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Participant
June 10, 2024
Answered

Numbers showing as symbols when using Edit and adding Text

  • June 10, 2024
  • 4 replies
  • 13633 views

I have a PDF document. I want to add a text box and I used 'Edit' then 'Text' under ADD CONTENT. The letters come out OK but numbers are showing as symbols. I searched for the issue and found something to do with changing the language from English with Arabic Support, but that hasn't worked. Also if I type hyphen in the text box, it starts typing the letters from right to left. Such a simple task is so painful and I end up having to use InDesign. The image attached I tried to type 'abc-12345' and you can see the result.

I am so frustrated by Adobe Acrobat. It is so buggy in the last year or so and trying to contact Adobe is impossible. This is a paid subscription and the programme rarely works how it used to. It wastes so much time in my work trying to resolve the issue.

Correct answer try67

These are actually "Hindi" digits (used in Arabic). Go to the application Preferences, Language tab, and tick off the box next to "Hindi Digits".

4 replies

Inspiring
June 10, 2025

Just to say that I had this problem today with a brand new Windows 11 PC to which I had installed Acrobat using my Creative Cloud subscription. EDIT/PREFERENCES/LANGUAGE/APPLICATION LANGUAGE was set to "English with support for Arabic". Changing it to "English" solved the problem. But why, oh why, did Adobe decide that I resident in the UK wanted Arabic support?

Participant
May 13, 2025

The language i found in spelling is also set to Arabic as default 🤷‍♂

Participant
March 19, 2025

Thank you this resolved my problem - madness that Adobe defaulted to that setting following an update.

try67
Community Expert
try67Community ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
June 10, 2024

These are actually "Hindi" digits (used in Arabic). Go to the application Preferences, Language tab, and tick off the box next to "Hindi Digits".

Participant
September 25, 2024

I cannot tell you how helpful this answer is - very much appreciated.  It is staggering to me that working in a UK office with 100% english language being used, why on earth Acrobat would default to this insane setting.  I was about to give up and send a handwritten amendment because the software is so useless and frustrating.  Hard to believe the Acrobat is more awkward to use now that it was in 2004.  Infuriating!

Participant
October 3, 2024

Just to say - I had exactly same issue and also find this software rewally buggy - very nearly cancelled the subs a few times!