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Correct answer try67

No, but it can be done with a script (in some cases).

4 replies

H
HarleyTDavis
Inspiring
November 3, 2017

If you're like me, in a stage management class and you want to make a promptbook, you'll need a way to do this with any scanned document.  Or maybe you're just looking to get some documents into a format you can mark up, share and discuss in open forum, or educational lecture.

You'll need one more software plug... ...For indesign.  Google "Place multiple page PDF in Indesign".  or Multipage importer indesign.  Those will get you to the site where you can download a free plugin to allow you to import an entire document from acrobat to indesign, keeping your multiple page structure, all at once.  I like to provide enough room for my line numbers, so I choose a page size larger than the original and go with it.  Simple.

Step 1:  Scan your document and put it in Acrobat.  OCR if you must to straighten, no more no less.  You'll need one more software plug... ...For indesign.  Once you have it installed in your scripts...

Step 2.  Create the indesign document at a larger size than your original document.  This will provide enough space for your line numbers to fit.  We'll be repeating these two steps later, so remember them.

Step 3: Use the plugin to place your doc in the center of the master.  Let it run.  Save or Export as a PDF.  Eh?  What?  We just got to indesign!  Why PDF?!

     You can save as an indesign doc for later use, but exporting back to PDF is a must.  Some actually like to print to pdf and OCR again afterward for good measure.

Step 4: open in acrobat, run OCR, export to Microsoft word document, and open with your favorite Microsoft or openoffice editor, add the line numbers or whatever else you need.  You should have plenty of excess space to work in.

Step 5: From microsoft word, export back to Acrobat and you're ready to go.

As a stage manager, you're always looking for ways to make things go faster.  I use a tablet pc when available, log in to CC, and use InDesign to create layers for lighting notes, sound cues, blocking, prop movement, and revisions.  Each revision layer has three shapes, a white block to cover all underneath, a text block over that, and a pastel overlay to color the page in my view.  I'm working on scripts that print only pages that contain a Revision layer.  But I haven't yet been able to figure it out.  Perhaps I should try only pages with a color shape with a specific name.  I'd like to build a panel with the tools, so they would automatically build what's needed, but for now I'll stick with freehand.

try67
Community Expert
try67Community Expert
Community Expert
November 3, 2017

If you want to do it in Acrobat, check out this tool I've developed, exactly for this purpose: Custom-made Adobe Scripts: Acrobat -- Add Line Numbers

H
HarleyTDavis
Inspiring
November 6, 2017

That's great for one or two pages, or for when your text is all in line as one object.  It doesn't help much if you have 150 pages.  It's a great idea, to put this into acrobat.  And this script is such a great leap.  Unfortunately, it's still limited.  I often don't have the original text file, only a scan of a file, and I don't have the fonts that are used (a proprietary font to prevent piracy).  The documents I work with are 25-6000 pages, and they have to be perfectly set for taking notes, showing mappings.  The font doesn't matter as much, only the content, and the lines.  It all has to match.

Again for a few pages, that script just works... ...I love it.  But to pay for it just to use it once a year, if that?  No.  I can't justify that expense when I can do the same thing anyway, faster and better, all at once by just cycling it through MSWord.

My Most common operation:

I have to take an odd sized booklet apart, scan it, center it on the page at the same size, then apply the numbers only to text that's pertinent.  Adobe acrobat exports to WORD, where I can select all the text, add the line numbers as I need (only every 5 lines of pertinent text; no titles).  In MSWord, I can select each title or nonpertinent, and then have it skip that with a single click, and the existing line numbers react.  Then I can bring the document back to Adobe Acrobat, where I can OCR again and have access to even the line numbers as text.

Granted, I still have to select all the titles, and remove the line numbers.  It's easier to do that maybe 15-25 times than to add line numbers to every section, one at a time, on each page, of 25 pages of material that have several caveats.  It's faster to hit it all at once, then remove a few and have it fix itself, then come back to acrobat for the final layout.

So... ...a great option, I love it for small jobs.  For big ones, go with the tried and true.  It works every time.

A
Anonymous
April 25, 2013

As far as I know it will not do this as in a Word Document.  Ideally create the desired line numbers in the original document.

You can however create line numbers in an image and paste it on to the PDF and move to the desired position or add them manually using the typwriter tool or similar method.

B
Bill12
Inspiring
April 26, 2013

This is a neat idea to solve the problem. I would suggest creating the line number image as suggested and adding the image to each page as suggested.

Phillip M Jones
Phillip M Jones
Inspiring
April 24, 2013

If it is a Word document that you used to create the PDF, Then Word has the ability to show line numbers.

Two methods:

  1. Layout Tab on Ribbon click in Line Numbers.
  2. From Main Menu choose format Menu > Document > Layout. Click Linember button and set up as desired.

Then create your PDF.

Note this is shown using a Mac. But the same thing is in The PC version as well.

try67
Community Expert
try67Community ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
April 24, 2013

No, but it can be done with a script (in some cases).

T
Test Screen Name
Legend
April 24, 2013

Though it can be very tough. A PDF isn't a Word document, and it isn't divided into lines. The characters could be anywhere on the page. Usually, they have collections with the same baseline - and we call that lines. A script needs to do some complex analysis of baselines to guess lines.

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