Problem with searchable text in pdf file exported from InDesign

[caterinac82911080]

I am working on a very large book file (catalog) in InDesign, with many codes and numbers for different items. Most of the pages are made by pdf that I import from other pdf catalogs or Autocad technical drawings. When I open the original file with Acrobat Pro Dc I can easily search inside numbers and texts and Acrobat gives me the correct results with the correct text highlighted, but when I export my catalog in pdf and try to search numbers or text inside it Acrobat gives me back strange results: it highlights not only the elements I searched but also parts of text I'm not interested in. Why is this happening and how can I solve this problem?
Thank you in advance!

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

I suspect that you will get more useful information when you post this quesiton in the InDesign forum. Have you tried to search in InDesign to see if you get the same results? 

[Barb Binder]

Hi Karl:

Caterina has posted the question on both forums. I work with both applications, and have never seen this particular issue. Hoping someone over here can help her. 

~Barb

[caterinac82911080]

I hope so. Thank you very much in any case!

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

Barb, thanks for the additional information. I was hoping that somebody over in InDesign would have seen this problem, and would have a simple solution 🙂 This symptom is usually (that is , when it just show up in Acrobat, without having InDesign involved) a sign of a bad PDF generator - oftentimes related to OCR. In this case, if it works before the file is placed, that would suggest that Acrobat can work with the unmodified file.

I assume that this is only happening with oen specific file (or multiple files from the same source). When you open the original PDF file in Acrobat and go to Document Information (Ctrl-D or Cmd-D) and then go to the "Description" tab, what does it list for "Application" and "PDF Producer"? 

[Genny:D]

I have the same issue with my 38 page long document. When I print to PDf, it's not searchable. I was able to export to PDF and it was searchable but I had to make some edits to my docuemnt and now I can still sxport to PDF but I can't open it, Adobe Acrobat says it doesn't recongnise the file.... I need help ASAP. This is for a client who is waiting on his final PDF.

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

Another thing you can try is to start with a brand new InDesign document and then just place some of the PDF files. Do you see the same behavior?