After combining files, PDF is missing elements when viewed in Preview, than in Acrobat

[swilli0]

Hello all,

This is super frustrating and, I'm sorry to say, not the first time this has happened.

My scenario is that I have several PDF's that I've combined in Adobe Acrobat DC into one PDF. When I view each of these individual PDFs in Acrobat and the Preview application on my Mac, they are showing as they should. However, after I combine these PDFs into one single document in Acrobat, some of the elements are missing when I view the document in Preview. When I view this document in Acrobat, however, it shows just as it should.

I've attached some screen shots. The first is the document as it should be, after being combined and viewing it in Acrobat.

The second image is the same document viewed in Preview.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I realize that one is an Apple program and one is an Adobe program and there's no reason that they should both behave the same. However, this file is being sent out to a lot of people and it will be impossible to control how they view this document once they get it. For those who view it in Acrobat, it should be great. However, if people view it in Preview, it won't work.

Is there any way to get around this? What about combining the files in the Preview application rather than Acrobat? Do you think that might work? I'm just shooting blind at this point.

Thanks for your help.

[Bernd Alheit]

Don't use Apple Preview. It is buggy.

[Test Screen Name · Accepted solution]

What version of Mac OS? Preview doesn’t actually read PDFs, it uses Mac OS to do it so the bugs will apply to other apps too. Unfortunately it’s almost impossible to get a list of Mac OS PDF bugs.

[daver20299974]

I have the same problem. I am on Windows. This is obviously a bug. When I view my PDF in the new, updated Adobe Acrobat, it is missing content. If I zoom in, it's there. It's a bug, Please fix it.  

[Russell38293975fdxc]

I am on a widows with Adobe Pro also.  I can work on it for 10 minutes then items dissappear.  I do a constant save and reload way to often  (appx every 15 min of work).   Is this a new bug that will be fixed?

[Amal.]

Hi there

Hope you are doing well and sorry to hear that

Is this an issue with a particular PDF file or with all the PDFs? Please try with a different PDF file and check. If the file is stored on a shared network/drive please download it to your computer locally and then try again.

What is the version of the OS and the Acrobat DC you are using? To check the version go to Help > About Acrobat and make sure you have the recent version 24.02.20857 installed. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.

~Amal

[Meemee35074935rato]

I have a similar problem. I am merging several PDF files into one big PDF. Some of the PDF files that I am merging are fillable ones with questions that people have responded to. When I open the merged file, elements of certain files are missing, especially the fillable ones with responses which were on the original PDF that was returned. Any sugestions? 

[Amal.]

Hi there 
 
Hope you are doing well and sorry to hear that
 
Is this an issue with a particular PDF file or with all the PDFs? Please try with a different PDF file and check. If the file is stored on a shared network/drive please download it to your computer locally and then try again.
 
What is the version of the OS and the Acrobat DC you are using? To check the version go to Help > About Acrobat and make sure you have the recent version 24.02.20759 installed. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.
 
Also try to repair the installation from the help menu (Win Only) and see if that works.
 
Please try to reset the Acrobat preferences as described here https://adobe.ly/3yuD8m8

Let us know how it goes.

~Amal