How to keep text boxes from merging together in Edit Mode

[jillie60247986]

When in Edit mode, I am setting up a form and using text boxes.  All seems well.  After you save the form and go back into it, some of the textboxes have merged together.  Now, you can't move just one of them, they are all lumped together.

So, then, you start over again and make two separate text boxes, but then they end up merging together into one text box, again, after you close the form and come back to it, later.

Is there any way to turn off this merging thing, so that you don't have to keep separating the text boxes, so that you can manipulate them?

It seems to happen when text boxes are close to each other.

I would appreciate any help with this.

By the way, this was happening when I was using Acrobat XI Pro.  Now we are using Acrobat DC, and it still happens.

Thank you.

[try67 · Accepted solution]

No, there's nothing that can be done about it. PDF files were never meant to be edited in such a way, so doing so is always going to be tricky.

[jillie60247986]

Okay; thank you very much.   : )

[william.e.goble@gmail.com]

Actually - the answer provided is not a good answer for those of us creating a new fillable form.  Adobe should be able to resolve this problem, especially for those folks trying to create a new form from scratch.  The text boxes remain separate until you save the file, and then they begin to merge.

[Thom Parker]

Adding text content to a PDF is not part of creating a fillable form.

Adding form fields and scripts to a PDF is part of creating a fillable form.

The content is created in a content creation application, like InDesign or Word.

[m0bius37]

Looking at this post 2 years later and it's still relevant. 

The reality is some people want to make forms from scratch within Acrobat. Intuitively, it appears it should be possible based on the editing tools and how the bounding boxes for created text appears for the user. 

That users should be punished for following what appears to be an intuitive flow only to be frustrated and slowed by the bounding boxes merging their individually created text fields is very typical of adobe. For the life of me I can't understand why Adobe treats their customer base as if they're all extremely tech-savvy and tri-lingual withe coding languages. Most of your users don't know code, and want to go with what's easiest (or appears like it should be easiest). 

Best example of this was when they discontinued adobe Muse with no alternative for the community, yet didn't reduce the cost of their creative cloud suite despite removing a hugely valuable program. Adobe behaves as if they have a permanent monopoly. Eventually a viable alternative will emerge, and people will switch. I know I will.

[Thom Parker]

Acrobat has it's place as part of the document creation process, and it's an important one. However, I believe there are already viable alternatives.  Some of the 3rd party PDF tool vendors have had the same idea you just voiced, and they had that idea years ago. However, none of those tools are as complete as Acrobat when it comes to PDF features, and none are as customizable with scripts and plug-ins as Acrobat. So it's a standard compromise.  You can have a mediocre all-in-one tool , or you can have a really good specialized tool. 

[Bernd Alheit]

For the text you can use read-only form text fields.

[danm13245026]

There is kind of a way. You   can  convert  your  text  to  outlines,  so  you'll  be   able  to  move  them   around  without  affecting the   others.  Just   a  thought.

[try67]

You'll be creating many more problems like that than solving them... If you wanted to insert a new character you'll have to manually rearrange the entire page to do so. Not to mention the file won't be searchable any longer, among many other issues.

[defaultsi2wfvoyfceo]

"Print to Pdf", save as your own new file, close original document, open your new file and edit as you please.

[try67]

That doesn't solve anything. You're just creating a new file that could have the same (or other) issues when you try to edit it.