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franc64874429
New Participant
March 22, 2017
Answered

Bounding Boxes

  • March 22, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 7600 views

Hi,

I hope someone can help!

I have template PDFs created in InDesign for a client, which they can then edit the copy of in Acrobat. However, Acrobat 'instinctively' determines the bounding boxes in a PDF (so often is a bit random, or groups numerous sections of text together that need to be individually edited). Is there a way for the bounding boxes to mimic the ones it was created with? Hoping that there's a solution, rather than rewriting parts of the document in Acrobat which seems a little ridiculous.

Thanks!


Fran

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer try67

No, there isn't. And you shouldn't be editing the file in Acrobat in the first place if you have access to the original InDesign file. You should be editing that file and then creating a new PDF file from it. Editing a PDF should be a last resort step, not a part of any healthy DTP workflow.

2 replies

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sianp1975
Known Participant
March 14, 2018

I have the same problem! Wondering if you found a work around??

I totally agree that it would be better to do the changes in InDesign, I think we are expecting too much from Acrobat but it would actually be a super efficient way for them to be able to make changes to what is mostly a generic document that requires personalisation to their clients each time they send it out. The random separation of the bounding boxes is a real pain in the neck and if it just stayed in the original bounding box set in InDesign that would be amazing to the usability of Acrobat at the client end of the equation!

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Test Screen Name
Brainiac
March 14, 2018

There are no bounding boxes at all. None in the PDF that is. In InDesign they are just a layout tool. PDF editors create them by guesswork, make the changes and write back the PDF, still with no boxes in (as there is no such thing).

PDF seems attractive at first for many ideas that later turn out to be disastrous. This is one of them. To collaborate, use the same app. Consider using your design tools and skills to make a Word template.

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sianp1975
Known Participant
March 14, 2018

Thanks. It's not a collaboration so to speak. They want a generic document that they can update for tender applications. Mostly they are the same each time, all they want to be able to do is change some text and delete the pages that aren't required. It's not a case of it going back and forwards between us. The bounding boxes do exist when you use the edit tool, Adobe even refers to 'the bounding box' in it's own Help tools. So while you don't see them when you view the document... they are in actual fact there, which only becomes evident when you try to edit the PDF.

In a perfect world I would not have them editing the PDF at all, but in the real world it's not always efficient.

I've already discussed with them recreating it in word, but there are some features that will get lost in translation. And that's what they need to decide on. Form or function.

Thanks anyway, I was just hoping there might have been an update to resolve the issue.

try67
try67Correct answer
Brainiac
March 22, 2017

No, there isn't. And you shouldn't be editing the file in Acrobat in the first place if you have access to the original InDesign file. You should be editing that file and then creating a new PDF file from it. Editing a PDF should be a last resort step, not a part of any healthy DTP workflow.

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franc64874429Author
New Participant
March 22, 2017

Couldn't agree more - the client wants to be able to edit themselves though, with no access to or knowledge of indesign, so not something I've ever had to do before(!) but trying to make it work for them.

    try67
    try67
    Brainiac
    March 22, 2017

    They need to understand that PDF should be the last stop in the workflow, unless they want to add form fields or comments or something like that. Any major editing needs to be done before converting the file to PDF. Anyway, there's nothing you can do about how Acrobat identifies those texts. If they want to edit it in Acrobat they'll have to make do with what it gives them.

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