Can't paste from Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Report · Jan 23, 2020

I used to be able to copy and paste from PDF files that I created on my computer. Now any time I try to paste text I copy from a PDF file, what gets pasted is a bunch of squares. I can copy and paste from PDFs other people have created.

Generally when I create a PDF file it's by printing to PDF either from Office or Chrome. I'm on a mac. This issue seems to have been introduced with mac OSCatalina. It's extremely frustrating, as I'm in PDF files all day long. Any assistance would be appreciated.

Report · Jan 23, 2020

Architecture: x86_64

Build: 19.21.20061.361316

AGM: 4.30.98

CoolType: 5.14.5

JP2K: 1.2.2.44947

Report · Jan 24, 2020

Hi Mlynnc,

We are sorry for the trouble. As described you are unable to paste from the pdf file and getting the square boxes upon pasting.

We need some more information for a better understanding.

Are you able to view the PDF file properly with all the text in it?
Are you pasting the text in a PDF file or in another document file (Word etc.)?

You may try the following preference settings and see if that works.

Open the PDF file > Edit (Windows), Adobe Acrobat DC (Mac) > Preferences > Page Display > Select 'Use local fonts' in rendering > Click OK and then try to copy and paste.

Let us know how it goes

Regards

Amal

Report · Jan 24, 2020

Thank you, Amal.

I am able to view the PDF properly with all the text in it. (PDF files look totally normal.)
I have the problem anywhere I try to paste to. (MS Word, web forms, or directly into the very same PDF that I copied from)

I checked in Preferences > Page Display. 'Use Local Fonts' is already checked, as are all the other options under Rendering.

Any other suggestions?

Report · Jan 27, 2020

Hi there,

Thanks for sharing the information. As you are able to view the PDF normally with all the text in it and still not able to copy and paste the text, we need some more information for a better understanding. Is this a behavior with a particular PDF file or with all the PDFs? Please try to copy and paste the text from a different PDF file and check for the issue.

Have you created this PDF or have you got the PDF from a different user? Please check under document properties if copying from this PDF file is allowed or not. Open the PDF file > Ctrl + Left Click (Mac) > Document Properties > Security and check under document restriction summary, if content copying is allowed or not.

We are here for help, just need more information.

Regards

Amal

Report · Jan 27, 2020

Hi Amal,

This happens with PDF files that I create. It doesn't seem to be an issue with PDFs that other people have created. It's not just one PDF file. It's all the PDF files that I've recently created. This has been ongoing for at least 2 months.

Thanks!

Report · Jan 28, 2020

Hi Mlynnc,

We are sorry to hear that the issue still persists. please share the original source file and the converted PDF file with us for further testing.

Please upload the file on the document cloud (https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/home/) generate the link and share the link with us.

Regards

Amal

Report · Jan 28, 2020

Hello Amal,

I have discovered that the issue only occurs when I save to PDF from Chrome. I have tried from Safari without issue. Here is a link to a file I created this morning from Chrome (File -> Print -> Print Using System Dialogue -> PDF -> Save as PDF):

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A1ff762ba-24f6-40e1-ba06-d37...

Please let me know if I can provide more information.

Thanks!

Report · Feb 05, 2020

Hey there,

Thanks for sharing the information and the workflow of creating the PDF file. As described you are trying to create the pdf from a file opened in chrome (Print > Save as PDF) instead of saving as PDF try saving as Adobe PDF and check for the issue. Every web browser has its own PDF viewer saving as PDF is the browsers mechanism of creating PDF which may conflict with Adobe PDF.

You may also try to create the PDF from the file menu of the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC as follows File > Create > PDF from the Web page.

Let us know how it goes.

Regards

Amal