Text Highlighting Problem

Question

Using Adobe Acrobat Standard DC version 2015.006.30457.  When highlighting text, whether in a scanned image I converted using Acrobat Text Recognition or a pdf I received from someone that already contains recognized text, large blocks of the page are highlighted rather than the selected text.  Often the highlighted area is in a somewhat oval shape.  The problem has begun to occur very frequently in recent months.  Prior to that, text recognition and highlighting worked well.  Is there a solution other than printing the file using Microsoft xps writer, converting to pdf and then performing text recognition.

AkanchhaS8194121 · Accepted Answer

Hi Edc,

Sorry for the delay in response to your initial query. If you are looking for the resolution to this problem, then you may try the following steps-

Try installing the latest patch and update the Acrobat std. to the version 2015.006.30461 Release Notes | Adobe Acrobat, Reader and see if that makes any difference.
It seems to be the trouble with only scanned PDF only, as at time running the OCR doesn't give the accurate result because of the way PDF was created initially. You may check with a normal file that contains real text and see if the highlighting works fine.
As a work around try recreating the using PDF printer, here is a link how it actually works: Using the Adobe PDF printer, Acrobat

and now open the pdf and try highlighting the document.

Let us know if it still doesn't work.

Regards,

Akanchha

April23972298qqmd · Answer

This is the problem I am having in 2023 (and have been having for a very long time)--namely that I'm unable SOME of THE TIME to enjoy text highlighting that is confined to the text I am attempting to highlight. Instead, giant swaths of text are covered in the default color, often in and oval or circular fashion, but covering multiple lines of text, thus eliminating the utility of my high lighting. I usually note 1 - 2 inch vertical lines on the pdf I wish to high light before the problem occurs. Unfortunately, the suggestions here reference solutions referencing 2018 solutions. I'm hoping there's a way to try printing the doc I'm trying to highlight as a new pdf and see if I can highlight the new pdf. Unfortunately, my eyes glaze over trying to figure out what's adobe, acrobat, acrobat reader. In the meantime, this is the closest to an answer I've every seen over the long period of time I've had this problem and sought a solution. I hope it will work. : )

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