Set Default Font Formatting for "Add Text" Content Editing Tool (Adobe Acrobat Standard XI)

[faronk]

We recently upgraded to Adobe Acrobat Standard XI.

Our users take system generated PDFs and customize them by adding additional text and images. They generally always use specific font formatting options when adding their text.

Unfortunately, we haven't been able to figure out a way to set the default font formatting options when using the "Add Text" Content Editing Tool. You are always stuck with the Minion Pro font at 12 point.

Therefore, each time the user adds new text, they must select the text that they just added, and then change the font formatting options from within the Content Editing tools pane. It would be really useful to be able to set the default font formatting options once and all new text added would use those settings.

[MattRFL]

This is absolutely a necessary feature.  Has anyone found a work around?

[sambsam77]

Ditto - need this feature now

[Netorius]

The following response worked for me(from this thread):

Setting Default Font for Text Box in Acrobat XI​

I have come across a work-around to this for Acrobat Pro XI.  It is a two-part process and a bit cumbersome, but it works.

First, go in and add your Text Box and whatever text you need.  After doing this, select all the text, then bring up a Text Box Text Properties bar by putting your cursor into the top tool bar area, right clicking and selecting "Properties Bar" or just hit Ctrl+E.  The Text Box Text Properties bar will appear (floating, but not permanently).  Leave the text selected and change the font properties to what you need.

Second, deselect the text, select the Text Box border, right click, and then select "Make current properties default" from the pop-up window.  FYI, the Text Box Text Properties bar will have changed to a floating Properties bar at this point, so if you need to make further changes, just Close the bar and go back to Ctrl+E to call it back up and make further changes.

I am using Windows 7 64-bit.

[Netorius]

... and an even more helpful solution from the Helpdesk - the right solution to make the selected text box font and colour default:

1. Add Text box

2. Add Text and change Text properties

3. Select Text box and right click

4. Select option “Make current properties default”

5. Now for any other text box added text’s properties will be last saved properties.

Issue solved!

[ChristopheHT]

Does anyone has an answer to this?

[wrwmedical@gmail.com]

I have noticed the same impediment.  However, Adobe InDesign CC has a method for changing default font for "character".  Open an empty screen, select a font.  Close InDesign.  The next time InDesign is opened, the new selected font appears.  So, Adobe does have an InDesign method.  Perhaps in the next edition Acrobat XII will have this InDesign method.

[NakulB]

Hi,

Unfortunately, it is not possible to change the default font option. I would suggest you to fill our feature request form, which will be sent directly to our development team:-

https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform&loc=en

Regards,

Nakul

[AnkitBal]

Hi,

Have you tried Acrobat DC? Changes have been made to the "Add Text" behavior where it remembers the changes to the font and its properties, in the context of the document.

Please try it out and let us know of your feedback.

Regards,

-Ankit Bal

[inntheboat2000]

AnkitBal — The Acrobat DC behavior is very strange. It does not seem to remember when I set the font, and in fact, when I add text near other text, it seems to want to use the nearest font. For example, I opened a pdf with a title in Chiller, and when I went to add text, it automatically set the font to Chiller. We are looking for a way to set a default across every document and regardless of other fonts in the document.

[AnkitBal · Accepted solution]

Hi,

We have added the functionality in Acrobat DC to pick up the nearest font of the neighbor during "Add Text", as a user would be adding text that would be in style with the existing content, and that manually replicating existing values is a tedious exercise. However, once the user changes the font or its size, Acrobat remembers the changes for the rest of the edit session for the document. Does that work out for you?

You have also requested for a default font and size setting across all documents and Acrobat sessions, set manually by the user. Is that correct? If so, unfortunately, that is not possible presently, but we can take this in as your feedback and evaluate it for our future releases.

Regards,

-Ankit Bal

[danireich]

This is my feedback, too. We use a font to mark up our PDFs that is intentionally *not* the same as the nearest font, as the intention is to distinguish between markups and the original document, so the ability to set a default text box font would be a tremendous time saving feature.

[LacyinTX]

I have the same issue. I don't mind the font matching when I click the "Edit PDF" and I am actually editing existing text in the document. However, if I want to "Add Text" I am usually doing so in order to make notes that need to stand out from the rest of the document. I want to set that font to Arial 8 pt in red. This will be my preference 90% of the time. It would be nice to be able to set that as the default. Edit: I am using Adobe Acrobat DC.

[try67]

You should use the Add Text commenting tool. It is much more customizable and you will be able to easily separate your comments from the rest of the text.

[LacyinTX]

I do use the "Add Text" tool (see my post above). When I open it, it is set to Minion 12 pt in black. I want to change that to default to Arial 8 pt in red.I have to make that change multiple times a day and it is a pain.

[try67]

Read my reply above more carefully, please. I'm talking about a different kind of Add Text tool.

[LacyinTX]

Yes, I know you get a text tool when you choose Edit PDF and there is another tool called "Add Text" on the tool bar that allows you to put new text boxes on the document (not just editing existing text). The text tool under Edit PDF has the font matching capability, which is nice when I am editing existing text. The Add Text tool has its own defaults. That tool defaults to Minion Pro, 12 pt, black. I don't like that setting. I want to change the defaults on that tool to Arial, 8 pt red. I know which tools I am looking at.

[try67]

Again, this is not what I was talking about, but you don't seem to want to listen, so I can't help you out beyond that.

[LacyinTX]

Actually, I would love to know if there is another tool that I am unaware of. I need a little more guidance beyond just someone telling me that it exists. Maybe if you could walk me through which menu items to click or what options I can select to access the tool? Screen shots might be helpful. Instead of talking to me like it should be obvious. I am not refusing to listen... I just thought we were talking about the same two tools. Forgive me if I am wrong.

[LacyinTX]

After more exploring I think I have located the text tool you were talking about under the Comment menu. I will try that. It would be helpful if the giant T that represents that tool didn't look exactly like the giant T that represents the other Add Text tool. I mistakenly thought they were one and the same. I was wrong. Thank you for your help.

[try67]

Yes, that is what I was referring to, and maybe I should have explained a bit more in detail what I meant...

[JSA2]

LacyinTX,

Indeed, this was confusing. Thanks for sharing and helping!

[JSA2]

Hi AnkitBal,

Yes, it would be very handy, if preferred font AND color could be set manually as default for the "Add Text" tool under the "Edit Pdf" mode.

[defaultfv4cwc4w3vxm]

Years passed. Can we change the default font color when using "add text" in 2021?

[Guest]

I can assure you that Minion Pro 12 hasn't been the nearest neighboring font in the hundred or so documents that I've edited since Adobe Acrobat Pro DC was installed on my computer. What this tells me is that Minion Pro 12 is a default when Acrobat can't figure out the neighboring font. This is why we need the ability to set our own default. Please add this function.