I can only add or delete text.  Hope this helps. - Postscript Comment - I just tried creating a new .pdf with text box so I could do a screenshot and attach a file, and the Ctrl-e worked...go figure.  If I have problems with an existing .pdf (as opposed to one I just created), I'll update this post, but for now, I may be all set.

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