Table shading bleeds over when PDF generated from Word file

Years later, April 2024, I'm troubleshooting a Word document that has the same problem. It might have acquired the persistent shading where it does not belong through the Word>PDF>Word conversion chain. 

It looks from your thorough thread as if I can try saving as .rtf and then reformatting everything in the ( complex) document without the shading. Time consuming, but it will preserve the keystrokes that have been approved through many review cycles. Then we just need to proof the formatting thoroughly. 

Perhaps this is my lesson learned: Go back to the original Word document for editing rather than trying to unconvert the PDF. No matter how inconvenient the search for the Word foundation document might be.

Thanks. So far this is the most helpful commentary I've found online. 

--Nancy

The workaround to this bleeding problem is to save to .rft  and then convert to PDF.

Hello Eric,

I did an export to XPS and print as PDF and the results are the same.

I saved the Word file to .mht and converted that to a PDF and the results are the same.

It doesn't seem to matter what hoops you jump through, you get the same result.

I'm just curious. Can you reproduce it? All you have to do is create a word file, insert a table that extends onto the second page by at least three rows, merge a column, and then shade the column. Producing a PDF from the Word file by any means reproduces the shade bleeding. I have reproduced it on Windows and Mac OS so I know it isn't related to a particular machine setup or file content.

I have created a test Word file that gives full instructions on how to reproduce the problem and already has a shaded table in it. As far as I can tell, there is no way to attach the file here. Regardless, all the instructions and in this thread.

Thanks,

RP

Looks like our workaround is going to be to publish to HTML and not to use Adobe Acrobat.

It would be nice to know the answer to this, if there is one, or to get a bug generated for this issue. Of course, which application to point the finger to, Word or Acrobat, is still a question I guess.

A question posed to the Word forums by someone else with this issue really didn't provide much of an answer other than to redesign the table, something we can't do for our particular case.

Hello Meenakshi,

Windows 7 Professional Service Pack 1

Microsoft Word for Office 365 (16.0.11727.20222) 32-bit

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC version 2019.012.20035

macOS Mojave Version 10.14.5

Microsoft Word for Mac Version 16.26 (19060901)

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Continuous Release Version 2019.012.20034

Best Regards,

RP

To create a Word file to test the shade bleed behavior.

1. Open a new Word file.

2. Insert a table with 55 or so rows so that the table goes past the page boundary onto the second page.

3. Merge the cells in the first column.

4. Shade the merged cell.

5. Save the file.

Pick whatever method of generating a PDF from that Word file that you wish. Create PDF from File in Adobe Acrobat, Save to PDF from Word,  or Print to PDF from Word.

Eric,

"The problem occurs no matter if you generate from Adobe Acrobat, save to PDF, or print to PDF from Word."

To elaborate:

From Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

     File>Create>PDF from File>

From Word

     File>Save as Adobe PDF

     OR

     File>Print>Printer>Adobe PDF

     OR

     Acrobat>Create PDF

Best Regards,

RP

Hi,

Can you describe the steps you are using to generate the pdf?