PDF content showing properly in Adobe Web version/Adobe Mobile App but not in Adobe Desktop App.

[Fr0styToasty]

I am facing an issue where the same PDF file displays content just fine in the Adobe Web version and Adobe Mobile App, but when opened in Adobe Desktop App, some text contents aren't visible.

I wanted to validate the signature on the PDF and then save it, but unfortunately I'm not able to do so on the Web version/Mobile app and only on the Desktop App, but after validating the signature, when I go ahead and print the file, it still doesn't display the actual content of the PDF.

I am using the latest version of Adobe Acrobat.

Any solutions/suggestions to fix this issue?

Link to the PDF file. 

[MikelKlink · Accepted solution]

There is an error in the page content drawing instructions in the PDF: A text object is enclosed in another text object which is disallowed.

Unfortunately there is a tendency in PDF viewers to not inform the user that there is an issue but instead to try and display the content nonetheless. The results of that obviously can differ between implementations.

If you by chance know whom to inform about the malformed PDF and ask to improve the PDF creation code, here some more technical details the developer should understand:

The part of the content stream adding individual student information starts like this:

    0 0 0 rg
    BT
        /Xi0 13 Tf
        /Xi1 13 Tf
        1 0 0 1 440 761 Tm
        (2241107/003) Tj
        /Xi0 13 Tf
        1 0 0 1 38 640 Tm
        (Name ) Tj
        /Xi1 13 Tf
        1 0 0 1 80 640 Tm
        (IMRAN AKHTAR) Tj
        BT
            1 0 0 1 38 620 Tm
            /Xi0 11 Tf
            (of) Tj
        ET
        /Xi0 13 Tf
        1 0 0 1 38 593 Tm
        (Unique ID) Tj
...

As you see, a text object is started, "2241107/003" is drawn, then "Name", then "IMRAN AKHTAR", and then there again is an instruction for starting a text object (which is incorrect as we're already in a text object). Now "of" is drawn, then there is an instruction for ending a text object, and then "Unique ID" is drawn (which again is invalid as the text object just ended). 

To fix this issue, don't nest text objects.