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Steve3034
New Participant
January 24, 2012
Question

Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro - editing font properties in a text box

  • January 24, 2012
  • 2 replies
  • 61958 views

When I insert a text box on an existing PDF, initially Acrobat usually allows me to edit the font properties.  Sometimes it does not.  Once I type in the text box, the font properties toolbar becomes locked (i.e., "grayed out") so I can't change font type, size, color justification and other font properties.  If I save the file, close it and then re-open I can edit then the font, at least for a while.  If I have other PDF files open too I usually have to close those other windows.  After some time the font properties again become locked.

Obviously it is incredibly inconvenient to have to close a program and all open files then re-open those files just to change something like the color of a font.  I called Adobe tech support and they told me the fix was to buy Acrobat X.  I don't want to spend more money, I just want the product I already paid for to work properly.

Is there a way for this bug in the software to be corrected?

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

Nevin_Leiby
Nevin_Leiby
New Participant
December 1, 2014

** SOLVED FOR ME **

Acrobat 9.0 and 9.1 Standard

No v9 properties toolbar access except in last document opened

I don't know if this applies to you but I had a similar problem with documents on our network.

It turns out the documents were being saved as PDF/A or PDF/X format.

I had the users open up Adobe.  Go to Edit>Preferences      Then go to the Documents section and find the "Open in PDF/A" section.  I had them select "Never"  and then the toolbars were no longer greyed out.

try67
try67
Community Expert
January 24, 2012

What version of Acrobat do you have? Generally speaking, there shouldn't be

any problem to edit the field's properties, but you can't do that and

change it's value at the same time, since it uses different tools.

You can use the Object Select Tool to select the field, right-click it and

go to Properties. When done, switch to the Hand tool to change that field's

value, and then you can go back to the OST to edit the properties some more.

Any version of Acrobat can do that.

P
Patrick Conti
New Participant
June 25, 2013

Hello,

I found the solutions on the Adobe Forum at the following link:

http://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/unable-edit-properties-text-box.html

I'll save you the trip — to change the font properties of a text box:

1. Highlight (i.e., left click and drag across the text) you would like to change the size, color, font.

2. Choose View > Toolbars > Properties Bar (shortcut = Ctrl + E)

3. Set the color, alignment, and font attributes for the text.

Hope this helps!

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