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EJ010118771778
Known Participant
March 15, 2022
Answered

Issue with Editing PDF in Indesign

  • March 15, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 553 views

I am having an issue editting a document which was converted from a PDF to Indesign it normally works perfecetly for every other document however this one has made the entire text blue, un editible almost as if it is a picture even though it is a text document, any idea on how to change the settings to be able to edit this file, also the curosor has an I with a circle around it when I try to click and type something, it only allows me to create next text boxes not edit what is already there. 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Jeffrey_Smith

You cannot edit a PDF in Indesign.

 

With a third party, you can convert a PDF to an editable Indesign document. This process will not return a document to its original state, but to a state where you could extract and modify content.

3 replies

JonathanArias
JonathanArias
Legend
March 15, 2022

question, why would this be an indesign issue? you said you are using a pdf converted to indesign format, How did you do that? please explain. Would that product not have settings on the converting?

J
Community Expert
Jeffrey_SmithCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
March 15, 2022

You cannot edit a PDF in Indesign.

 

With a third party, you can convert a PDF to an editable Indesign document. This process will not return a document to its original state, but to a state where you could extract and modify content.

    Randy Hagan
    Community Expert
    Randy HaganCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 15, 2022

    I suspect that your PDF may be a text document, but the type may have been converted to outlines before or during the creation of the PDF.

     

    That would explain why your text seems like it's a picture — because essentially, it is. It would also explain why you're seeing your text tool with a circle around it because your text cursor is trying to place text characters inside your outlined/drawn "type."

     

    If you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat DC, you should open the PDF as an image and see if you can use Acrobat's OCR functions to output a Word or RTF text file to place within InDesign. Regrettably, I think that's the only way you're going to be able to get text from that PDF file.

     

    Sorry I don't have better news for you,

     

    Randy

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