PDF problems, fixed
The cause behind each common PDF headache, and what actually fixes it.
- Why the font changes when you edit a PDFYou change a word in a PDF and it appears in a different, plainer font than the text around it.
- White box behind edited text in a PDFAfter editing, a white rectangle is visible around the new text, or selecting the area reveals the old words.
- Edited text overlapping in a PDFYour longer replacement text runs past the margin, into the next column, or over the line below.
- Why you can't edit text in a PDFYou click text in a PDF and nothing becomes editable, or the editor reports there's no text on the page.
- Scanned PDF not searchableFind in your PDF reader returns no results, and you can't select or copy words.
- PDF too large to emailYour email app refuses the attachment or bounces the message because the PDF is too big.
- PDF rejected by an upload limitA website says your PDF exceeds the maximum size, often 1 MB, 2 MB or 5 MB.
- PDF is password protectedYour PDF asks for a password to open, or opens but blocks printing, copying or editing.
- PDF pages upside down or sidewaysSome pages display sideways or upside down, and rotating them in your viewer is lost when you reopen the file.
- PDF pages in the wrong orderPages appear out of sequence, often all fronts then all backs after scanning, or mixed after merging.
- Can't type into a PDF formYou open a form, but clicking the boxes does nothing, so you'd have to print it to fill it in.
- Copied PDF text comes out as gibberishThe page looks normal, but copied text pastes as symbols, boxes or the wrong letters.
- PDF text looks blurryText looks fuzzy when you zoom in, unlike other PDFs where it stays sharp.
- PDF margins too wideOn a phone or e reader the page fits the screen but the text is tiny, surrounded by white space.
- PDF shows boxes instead of lettersSome characters appear as empty rectangles or disappear, often after an edit.
- Form fields not working after mergingAfter merging, fields that were fillable in the originals no longer respond or show the same value.
- Cropped PDF still contains hidden contentSomeone found text or images you cropped out of a PDF.
- Signature invalid after editing a PDFA PDF reader shows the signature as invalid, or warns the document changed after it was signed.
- PDF won't openYour reader says the file is damaged, not a PDF, or opens it with blank pages.
- Photo sideways after converting to PDFA photo that looks upright on your phone is sideways in the PDF.
- PDF has blank pagesEvery other page is blank, or there's an empty page at the end.
- Numbers not aligned after editingAn edited amount sticks out past the column or doesn't line up with the others.
- Links in a PDF are not clickableYou can see a web address in the PDF, but clicking it does nothing.
- PDF printing cuts off edgesPrinted pages are missing text or borders near the edge of the paper.
- Watermark makes the PDF hard to readYour watermark covers important text or makes pages hard to read.
- Resume spills onto a second pageYour resume has a second page with just a few lines.
- PDF looks different in WordAfter opening a PDF in Word, spacing, fonts, tables and page breaks are off.
- Images missing when extracting from a PDFYou extracted images, but logos, charts or icons you can see aren't in the results.
- Compressed PDF isn't smallerAfter compressing, the file is the same size or only slightly smaller.
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