Using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC but can't make text edits without messing up document

[laurie98655698]

I purchased Acrobat Pro so I could copy edit a manuscript that was delivered as a pdf. But the text boxes are wildly unpredictable. Some of them seem to overlap even in mid-sentence and if I delete a character, it changes the formatting of everything around it, overlaying text over other text (and not even the part I edited) or simply not accepting changes at all.

I am not sure what to do. When I convert to Word, it doesn't preserve the font formatting, so that's a whole NEW problem as a copy editor. Here is an example -- see how the text boxes are all messed up even within this small section? If I try moving the cursor around near the word "Matthew," for example, it jumps all over the place between each of the lines ... from THE NAME AT TOP (I covered for privacy reasons. to the first line of text to the second. But the second half of that first line (staring with "in the eye") is easy to edit and in its own box.

Does this mean the document I have is the source of the problem? Is it possible it was not saved properly? I am at a loss. Thanks for any help I can get.

[try67 · Accepted solution]

You should not be editing a PDF file in this way directly. It's technically possible, but highly discouraged as PDF files were not meant to edited like that, especially not in a professional workflow. You need to go to the person who sent you the file and ask for the original file used to generate the PDF. Then edit that file and create a new PDF from it.

[SueGardner]

We have been editing PDF files like this forever. If we need to change one letter due to a typo, it shouldn't ruin the integrity of the whole thing. It is now not possible to make even minor changes like this any longer which makes the program essentially worthless--like another poster said below.

[jane-e]

There are many reasons for this, and it is not at your end. Since you have Acrobat Pro, test it by creating a PDF using the Acrobat tab in Microsoft Word, for example. This method uses the PDFMaker. Can you edit it?

Adobe does not own PDF and other companies make PDFs, some of them are pretty bad. We don't know how your PDF was made or if Adobe was involved in it. It might have been scanned and OCR'd or it might be a Microsoft PDF or Quartz (Mac OS) or a number of other things.

Also, do this: go to File > Document Properties > Decription and post a screen shot of this information:

[laurie98655698]

Thank you. You were right. It was the originak doc. They sent me a new version  In Word

[jane-e]

You will be so much happier doing the edits in Word! Acrobat is not meant to be an editor or a word processor!

[laurie98655698]

It was the only doc they sent so I assumed I was at fault for not being able to work with it. But I was not.

[Faramarz5E3C]

Unhelpful. I am not going to every document writer. I want an editor that works without me going on a wild goose chase.

[defaultxpe7j9qsktwp]

I agree, Faramarz5E3C. I have a very large PDF that needs some editing, and I cannot find a PDF editor that will work. I cannot go to the original document as it was created from a geneaology database. This is rather frustrating.

[Faramarz5E3C]

My problem was that the fonts would get messed up. The solution is to go into OCR settings and turn off the "use local fonts" feature. Now there are tons postings on the internet as to how we do this. But it depends on the version. Mine is "Adobe Acrobot Pro DC 2020.013.20064". It took me a while to find it and now I forget it. But then it does not mess up the fonts. Still it is not a great editor but is workable.

[Brandon5ECD]

Right! When I have already created a document from Word I should be able to go back and add or take away a few letters/numbers without PDF completely screwing up my fonts and formatting. Especially when I am working with a document where I have fillable fields and javascript code written into it. They are saying redo it in word then have it re-uploaded as a PDF then redo all my javascript and fillable fields! TALK ABOUT A WASTE OF TIME! They need to get this updated asap. Horrible experience!

[AMK2022]

Adobe Acrobat DC made CHANGES that NOW make it impossible to edit.  In a perfect world, you can ask the author of a document (oftentimes not available) to make.  Undo the changes Adobe made so we can use the software again the way we have for years. 

[melissaaddobby]

I have been able to edit PDF documents for years and I do so multiple times daily in my position as a paralegal. It is a VITAL function of my work. There are no Word documents to go back to. I absolutely need to be able to edit PDFs.  I don't know what change was made to Adobe that now corrupts the text of my PDFS when I try to edit them but if this isn't fixed soon I will be cancelling my subscription because this program is 1000% useless to me without the editing capability the way it was. 

ABSOLUTELY. USELESS.