My setup: Windows 10 Pro x64Acrobat DC (installed via Adobe Creative Cloud)Issue:when I print a webpage from my browser and then try to select text (via the Selection tool, the arrow titled to the top left) it selects a chunk of text (rather than a single line). Note that the underlying text is there, it is not an issue of it printing an image. The example here uses Chrome but I have similar results with Firefoxwhen I print the same webpage via Adobe Acrobat (via Create > PDF from webpage) the resulting file allows me to select the textfor reference I include files from each of the approaches as well as an image showing the problem of selecting text when I print from the browser: I only can attach one filer per post so I will include them in follow-up postsThere is clearly a setting I am missing which is not correct. Fonts are not the issue: see two posts downI have noticed that the fonts are different in the two cases (in Acrobat: File > Properties > Fonts),when I print from the browser I get some Type 3 fontwhen I print from Acrobat I get (more familiat) TrueType fontsI had tried forcing TrueType fonts by going to Windows Settings > Printers> Adobe PDF > Manage > Printer Properties > Preferences > Paper Quality > Advanced > Graphic: True Type Font > select "Download as Softfont" but this did not change things. If anyone has suggestions on how to proceed I would greatly appreciate it!

A

Anonymous

Answered

Acrobat DC: Unable to select text when print from browser

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
March 23, 2020
5 replies
23330 views

My setup: Windows 10 Pro x64

Acrobat DC (installed via Adobe Creative Cloud)

Issue:

when I print a webpage from my browser and then try to select text (via the Selection tool, the arrow titled to the top left) it selects a chunk of text (rather than a single line). Note that the underlying text is there, it is not an issue of it printing an image. The example here uses Chrome but I have similar results with Firefox
when I print the same webpage via Adobe Acrobat (via Create > PDF from webpage) the resulting file allows me to select the text
for reference I include files from each of the approaches as well as an image showing the problem of selecting text when I print from the browser: I only can attach one filer per post so I will include them in follow-up posts

There is clearly a setting I am missing which is not correct. Fonts are not the issue: see two posts down~~I have noticed that the fonts are different in the two cases (in Acrobat: File > Properties > Fonts),~~

~~when I print from the browser I get some Type 3 font~~
~~when I print from Acrobat I get (more familiat) TrueType fonts~~

I had tried forcing TrueType fonts by going to Windows Settings > Printers> Adobe PDF > Manage > Printer Properties > Preferences > Paper Quality > Advanced > Graphic: True Type Font > select "Download as Softfont" but this did not change things.

If anyone has suggestions on how to proceed I would greatly appreciate it!

Correct answer swapnilsrivastava

Hello Robert,

Thanks for reporting.

The issue is not from Adobe's end but instead from Chrome/Firefox's.

The file generated by Chrome (sometimes FireFox as well) when printing to Adobe PDF contains outlines for the text elements and hence in the generated PDF we will have corresponding outlines (vectors) instead of live text and therefore, text can not be selected.

Whereas, the file generated by IE (internet explorer) contains vector outlines instead of actual text and hence in the PDF generated from PS, we see vector outlines instead of text.

As another workaround, customer can use File -> Create PDF from web page from within Acrobat or use IE browser with Adobe PDF Printer.

Regards,
Swapnil Srivastava

K

Kryptonian

Participating Frequently

This issue still persists in Microsoft Edge which is Chromium-based and the latest Adobe Acrobat 2023.003.20215. Thank goodness I now know how to solve this mystery. Save as PDF via the browser or Create from Webpage using the Adobe program. Many thanks.

R

RENATO31388555bq0t

Participant

Hello, Save as PDF does not always work because some sites don't give you the option to Save to PDF, and the solution of printing it again on Adobe PDF just doubles the work if printing to PDF an average of 50 pages a day. I have to print a lot every day, FF was working just fine until the website that I use made an update and now I have to use Chrome or IE. I believe it must be a different kind of setting with the OS because some have the same issues printing to PDF and/or Adobe PDF from the different browsers.

R

RENATO31388555bq0t

Participant

Spoke too soon, The save to PDF works, It just does not give you a preview

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Anonymous

Sorry to bump but anyone else seeing this problem? I have yet to specifically hear if anyone has the issue with printing from a browser (Bernd may have the issue with Chrome but I am awaiting confirmation).

And again any settings that can be toggled for browser printing would be much appreciated.

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active_athlete5EBD

Participant

I have the same issue and have been searching for a fix. I frequently print to Adobe PDF from Chrome and cannot select text in the PDF. I use the same workaround: I re-print the PDF to Adobe PDF again. The text is then recognizable and can be selected. It's an extremely frustrating process. I cannot use the "save as PDF" workaround as I frequently need to print only a small section of a webpage and use the "print selection" function to do so.

G

gardner.1067

Participant

So you aren't saving as a pdf like you would in Word but you are still using the print option, however, when you select your printer, there are 3 pdf options, Adobe PDF, Microsoft PDF, and Save as PDF. You want the latter. If you only want a part a snipet of a webpage you can also just do Snip & Sketch. Windows key + shift + s. Then select the information you want and past it where you want it.

Bernd Alheit

Community Expert

Print to Adobe PDF in Firefox and it will work. Looks like a problem of Google Chrome.

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Anonymous

Thanks Bernd but see above: I have the same issue with Firefox.

It is some setting for how browser printing is processed because like I said if I reprint it from within Acrobat it works fine.

Bernd Alheit

Community Expert

I don't have the issue with Firefox.

Bernd Alheit

Community Expert

I get only HTML error 404.

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Anonymous

Sorry I have not been able to attach files here. I reuploaded to another file sharing site. Let me know if you have issues now.

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Anonymous

Just wanted to check in to see if anyone had thoughts on this? Very frustrating since I essentially can not copy the upderlying text.

A

Anonymous

Links (gofile.io)

PDF: created from Chrome

PDF: created via Acrobat > Create From Web Page

Screengrab: issue selecting text when print from Chrome (browser)

~~Well here are links (hosted on file.io)~~

~~PDF: created from Chrome~~

~~PDF: created via Acrobat > Create From Web Page~~

~~Screengrab: issue selecting text when print from Chrome (browser)~~

A

Anonymous

Update:

If I open the file with problems (SamplePrint_Chrome.pdf) and then print again from Acrobat DC the resulting file allows me to select text in the usual fashion. I see that the fonts are still not TrueType so that must not have been the issue. Again any suggestions are most welcome.

Re-printed PDF (after print from browser): gofile.io link

~~Re-printed PDF (after print from browser): file.io link~~

1April 2020 update: this workaround actually does not work. See my response to Swapnil below.

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