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Mark32591856980q
New Participant
August 14, 2024
Answered

Overlapping Text Issue

  • August 14, 2024
  • 5 replies
  • 23791 views

Hello Adobe Community,

 

I am helping one of my users with overlapping text. We are downloading this from salesforce in chrome. It looks fine there and even doing a print to pdf keeps the text normal. The issue occurs when we open it in Adobe Acrobat Pro. The text seems to have jumped to the top and overlap each other. See jumbledText.jpg image for reference. I tried turning on the download pdfs option in chrome, repairing acrobat, and when that didn't help uninstalling and reinstalling the app. There are no new updates to be found. Our workaround right now is to upload them to the web and they come out fine. But I need to get them back up and running with the desktop app. It isn't every pdf, some still work oddly enough but these same pdfs work fine on my desktop adobe acrobat. Any ideas on how to fix it?

    Correct answer S_S

    Any update on Adobe fixing this issue. I am encoutering the same issue on several computer. 


    @Richard27961143gyox 

    Sorry for the trouble.

     

    We launched a new update today (2024.003.20054). Please update the app to the latest version and let us know if that fixes the problem.

     

    -Souvik

    5 replies

    K
    Kelly35329788w1wa
    New Participant
    March 24, 2025

    So despite using a fully updated version of adobe on a corporate licence, I too am having the same insane issue of overlapping text when editing a pdf.   It's actually impressive and amazing that Adobe manages to perpetrate bizarre and inexplicable faults like this (like the one where numbers are rendered as symbols) and not only are users in a situation where multiple updates of the software don't solve the issue, we are trying to troubleshoot solutions as Adobe themselves can't resolve it, whilst charging our companies through thbe nose for this appalling software.  It's so atrocious it's incredible, a sort of software version of Thames Water's level of management competance.   I cannot wait until there is a viable alternative!

      N
      NOAHBUSKI
      New Participant
      August 6, 2025

      I have the exact same issue on a fully updated version of Adobe Acrobat on a corporate license as well.  Embedding All Text and Embedding Open Text doesn't work for me at all.  I can't send a document to anyone in my company without having to screenshot it to make it legible!

      S_S
      Community Manager
      S_SCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      August 7, 2025

      Hi @NOAHBUSKI,

       

      Hope you are doing well. Sorry for the trouble with creating documents on Acrobat.

       

      As earlier, can you please share a sample file, along with screen recording/screenshot of the issue for a better understanding and assistance?

       

      Also, please ensure you are on the latest version of Acrobat (2025.001.20577) for the best experience.

      To do so, go to Menu > Help > Check for Updates.

       

      Look forward to hearing from you.


      Regards,
      Souvik.

      A
      angeli_8704
      New Participant
      December 12, 2024

      Hi Adobe, 

       

      This problem with over lapping texts is still happening. It is so frustrating because even if you correct it somewhere it jumps somehwere else. It is never consistent. 

      S_S
      Community Manager
      S_SCommunity Manager
      Community Manager
      December 13, 2024

      Hi @angeli_8704,

       

      Would you mind sharing a sample file with us for further investigation?

       

      This will help us analyze the exact issue and assist you better.

       

      -Souvik

      M
      Matt36342284pctp
      New Participant
      December 16, 2024

      Here is an example of the overlapping text from PDFMaker.

      H
      hannes_0039
      New Participant
      August 21, 2024

      Hi,

      we have the same or at least a very similar issue. PDF's that used to look and work totally fine, are now, since the latest update, looking weird and the characters in the whole document are overlapping. On my colleagues computer the latest update was not installed yet and the PDF's worked fine. After the update he had the same issue as I and everyone else that has the currect version of Adobe Acrobat.... PDFs look fine in Edge, Chrome or any other PDF viewer... ADOBE PLEASE FIX THIS!

        jane-e
        jane-e
        Adobe Expert
        August 21, 2024
        quote

        ADOBE PLEASE FIX THIS!

        By @hannes_0039

         

        Adobe Employee @S. S has responded in another thread that they have a fix and it is expected to be released next week. Watch for the next update.

         

        Jane

         

        S
        sunil_2958
        New Participant
        November 28, 2024

        @Richard27961143gyox 

        Sorry for the trouble.

         

        We launched a new update today (2024.003.20054). Please update the app to the latest version and let us know if that fixes the problem.

         

        -Souvik


        Hello, 

        Application updated to latest version and still the charactor overlapping issue is there. Please help.

        Ver. 2024.004.20272

        Thanks,

        Sunil

         

        jane-e
        jane-e
        Adobe Expert
        August 14, 2024

        @Mark32591856980q 

         

        Can you tell us which typeface is being used?

        • Look in Properties > Fonts (scroll if there are a lot)
          or
        • Use the Object Inspector

        It could be that the creator used Type 1 fonts that are no longer supported. Or that the font that was used was not embedded and you don't have it on your system. If that's the case, install the typeface.

         

         

        Jane

         

         

        M
        Mark32591856980qAuthor
        New Participant
        August 15, 2024

        Yeah you are correct. They are using Type 1 fonts. Helvetica - Actual Font ArialMT and the other is ZapfDingbats - Actual Font AdobePiStd. I checked my local fonts and I don't have either installed but it renders ok. This form itself is widely used so far only one person is having the issue. Should I try to installing Helvetica or the listed Actual Font?

          jane-e
          jane-e
          Adobe Expert
          August 15, 2024

          @Mark32591856980q 

           

          Hi Mark

           

          Does Properties > Description tell you how the file was made? Was it made on macOS with Quartz? Or Microsoft Word? Something else? Not all PDFs are Adobe PDFs since Adobe gave it to an ISO many years ago.

           

          Since only one person is having the issue, see if you can find out which typeface is on the systems that are working and is also not on the one that is not.

           

          The real fix, of course, is to get the creator to stop using software from 1984.

          https://helpx.adobe.com/fonts/kb/postscript-type-1-fonts-end-of-support.html

           

          Jane

           

          C
          creative explorer
          Adobe Expert
          August 14, 2024

          @Mark32591856980q the form looks like it's called 'Accreditation Program Application Form' and it might be doing that because the original creator didn't embed the fonts in the PDF, and maybe it was originally a locked PDF. There are online tools that can unlock locked PDFs too. 

          Look at the Document Properties of the Acrobat PDF form and install those fonts on your computer. Or try to test it in a different tool than Acrobat?

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