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nicolehtxst
nicolehtxst
Participating Frequently
February 6, 2019
Answered

Object alt text

  • February 6, 2019
  • 4 replies
  • 8580 views

I'm working in CC 2019 and I'm having trouble getting alt text applied to an object to carry over to a PDF. The object is a graphic created in Indesign; I've used Object Export Options to apply alt text to the graphic, but when I export the document, the alt text is not carrying over, and the graphic is not being tagged as a figure. (Create Tagged PDF is checked in my export options, and other items such as text and images placed in InDesign are being tagged appropriately.) Am I missing a step somewhere? I can't quite figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Correct answer Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com

Started a new document with a new graphic, and Alt-text still didn't work.

I'm on version 14.0. (It looks like Version 14.0.1 isn't available for my organization's enterprise account; my manager thinks it's possible our IT department hasn't released it to us yet.)

I'll keep an eye out and update when I can.


And when you export the PDF from InDesign, you're selecting PDF Interactive, and checking the options:

  • Create Tagged PDF (lower right corner of the dialogue)
  • Use Structure for Tab Order

Unfortunately, I think the bug is in InDesign or its PDF Export utility.

The good news is that you're doing things right!

The easiest thing to do at this time is to:

  • Add Alt-text to all your graphics in InDesign (hopefully most will make it through to the PDF)
  • Export the PDF
  • Add any missing Alt-Text in Acrobat Pro.
  • If the graphic did at least get a <Figure> tag, then you can easily select the <Figure> tag from the tag tree, right-click/opt-click / Properties and add the Alt-text there.  If there's more than one that's missing the Alt-text, then it might be quicker to run the Set Alt Text utility from the Accessibility Tool Panel in Acrobat.  It will cycle you through all of the graphics in the PDF where you can use the back/forth arrows to hop from figure to figure.
  • If you don't see the <Figure> tag at all, then use the Reading Order Panel from the Oder panel (left side of Acrobat, looks like a blue Z icon, then Options and Show Reading Order Panel). Use the crosshairs cursor to marquee-select the missing graphic, and then click the button for Figure. it will add it to the tag tree.
    • Drag the new <Figure> tag into the correct position in the tag tree (this controls the reading order).
    • Right-click/Opt-click on the <Figure> tag, Properties, and write the Alt-text.

4 replies

D
danielfeary
Known Participant
August 29, 2023

I had this issue on the latest version (18.3, 2023). It was only some of the images that were dropping their alt-text. The thing was, when using the Accessibility tool in Acrobat after export was that Acrobat didn't even see the images missing alt-text as being images. 

 

I solved it by simply remaking the image frame, paste-in the correct image, add the alt-text and it worked to fix the three images that were missing alt-text

B
Bailehima
Participant
January 20, 2023

Hi,

I had the same issue and found that the ALT text applied to images other than JPEG, PNG doesnot appear in PDF. So convert all your shapes, images, graphics to JPEG/PNG, add ALT text and export to pdf. This should solver the issue.

 

    _Aaron_9278756
    _Aaron_9278756
    Known Participant
    April 11, 2023

    Alas, not. I'm having this very issue with JPEGs on latest ID.

    E
    elizabethf25417841
    Participant
    May 23, 2023

    My InDesign file (has nearly 50 images, mostly jpgs) randomly drops ALT text from a handful of them in the PDF conversion. The ALT text is there, no different than the other zillion images in this book but it doesn't show up in the PDF so I have to manually copy and paste from the ALT text in my INDD file. Just a bug? What is up?

      vinny38
      vinny38
      Legend
      February 8, 2019

      Hi

      I am far from being a specialist in PDF accessibility.

      However, I recall reading threads about placed PDF, or AI not being correctly tagged.

      I suppose this is the same thing here...

      I am not aware of any other solution than tagging the object in Acrobat itself.

      Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com
      Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com
      Legend
      February 8, 2019

      To help diagnose what's going wrong, let's review the steps to take:

      1. Create the graphic object in InDesign.
      2. Right-click/Opt-click on the object and select Object Export Options. (Or choose Object menu / Object Export Options)
      3. From the first tab (Alt-Text), select Custom from the Alt-Text Source. Type your Alt-text in the field box.
      4. Exit the dialogue.
      5. Save the INDD file.
      6. Export the PDF: File / Export / PDF Interactive and check the options for Create Tagged PDF and Use Structure for Tab Order.
      7. View the PDF in Acrobat Pro.

      Let us know if this method works.

      -- Bevi

      |&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bevi Chagnon &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;Designer, Trainer, &amp; Technologist for Accessible Documents ||&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;PubCom |&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Classes &amp; Books for Accessible InDesign, PDFs &amp; MS Office |
        nicolehtxst
        nicolehtxstAuthor
        Participating Frequently
        February 8, 2019

        Followed those steps exactly, and the graphic still isn't showing a figure tag or alt text in the PDF.

          nicolehtxst
          nicolehtxstAuthor
          Participating Frequently
          February 8, 2019

          OK, please check one more item:

          When you select the object's frame and right-click/opt-click for Object Export Options, is there anything in the MIDDLE tab "Tagged PDF"?

          If so, delete any text in the Actual Text Source (it should be empty) and revert that tab's settings to Apply Tag: From Structure.

          Note that Alt-Text is not the same as Actual Text.


          In the Tagged PDF tab, both Apply Tag and Actual Text Source are set to From Structure, and the text box says "[Selection has content with no associated structure.]"

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