Edit PDF in Adobe Acrobat

[miodrag_6734]

Hello everyone,

I need a little assistance regarding PDF editing in Adobe Acrobat. Each time I click on Edit a PDF button, it converts the document to raster image... When I used that option in earlier versions the drawings remain in vector format... Is there an option in which I could switch that conversion off? Thank you.

[AnandSri]

Hello @miodrag_6734!

I hope you are doing well, and thanks for reaching out.

If Acrobat converts your document to a raster image during editing, it is unusual and often related to how the file was created or processed. 

• The PDF contains scanned images or flattened content

  • If the original document was scanned or exported as an image (from AutoCAD, for example, without vector preservation), Acrobat treats it as raster during editing.

• OCR is being auto-triggered

  • Acrobat may detect the content as non-editable and automatically run OCR (Optical Character Recognition), converting the page to an image background with editable text on top.

• The incorrect export or print-to-PDF method was used

  • Saving as a PDF via print drivers (rather than “Save As” or “Export to PDF”) can flatten vector content.

Turn off OCR when editing: Choose Edit > Text. To turn off automatic OCR, deselect the Recognize text option in the right pane. Acrobat won't automatically run OCR the next time you open the document for editing. For more information, see this article: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/edit-scanned-pdfs.html

Check if your PDF is really a vector file: Zoom in very closely (800–1600%) on a line or shape. If it blurs or pixelates, it's raster. If it stays sharp, it's vector, and editing should preserve that. 

Use Acrobat’s Preflight Tool (Pro only): All Tools > Print Production > Preflight. Run a profile to verify whether vector elements are present. See this article for more information: https://helpx.adobe.com/in/acrobat/using/analyzing-documents-preflight-tool-acrobat.html

If your PDFs are created from CAD or design software, make sure to export using native PDF options (not "print to PDF") to preserve vectors.

Please ensure you have the latest version of Acrobat installed on the machine: 25.001.20474 (Win) | 25.001.20476 (Mac), Apr 28, 2025. Check for any pending updates from the Menu > help > check for updates, install the updates, restart the app and the machine, and try again.

Let us know how it goes.

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

[miodrag_6734]

Hello Anand,

Thank you for the prompt reply. The document is deffinitely in vector format, created by CAD software.  The version of the software is current (25.001.20474).

I didn't manage to find that option for turning off OCR. As soon as I click on Edit button, it automatically converts the document to raster. I've attached document before and after editing for your reference. Please note that there is no problem with editing when I use Adobe Acrobat XI.

[AnandSri]

Thank you for sharing the file. We will test it and provide our findings. Could you please collect the logs from the machine using the Log Collector tool? Download and run it, ensuring that all log options are selected. Please reproduce the issue while the tool is running. It will generate the logs and a log ID. Share the log ID with us, along with the current version of the operating system installed, for further investigation.

~ Anand Sri.

[MikelKlink]

Using the very same Acrobat version I could not reproduce the issue. What changes did you apply while editing? I added new text and saved the file; the file remained vector graphics and actually shrank considerably in size.

One thing I observed: In the original PDF a smoothness tolerance value of 0.02 is set in an extended graphics state dictionary, and this state is applied early on the page., i.e. for most of its content. When I edited the file and added text, Acrobat created a different graphics state with a smoothness tolerance value of 1.0 for that added text. Depending on the exact change applied, Acrobat might see a need to turn the contents into bitmaps to apply edits with different smoothness tolerance settings.

Alternatively, do you have any special settings set in your Acrobat?