Acrobat: Cropping Removes Links and Alt-Text

[mmoore02]

When I use Acrobat Pro to crop the size of pages in an existing file, all the hyperlinks are removed, and the alt-text for images also disappears. I've tried it several times, and I'm completely confused! Everything is fine until I crop the pages, then links and alt-text disappear.

Just in case it's relevant, I'm increasing the page size, with contrained proportions and a Y offset. (To solve a different problem: that there seems to be no way to print/save/export/use the Adobe ribbon from PowerPoint to PDF, showing the Presenter's Notes, and also preserving links and alt-text.)

I'm using Acrobat Pro DC Version 2019.021.20049 on a machine running Windows 10 Pro 10.0.17763 Build 17763.

I would be grateful for any guidance.

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[Test Screen Name]

Please describe your steps to crop. What you describe does not sound like the Crop tool (it has nothing about proportions). 

[mmoore02]

Thanks! I didn't even know there was more than one cropping tool. Here are my steps:

1) Show the Page Thumnails pane.

2) Right-click on the first page of the file to open the context-based menu/dialog.

3) Select Crop Pages from the menu/dialog.

4) I get a page that looks like this (this isn't my actual document b/c that contains proprietary info, but is an example):

Sorry the image is small.

5) I then select Constrain Proportions, Custom Page Size, and a Y Offset. I apply it to all pages. That causes the links to all just become plain text.

6) My initial post mis-stated one element: the alt-text for images is preserved. This reveals a different issue: the alt-text for graphs does not get transfered to the PDF at all. Much of my document is graphs and charts.

Again, I appreciate any guidance!

[Test Screen Name]

Well, you taught me something new. That option (Constrain proportions) has been there for years and I never noticed it. It doesn't do what I'd expect (since it doesn't constrain proportions) but I don't think that's your problem.

I did this test:

• Go to Edit PDF, added a web link
• Go to Pages (thumbnail) view, crop a page
• Test the link

The link was still fine. So I suggest you do a modified check

• Go to Edit PDF, examine the link. See where it is and what type it is
• Use cropping as above
• Go back to Edit PDF, see if the link is still there, if it has gone or changed.

If it has changed or gone, what kind of link was it?

[mmoore02 · Accepted solution]

Very good suggestion! Mystery solved: the link wasn't removed--it was moved down the page b/c of the Y offset (and was invisible, so of course I couldn't find it unless I knew to look). Thank you very much!

And, as noted in my previous response, the alt-text wasn't removed by Cropping. Alt-text for images was preserved from pptx to pdf, but for charts / tables was not. I'll go see if I can solve that mystery...

Thanks again. I very much appreciate your help!