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The Landman
Participant
February 20, 2024
Question

NEW ACROBAT VERSION: Can no longer create a rectangle and add text on top of it

  • February 20, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 3643 views

The NEW Version of Acrobat with all of it's bullsh*t AI crap forces full (all product lines) subsribers to LOGIN AGAIN AND AGAIN, simply to access HELP files -- the ASSISTANT sucks (same destination) and the (?)HELP icon has 7-9 options on the list, YET ALL OF THEM TAKE USERS TO THE SAME G.DAMNED DESTINATION.

 

Anyway, once upon a time over the last 25 years of my using Adobe Acrobat Pro and DC, I was always able to OPEN a PNG image of a geographical MAP which I had saved from other applications. 

 

Then, I was able to DRAW a RECTANGLE with 0% transparency, WHITE fill, BLACK outline.

THEN, ADD TEXT and drop it right on top of the white rectangle.

This is IMPOSSIBLE NOW. 

COMMENTS does not allow users to CENTER justify the text, THUS I cannot create a TITLE to my maps or other drawings anymore that follow our industry standard format. This cannot be done without going through a dozen unnecessary operations or using another application to create a fully integrated image with my title bar/box. 

There are 100 other things which also annoy the f**k out of me which NOW include screwy controls when attempting to resize a rectangle or circle or drag and drop it with these jacked up "handles" which never accurately OR follow some reliable standard from file to file. 

It's just a piece of sh*t  now...

For $60/month, I'm seeking another product after 25+ years of loyal use.

F*ck em

    2 replies

    S
    Scott25237270gysz
    Participating Frequently
    May 19, 2025

    Please let me know if you have found an alternative/better tool.  I have also been a loyal user for years, but the tool just keeps getting harder to use and more awkward.  I just need to take a PDF and add markings (rectangles with color and partial transaprency), and possibly some text, that are not "comments".  I need to be able to send the edited flat PDF on, and have it easily viewed by people who don't have Acrobat, and who may be viewing the file on various devices and with various file viewers (browsers, MAC preview, etc.).  The way to do this seems to be hidded, and I'm tired of having to perform multiple google searches to relearn how to do this every few months when I need to do it again.  Adobe seems to perpetually out of touch with use cases.  

    AnandSri
    Community Manager
    AnandSriCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    May 19, 2025

    Hello Scott!

     

    I hope you are doing well, and thanks for reaching out.

     

    If you need to add colored, semi-transparent rectangles and text directly into your PDF so that everyone, regardless of viewer, sees exactly what you’ve drawn, you can do it entirely within Acrobat and then “flatten” your edits into the page content.

    Use the Edit PDF tools to draw shapes and text: Open your PDF in Acrobat Pro DC.

    Choose All Tools → Edit PDF.

    In the secondary toolbar:

    Click “Add Rectangle” (it’s the square icon). Draw your box, then set Fill Color and Opacity in the right-hand Format pane.

    Click “Add Text” (the T icon) and click inside your rectangle to type. You can adjust font, size, and alignment there. See this article for more info: https://adobe.ly/4dyDCby

     

    Flatten your edits so they become part of the page: 

    Option A: Print to Adobe PDF
    Go to Menu → Print.

    Select “Adobe PDF” as your printer.

    Click Print and choose a filename.

    That “prints” a brand-new PDF with your shapes and text baked into the content—no annotations or comments remain.

     

    Option B: Preflight Flattening
    Open All Tools → Print Production → Preflight.

    In the Preflight dialog, search for “flatten annotations and form fields”.

    Select the “Flatten annotations and form fields” fixup and click Analyze and Fix.

    Save the resulting PDF. See this article for more info: https://adobe.ly/4duQrDO

     

    I hope this helps. If you would like to share your valuable feedback with the product team, please use the Adobe Wish form.

     

    Thanks,

    Anand Sri.

    S
    Scott25237270gysz
    Participating Frequently
    May 19, 2025

    Thank you for the prompt response.

     

    Unfortunately, Adobe does not allow you to print to PDF on a Mac.  This has been a topic of great frustration to me, especially since it is very easy to do on a PC.

     

    I previously tried Preflight a few years ago and I had some difficulties.  I will look at it again.

    Bevi Chagnon @ PubCom
    Bevi Chagnon @ PubCom
    Participating Frequently
    February 21, 2024

    Hi @The Landman,

    Please don't shoot the messenger. This is a user-to-user forum staffed by unpaid volunteers unless you see the red Adobe logo next to someone's name.

     

    There are differences between editing PDF content and commenting on it, and part of that is control over the visual formatting, positioning, resizing, etc

     

    Comments do not change or edit the content. They're like a sticky note stuck on the face of a printed page — the real content is still there and hasn't changed regardless of what the comment does. And depending upon the software the end user has (the folks reading your PDF) and their personal settings, they may or may not see your comments, and they may not be able to print them, either.  Comments are a form of virtual text.

     

    But Acrobat's Editing tools let you add new content, delete content, format it, and quite a lot of what you're describing.

     

    If you're using the new GUI interface, it's tough to find the correct tools for editing and commenting. You might consider switching back to the old "classic" interface where it's easier to identify the tools.

     

    In Windows:

    • Hamburger Menu (3 horizontal bars where the old FILE menu used to be), and towards the bottom is Disable New Acrobat.

    On Macs:

    • View Menu, Disable New Acrobat.

     

    Hope this helps.

     

      J
      Jaak5E23
      Participant
      February 21, 2024

      "Disable New Acrobat" is the best new function in new Pro versrion 🙂

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