Old PDF format

[CHeslin]

A client provided several pdf files likely created many years (decades?) ago. I suspect they were created at that time as a 'print' job, not 'exported' or 'saved'.

Question:

Is there a way to convert the old pdf files to a more modern pdf that can take advantage of the features in Adobe DC Pro?

Thank you ... 

[Bernd Alheit]

What features does you mean?

[Document Geek]

You can add whatever fetures you want to the PDF: bookmarks, hyperlinks, forms... Just open the PDF in Acrobat and start working on it. You'd need to tell us what you're looking for, though, feature-wise.

[CHeslin]

Thank you very much for the prompt response.

“ … You'd need to tell us what you're looking for, though, feature-wise …”

Well, it has been my experience that Word documents ‘exported’ to Adobe Pro will automatically provide bookmarks for the "headings" of the entire document. In the older pdf documents (that likely were 'printed' as a pdf), the headings are not automatically created. In those documents, I have to manually select the headings. That can get quite tedious in a 100 page document (of which I have many).

[try67]

This is something that's done at the moment of converting the file from Word to PDF. Once the PDF file is created this information is usually lost.

You can still add bookmarks to it, of course, but not use the Heading info from the original Word file.

[CHeslin]

" ... This is something that's done at the moment of converting the file from Word to PDF ..."

Yes ... precisely my experience. 

I was hoping that someone had figured out a clever 'work-around' to address such situations. I even tried converting the 'old' pdf to Word and then 'export' it back to a pdf document. But, as likely you know, the conversion from pdf to Word can introduce its own headaches. Editing the newly created Word document to conform to the 'orignial' pdf document can be quite ardous when the document is hundreds of pages long.

PS

I am new to this 'Community' ... received very prompt responses ... which are very much appreciated ... 'thank you' to all that responded. 

[Bernd Alheit]

You can use the plugin AutoBookmark from evermap.

[CHeslin]

" ... You can use the plugin AutoBookmark from evermap. ..."

I am not familiar with the term 'evermap' ... please provide a little more guidance. 

Thank you so much ... 

PS

A separate, but related observation. I have also noticed that when I do manually create 'bookmarks' in older pdf documents, they cannot be 'positioned' on the page, i.e. the designated heading will appear at the top of the screen even if its actual location is in the middle of the page.

[Bernd Alheit]

evermap is a company.

[Abambo]

A separate, but related observation. I have also noticed that when I do manually create 'bookmarks' in older pdf documents, they cannot be 'positioned' on the page, i.e. the designated heading will appear at the top of the screen even if its actual location is in the middle of the page.

By @CHeslin

Everything that the Word plug-in does as an automated tool can be done also “manually”.

[JR Boulay · Accepted solution]

You can try this with Acrobat Pro:

First, you must tag the PDF document, by hand (!) or using the "Autotag" feature.

Then, use the "New Bookmarks from Structure" feature.

There is no magic, the results depend on the presentation, design and structure of the document.

It is often necessary to make several tests and adjustments, before being discouraged.

😉

[CHeslin]

'Professor' JR Boulay,

Wow ... excellent illustration above ... I gave your suggestion a quick shot and can see the potential. My preliminary 'take-away' is I need to practice more to learn how to better manage the selection of 'elements' for the structure. To early to know if this will be my 'silver bullet', but I would NEVER have come up with this approach on my own ... so thank you ... thank you ... thank you ... VERY much for taking the time to respond and thoughtful approach.