Adobe acrobat doubles numbers if they are between dashes?

[Thomas Dip]

Hello, 

I've encountered a problem that I desperately need to solve. So my PDF have some product codes in it, in the form of digits, like 011-168-2391. Everything looks fine until you try to copy / paste it. If you copy "011-168-2391" then the pasted code will be 011-168168-2391, so I guess that the number between the dashes gets doubled, but why? How can I turn this off? The same will happen if I copy "011-168-168-2391" and I'll get "011-168168-168168-2391". 

Thank you in advance,
Thomas

[try67]

This is usually the result of how the file was created. Do you know how it was made, and do you have control over it?

If not, there's not much you can do, short of re-creating it from scratch, by exporting the pages as images, creating a new PDF from those images and running OCR ("Recognize Text") on the new file.

[Thomas Dip]

Thank you for your response! 

Yes, the file is mine, made on ms 365 publisher. Will everyone that has access to the PDF be able to use OCR? Because it's meant for my company's clients.  

[Thomas Dip]

I just exported as pdf and this happens when I open it in Acrobat. The file contains images and textboxes, nothing too complicated. 

[Thomas Dip]

Hey, please don't forget about me. Thanks! 

[try67]

Without seeing the actual file it's very hard to help you with this issue.

To answer your question: "Will everyone that has access to the PDF be able to use OCR? "

No, but they won't need to. You only need to run it once on any file.

[Thomas Dip]

The file is not important. I figured that it happens even with new files that I create and export them to PDF. I just created a textbox with the digits "011-198-2848" and exported to PDF and the same happens. When I copy and paste it, I get 011-198198-2848. This happens only in Acrobat. When I open it in a browser everything works fine. However, this is not a solution for me, because I don't want to bother my clients with such extra steps, like "you should right click, open with, etc." Thank you again!

[try67]

What exact command are you using in Publisher to generate the file?

And it is important to see the file, so we can see if this information exists at the file level (regardless of Acrobat), or if it's something that Acrobat adds to it or misinterprets in it.

[Thomas Dip]

I just go to file --> export --> publish to pdf. I'm sending you a file. Try to open it in a browser as well, where it works as it should. Thanks!

[try67]

I believe that is an MS command. You should try an Adobe command to create the file, such as the Adobe PDF printer, or the Acrobat PDFMaker plugin, if it exists in Publisher.

[Thomas Dip]

Wow, thank you, it worked! I didn't export it as a PDF, but instead I clicked print pdf and saved it and this way it works fine! However my links doesn't seem to work with this method. I hope there's a solution for that. Thank you though! 

[try67]

No, because that process "flattens" the file and removes all links, fields, comments, etc.

You should be able to copy and paste them from the original to the new file, though.

[Thomas Dip]

Another problem surfaced, the exported pdf is 10 times larger than the first one. I don't know why it makes a 2mb file 20mb. I can't find any plugin either. It is essential for the file to be maximum 2mb, because we are connected to a distant server and the download speed is 0.2 mb/s with the vpn turned on.