Print a searchable and selectable pdf from an existing searchable pdf

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
March 15, 2017
3 replies
2217 views

I have 900+ page pdf that I am able to search, select/highlight and copy text. I tried to print a small portion of this document to PDF and found that the new generated document does not have the ability to search or select text. Is this functionality not available to Adobe acrobat reader DC? This does not seem like a very advanced feature and I cannot find anything online about it.

This topic has been closed for replies.

nicklaw321Author

Participant

After searching for a period of time I could not find an answer that allows for direct PDF to PDF print.

I did find a workaround however. I downloaded a free software called PrimoPDF. Once installed, PrimoPDF becomes a printer option within Adobe acrobat reader. I then selected my desired pages and printed to PrimoPDf instead of Microsoft Print to PDF. This Generated a .ps file. I then imported the .ps file into PrimoPDF application and was able to generate a .pdf from that. The newly generated pdf was searchable and selectable and exactly what I needed.

Hopefully someone else finds this useful in the future.

~graffiti

Legend

Adobe Acrobat Reader does not come with the ability to print to a pdf file. There are some options that you can purchase separately that will allow you to create pdf files through the Acrobat Reader interface but none of those options include a "print" to pdf function.

So, what product were you using to print to pdf?

nicklaw321Author

Participant

Yeah sorry It was difficult to determine where the issue was originating from. I was using "Microsoft print to PDF" within the printer options in the reader. I have since installed PrimoPDF which then becomes another printer option. That then generates a .ps document which then PrimoPDF can generate a .pdf that is searchable.