How do I select multiple objects in Acrobat Standard 2020

[matthewl85098861]

Hi Adobe Support Community,

Please let me know how to add the tool to select multiple objects to my toolbar at the top of Adobe Acrobat Standard 2020.

I often have to select multiple objects and there was a pointer tool for doing so in my previous version of Adobe Acrobat that I added to my toolbar.  Now after "upgrading" to the newest version (which seems more like downgrading due to losing this feature), I have searched many times for the tool, but cannot find it to add it to my toolbar.

From what I recall, there is a keyboard shortcut, but I cannot remember it now, which is why I want to add it to the toolbar.  Every time I want to select multiple objects, I need to search the web to figure out the shortcut, which is tedious, as I use the tool a couple times a month, if that, which is not often enough to remember the shortcut.  I could put a post-it on my monitor to remind me, but that seems an archaic thing to do for such a basic tool, not to mention, my monitor would get cluttered with such reminders if companies like Adobe make these tools so difficult to use.

Thank you,

Matt

[ls_rbls]

Seems like the update caused Acrobat to reset its preferences back to its defaults.

Did this happened in macOS or Micrososft Windows?

In any case, the easiest way to enable , or switch to the Select Tool is to just right-click with your mouse pointer on any area of the current working space and you'll see that option listed in the context menu.

You may also choose and enable that preference from clicking on Edit--->>> Preferences--->> General .

Or simply right-click on that main toolbar --->>> click on "Show Select & Zoom Tools" from the context menu, and you will see the "Select Tool" listed in the next submenu.

To make it permanently available in that toolbar click on the "Select Tool" option to make sure it stays checked.

You may also accesses the tool by clicking on "View" --->>> Show/Hide --->>>Toolbar Items--->>>Show Select & Zoom Tools.

Additionally, if you're using MS Windows, pressing F9 makes this toolbar visible or not visible, while pressing ALT + F8 will reset your preferences for that toolbar back to its defaults, and pressing F8 by itself Hide toolbars.

[matthewl85098861]

Hi @ls_rbls ,

Thank you for your assistance.  It is in Windows 10.  I should also explain that I did not "update" Acrobat.  Instead, I installed the 2020 version of Acrobat on a new computer.  I think the version on my old computer is from 2017 or sometime around there.

Your answer discusses how to use the "select tool", which is very easy to access multiple ways.  However, I cannot access the "select object tool" without using a keyboard shortcut.

For example, I tried your tip of right-clicking, but that just gives me the regular select too.  For example, if I try to select multiple instances of text entered with the typewriter tool on a page, it just draws a translucent blue square and doesn't select anything.  Whereas, when using [shift]-r, the selection tool will select all the objects.

I should point out that I cannot even select a single instance of a typwriter object with the right-click/default select tool and it instead puts a cursor in the text to type or edit the text instead of selecting the object that includes the text.  This is a useful feature in itself, but there are multiple instances of typewriter blocks/objects on the page that I need to select to copy to another document.

Please note that these are legal forms that were provided by the U.S. govenment, so I did not generate the document itself.  I just need to enter the same information quite often using the typewriter tool, so it is easiest to copy and paste it from one document to another than having to click on each checkbox and line to enter the approprate text each time I complete a form.

Please let me know how I can put the select object tool in the toolbar along with the regular select too, which I was able to do on previous versions of Acrobat.

Thank you,

Matt

[ls_rbls]

Use the following links as reference:

• https://acrobatusers.com/tutorials/where-has-the-typewriter-tool-gone/
• https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/commenting-pdfs.html
• https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/keyboard-shortcuts.html#keys_for_selecting_tools

[Thom Parker]

In Acrobat DC, the "Select Object Tool" is on the "Rich Media" toolbar.  You can move it to the Quickbar for easy access. 

Here's an article on using the quicktools.

https://www.pdfscripting.com/public/Making-sense-of-the-QuickTools-Bar-and-the-Tools-Panel.cfm

[matthewl85098861 · Accepted solution]

Hi Thom,

Thank you for the tip.  Apologies for the late reply, as I just saw it.

Coincidentally, I saw it because I installed Acrobat Standard 2020 on a new laptop a couple of months ago and still cannot find the "Select Object" tool.  Alas, I cannot find your suggested "Rich Media" toolbar.  Perhaps it is available on Acrobat DC, but I am using Acrobat Standard 2020, as I mentioned in my original post.

The odd thing is, I am using Acrobat Standard 2020 on another laptop and [shift]-r still enables the "Select Object" tool.  However, it does not work on my new laptop...  At least not in the same way.  After some experimenting, I can no longer use [shift]-r and draw a box around multiple objects to copy or move them.  However, in some documents, I can press [shift]-r and select the objects, mainly text boxes, individually or as a group by selecting one and then [shift] or [ctrl] - right clicking on additional boxes.  This is a little more tedious, but at least it works. 

Alas, it does not work on all documents.  I used the function quite often on another document, but now I can no longer select multiple objects/text boxes.  The best I can do use use [shift]-r, hover over the text box at a location where it shows the resize handles, and then hit [ctrl]-c to copy it and paste it elsewhere.  There are two main annoyances: 1. I cannot select multiple objects and need to select and copy each one individually.  2.  I cannot move a selected object (with a workaround in that I can use [ctrl]-x to cut it, then [ctrl]-v to paste it, and then I can move the pasted object).

Very odd that I can still use [shift]-r in the previous manner on a one-year old laptop, but have to use a workaround that is not as efficient on a one-month old laptop despite both using Adobe Standard 2020.

Hopefully this helps anyone looking for help finding and using the Select Object tool.

Kind regards,

Matt

[Bernd Alheit]

Have you used Acrobat Pro in the past?