Editing text boxes

[peterjones2]

Hi, I would like to ask what is probably a simple question. I have been using Acrobat 8 up until I installed Acrobat X recently. In my previous version I used to have the text tool on the task bar so that when I needed to add a text box to a document, I could just click on document markups and add a text box by clicking on the open document, and the double click on the box to edit text that I entered, either the style or the size or the colour. Then I could just close the text box and then edit the properties of the text box itself, such as colour, thickness of line etc. I cannot find out how to do this in Acrobat X. I have tried in "Tools-Content-Edit Text and Object -Add oe Edit Text Box", and I have tried "Comment- Drawing Markups" but neither seems to give the option of creating a text box in a document and then typing in the text which I can highlight and edit for size, font, colour etc.. I can add text using "Tools-Content" etc. but that doesn't give me a text box. I can add a text box with "Comments-Drawing Markups" but then that doesn't allow me to edit the size of the text, it appears to be a default size, even if I highlight all the text [ as I would have done in the earlier version] I still can't change the properties of the text. It was pretty simple inAcrobat 8, how do I do it with the same simplicity in Acrobat X. Best regards, peterjones2.

[George_Johnson]

Comments > Drawing Markups > Add text box

works for me. What happens when you do the same, exactly?

[AmbooS]

Can you post a screenshot of the text tool you were using in Acrobat 8? Is it the same tool that George mentioned?

[peterjones2]

Hi guys, first of all may I apologise for a bit of incorrect information, I was using Acrobat 7 previously, not 8. Sorry about that.

OK, with regard to Acrobat X - if I open a file with text boxes that are already present [existing] and then I choose "Comment-Drawing markups" to add a new text box, I can add the text box but the text is in red and the text appears to be the same size as the document existing text [ which I suppose would be logical, size-wise], but I cannot make changes at this point, whichever option I use. If I then go to "Tools-Content-Edit text & objects- Edit document text" the existing text box remains red and has a dotted line around it, and I cannot edit any of the text even though the "Typewriter" tool is showing. All the options in the "Typewriter"box are greyed out [not selectable]. If I choose "Add text or edit text box" I can highlight the text that I want to edit but even though the "Typewriter" box is open all the options are greyed out [not selectable]. I have discovered that by clicking on "Selection tool for text and images" I can add text and the options in "Typewriter" are now available, but although I can choose fonts and sizes once I have typed the text I cannot go back and change any of the text as the options in "Typewriter" are now greyed out again. So whatever text font and size is selected at the beginning, that font and size remains in the document unless you don't save the document, but instead start again with a different selection of font and size, ridiculous really. In all fairness Acrobat 7 is much easier and logical, you put the text tools on the task bar, open a document, select the text tool, click on the document, a text box appears and you then enter text. You can edit away to your hearts' content. I just cannot see how to do this in Acrobat X without going from Billy to Jack looking for tools.

Unfortunately the forum here won't let me add an image of the Acrobat 8 taskbar, but all the tools that are required can be selected to be shown on the task bar, so that I would have the drawing mark-up tools on the task bar with the text box tool, and the call-out tool etc. etc. All very easy to select.

Sorry for the long enquiry, but this is driving me a bit mad, I had hoped that by choosing to use Win 7 64 bit and newer version of Office and Acrobat I would still have the same ease of use as I did with XP and its related program - how mistaken have I been. Just maybe, some-one may have an easy answer, and a easy to understand explanation.

Regards, peterjones2

[AmbooS]

What happens when you double-click on the textbox, when you see the Typewriter tool showing but options are disabled? Can you edit in that case?

[peterjones2]

Hi, no, I cannot edit text at any stage, whether I use the tools options or the comments options. I have tried pretty well every choice in the tools task bar but I have a suspicion that it is not possible any more to add a text box and then add and / or edit text within that text box. Acrobat 7 just allowed this in a very straightforward way, now it appears that it has been removed. I used this method for years doing mark-ups on drawings but now I can no longer do this. I find now that I need to keep my old laptop with Win XP and Acrobat 7 just to add and edit text boxes on my factory drawings [about 75 sets of drawings !!]. I don't understand the point of rewriting applications to make them look different when by doing so removes very useful and simply operations.

Just a brief reprise - I want to enter a text box in a document, if I go to "Tools -Content-Edit text & objects-" and click on "Selection tool " and then click on the document then click on "Add or edit text box" I can add text and edit text, but I can't have a text box around that text so the text is just sitting in the document and is difficult to find. If I go to "Comment-drawing mark-ups" I can enter a text box in the document, but this box has a pre-determined text size and colour [red] and can't be edited or changed. it really doesn't matter what text option you pick, the bottom line seems to be that you can't have a text box with editable text within that text box. I don't know how to get around this issue at this point, except as I am doing now, using two laptops - one with Acrobat 8 for adding and editing the text boxes - and the other with Win7 for general reviewing of the same documents.

Again, as I asked earlier, perhaps some-one may have a solution to this problem, any suggestions will be appreciated, any idea's will be tried, any thoughts of another version of Acrobat that would work in Windows 7 will be acceptable, any idea of another program that can perform this simple job will be reviewed with some favour.

Best regards [while now going rapidly mad] peterjones2

[AmitKumar · Accepted solution]

In Acrobat X - Double-click on exiting Text Box, once cursor start blinking inside the Text Box - hit Ctrl+E, and you will see what you are looking for - 'Text Box Text Properties'

[peterjones2]

Acro-Dancer, you are a genius. You are absolutely correct, this does exactly what I need. I really was beginning to think that there was no way of text editing. Thank you so much.

The only thing I might add is - why is this so difficult to find ?

Very grateful thanks to the people who have taken part and fixed my problem.

Regards, peterjones2

[Anne L Goldenberger]

I found that if I use the Add Text Box icon on the Quick Tools, the text box is easily modified.

View > Show/Hide > Quick Tools
Expand the Drawing Markups section, and add the Text Box to the Quick Tools to Show column on the right.   This text box defaults to a white fill (which is what I want), and is fast to edit if you just click on it.

I agree with all of you - I was tearing my hair out trying to use the Add/Edit Text box tool in the Content tools.  Horrible functionality.

[RobertCBoston]

totally frustrating.  I cannot figure out how to enlarge the font size of text in a text box that I created in an existing .pdf.  This was never a problem in my former Adobe Standard (ver. 9), where I could do some sizing in the "Properties" feature.  Not anymore.  Can anyone answer this?  I need to enlarge the text inside of a text box I created in an existing .pdf file.  Please assist.

[Test Screen Name]

This question was asked 10 years ago, and the answers don't relate to the current version, Acrobat DC. DC was completely changed again. It may work best for you to ask a new question, and be sure to say the actual version you're using.

[RobertCBoston]

Thanks. I’ll do that.

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