Initial View Settings for Page Layout Not Working

[yepexactly]

The Initial View settings for Page layout found in Document Properties by hitting Command + D with an open .pdf do not change the Initial View of the document. You can't do anything except Single Page which is the default.

I undertand there are options within preferences but selecting or de-selecting those have no effect whatsoever.  This is a new behaviour and I have never had any issues whatsoever with this property before with any documents. 

[Amal.]

Hi there

Hope you are doing well and sorry for the trouble. As described, the initial view settings are not working from the document properties.

- Are you the creator/Author of the PDF file?

- What is the workflow/steps you did to create the PDF?

The initial view settings are defined by the author/creator of the PDF file. If you are trying to change the view settings of the PDF file you may also try the steps below:

- Open the PDF

- Go to View Tab > Page Display

- Select the options from the menu

Then go to Edit > Preferences > Documents > Select 'Restore last view settings when re-opening documents' > Click OK and check if that helps.

Regards

Amal

[yepexactly]

I am the creator.

Historically when we create .pdfs for catalogs or lookbooks we can Export to PDF and then have the option to change the "Initial View" of the .pdf to show any of the options presented using the Command + D  menu to change initial view.

That has no results whatsoever regardless of how the .pdf is saved. 

What you suggest above has worked, but I believe that only works for my personal viewing of the .pdf.  I need to save so that I can post, email or send the .pdf with different view options to other people.

The document was created with "Facing Pages" in the document set-up. It was exported from that.

It was also exported using the option in the Export menu for Two Page. And none of that worked.

I guess the quesion is, what is the point of having the "Initial View" setup window if it doesn't work.

BTW, I've used InDesign and Acrobat since they were launched originally and done hundreds of books. I've never had this issue before installing newest version of CC.

[Amal.]

Hi there,

Thanks for explaining the issue in detail.

What are the steps you did to create the PDF?  Please share the original source file and the converted PDF file with us so that we can check it at our end, upload the file to the documet cloud https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/home/ generate the link and share that link with us for testing.

Regards

Amal

[MaryHelenShuff]

Using the "Initial View" menu only changes how YOU are VIEWING the PDF that you have open. But this does not change the way it is viewed next time or by someone else.

If you want to embed the way the document is VIEWED, use the PDF's "File" >>"Properties" menu. From the Document's Properties, you can select the "Initial View" and embed the desired view format into the file. This should hold the desired view for all users that open the document.

See attached image.

[Vagelis21]

I know that's a year late but I have the same isue as the OP, where the "Initial veiw" Setting from the Document's Properties (File" >>"Properties)" that used to work, does not anymore.

I used to export a PDF from Illustrator, open it in Acrobat and change the initial view from the window you show in the attached screenshot, and on any PC they opened it, it opend with the initial view that I had saved. Now, that has stopped working... I can only see "two page" or "two page with cover" etc, if I change the "view>Page Display", which only changes how I see the document and not how others will see it...

No solution yet...

[Amal.]

Hi there

Sorry to hear that. Is this an issue with a particular PDF file or with all the PDFs? Please try with a different PDF file and check.

Also, make sure you have the application updated to the recent version 22.1.20169, go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.

Also, try to reset the Acrobat preferences as described here https://community.adobe.com/t5/acrobat-discussions/how-to-reset-acrobat-preference-settings-to-defau...

Regards

Amal

[Jeff310830427nlc]

I'm just testing the new Acrobat and can confirm the same problem. I generally set the initial view on all outgoing documents using the document properties dialog. When testing the new Acrobat, those settings were ignored. I then tried resetting them from within the new Acrobat, rather than relying on the old settings, but they were still ignored.

[Amal.]

Hi there

Please make sure you are using the latest version 23.03.20244 of the application. Go to help . Check for upates and reboot the computer once.

Would you mind collecting the Adobe CC logs https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-log-collector.html  , Procmon logs (Win Only) https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/Labs/acromonitor.html  and share them via any cloud storage. Just upload the log file to the cloud, generate the link, and share that link with us for further investigation.

Regards
Amal

[Katherine32886012nm6h]

I have the same issue. I used to be able to set the initial view for pdf documents. It is important in a large document with bookmarks that you are sending out to a group. These settings are now ignored. I am using the latest version of the software. 

[Amal.]

Hi there

Would you mind sharing the version of the Adobe Acrobat and the OS you are using? To check the version of the application, go to Help > About Acrobat and make sure you have the recent version 23.06.20320 installed. Go to Help > Check for updates and reboot the computer once.

Please share a small video recording of the issue and collect the  Adobe CC logs https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-log-collector.html , and the Procmon logs (Win Only) https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/Labs/acromonitor.html  and  share them via any cloud storage. Just upload the log file to the cloud and generate the link and share that link with us for further investigation.

Regards
Amal

[mariao97171094]

I have exactly the same issue

[Amal.]

Hi there

Would you mind sharing a small video recording of the issue also, please share the logs as requested in the previous messages.

~Amal

[defaultiwz5ors1wdxt]

I have the same problem. Adobe need to provide an update to fix this problem urgently.

[Amal.]

Hi there

Please share the requested information for further isolation of the issue.

~Amal

[defaultbrbh03rt4xmk]

I have noticed that if you use bookmarks or possibly if your document has bookmarks, that they have  zoom level actions for each bookmark that affect the page display when opened.  to check, right click on each bookmark, select properties, select the Actions tab at the top and it may show a zoom level setting.  You can change this.

[Linda35039714zb0n]

I used to be able to set my initial view and it would automatically apply to the entire document.  Now apparently I have to go into every bookmark and change it.  It's very frustrating but as you stated, it does work.

[renees55886135]

I also have the same problem. I'm exporting from InDesign and using version 2023.008.20458

[Haleh347458414a0c]

I have the same problem. Document properties -> Intial view is all blocked and grey'd out for any edits. 
Every time I open a pdf, the bookmark panel opens which is pretty annoying to have to close each time. for context, all the pdfs I view are stored and not view-only

[mmiummiu]

I too have the same problem. Up-to-date Windows 11, latest version of Acrobat (2023.008.20470, thanks for making me screenshot and type it out because I can't copy). Saved from Indesign with initial view set, didn't open properly. From Acrobat: Menu > Document Properties - I set the initial view, it resets immediately, it seems, and doesn't get saved. Overall this was my workflow from way back - I set the initial veiw either from the app I'm exporting or later from Acrobat. Now it's all messed up.

I also had to export from indesign just because I couldn't Combine files in Acrobat from the Windows menu interface -PNGs got compressed even though I'm combining with the highest quality possible. Yet another issue with this program.

Using Acrobat has been a mess for a while now, because when I open it, it is filled with random menu items and tooltips that pop up, it constantly freezes, lags, says it has crashed (read how to fix on Adobe website - loading Distiller didn't seem to work). An ugly gray button pops up above as it seems to have been detecting my tablet and asks if I want to enable touch something or whatever.

This is yet another time when I create something and then spend 3x the time trying to export it and troubleshooting issues. I am honestly so annoyed. Adobe has become a corporation that is continuiously ruining their originally nice software they bought from other companies back in the days. 

[Amal.]

Please share a small video recording of the issue and collect the  Adobe CC logs https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-log-collector.html , and the Procmon logs (Win Only) https://www.adobe.com/devnet-docs/acrobatetk/tools/Labs/acromonitor.html  and  share them via any cloud storage. Just upload the log file to the cloud and generate the link and share that link with us for further investigation.

Regards
Amal

[mmiummiu]

Hi Amal,

I am sharing the recording with the log files, however surprisingly for the first time since ever the initial view settings worked, so I wasn't able to replicate the problem. Up until last week they didn't work - I tried once after writing here. But now the export from InDesign recorded the settings of the Initial view, and I was even able to change them back and forth from Fit Visible to 200% from Acrobat itself.

I'm sharing the logs however because Acrobat showed another of its behaviors - it showed that it had "stopped working";  overall all Adobe apps, including Acrobat, are extemely laggy and slow. It has been happening for a while and my computer isn't that old or slow, so I have no idea where to file a complaint and search for a solution. A laggy crashing Acrobat with annoying interface is merely part of a multi-faceted issue. 

If it's possible to file a complaint about that from here with these logs, please let me know.  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1E-5HqSOLHEbeWvpan1Q5rUX3cT-olWjp?usp=sharing Otherwise I will be deleting the shared link, because I couldn't replicate this particular problem. 

[M_Raman]

You can solve that issue by unchecking the override boxes in the Accessiblity category under Edit->Preferences

1. If any of the Override Page Display boxes are checked, it will ignore Initial View settings in Document Properties (Ctrl/CMD D).

[MikeyC4]

Thanks @M_Raman - this solved my problem.
I guess the Acrobat defaults got changed at some point to promote accessibility, and the consequential confusion for designers wasn't factored in.

[Kristin24410326u9f7]

I was SO hopeful this would solve my problem as well. Alas, it did not.

Could it have something to do with this area bottom right?