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Participant
September 15, 2022
Answered

How do I move or delete text boxes in Acrobat DC?

  • September 15, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 33976 views

I'm trying to edit the layout of a PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC on Windows 11 and have spent DAYS trying to figure out how to move or delete text boxes. No matter what I do, the only thing Acrobat seems to allow is editing the text within a text box. 

 

Let me be crystal clear: I am not asking how to edit text within a text box; every tutorial I could find on the subject seems only to talk about editing the actual text.  What I'm asking is how to select a text box and either move it to a different position or delete it altogether.  Photoshop, for example, has the text edit tool and the object selection tool; if Acrobat has a similar object selection tool, I'll be damned if I can find it.

 

Thanks in advance.



Correct answer alexander_duerregger

Hi! You can do that with the edit PDF Tool. You need to grad the box at the border to move it. I attached a Screen Recording where you can see what i am doing. (The software is in german but you should be able to find it)

3 replies

Participant
November 23, 2023

its 2023 and I have the same question. acrobat has turned into the worst unusable bit of software. shocking

reidmoto
Participant
June 16, 2024

I can't comprehend why it's so difficult to reposition a text box. Apparently, the "secret" is to put the cursor inside the text box and it changes into a pointer but avoid the handles. I still can't move text boxes easily and am starting to agree with you Daniel. 

jane-e
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 19, 2025

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Bizarre, obtuse command sequences. Reduced functionality. Acrobat used to be the go to program for manipulating final files prior to printing. (I am a retired prepress professional- 38 years in the industry). Now, sitting at home trying to do the simplest things I can not imagine having to work with this program in a professional setting. A couple years ago? it was impossible to print a document! It took months (years?) to fix the issue. Adobe seems committed to constant shuffling of tools and functions so that you never get comfortable with their software. I still carry a subscription for Acrobat so that I can hammer out an edit when truely necesssary, but UGG, I lose clumps of hair and need an aspirin every time I hit "edit a PDF". Every version seems dumber than the last.


quote

Acrobat used to be the go to program for manipulating final files prior to printing. (I am a retired prepress professional- 38 years in the industry).

By @Jason29193372ye4e

 

What version of Acrobat was ever the "go to program for manipulating final files prior to printing"? When I started using Acrobat, edits of any kind were not possible.

Jane

Amal.
Legend
September 15, 2022

Hi @EdTCS 

 

++ Adding to the discussion

 

If its a PDF form and you have editing rights, open the PDF file > go to Tools > Prepare form and then you would be able to move or delete the text box.

 

Hope it will help

 

Regards

Amal

Bernd Alheit
Community Expert
Community Expert
September 15, 2022

Does you mean form text fields or comment text fields?