Fix Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020 Slow TIFF to PDF Conversion on Mac
Question details
The user is experiencing significantly slow performance when converting, combining, and OCRing batches of TIFF images to PDF using Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020 on a Mac, especially compared to Acrobat Pro 2017.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro 2020
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Converting and combining batches of TIFF images into PDF files and applying OCR.
- Observed behavior
- Acrobat Pro 2020 processes the TIFF files and performs OCR much slower than expected, causing significant delays during batch operations.
Ensure your macOS is fully updated and temporarily close other resource-heavy applications to rule out system performance and memory allocation issues.
Restart Mac and Reset Acrobat Preferences
A simple system restart combined with resetting Acrobat's preferences to their default states can resolve background conflicts causing the slow conversion.
Corrupted preference files are a common culprit for sudden performance drops in Adobe software. Resetting them forces the application to rebuild a clean configuration file.
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select 'Restart' to clear temporary background processes and memory.
Open Finder, hold the 'Option' key on your keyboard, click the 'Go' menu in the top menu bar, and select 'Library'.
Navigate to the 'Preferences' folder. Locate the 'com.adobe.Acrobat.Pro.plist' file (and the Acrobat folder) and move them to the Trash. Empty the Trash and relaunch Acrobat Pro 2020 to test the conversion.
Test Acrobat in a New Administrator Profile
Creating a new administrator profile helps determine if the slow performance is caused by user-specific background processes or corrupted user permissions.
Convert Images to PDF Quickly with WPS PDF
If Acrobat continues to struggle with slow batch conversions, try WPS PDF. It is a lightweight, blazing-fast application that smoothly converts TIFF and other images to high-quality PDFs without lagging your Mac.
- 1. Open WPS Office: Launch WPS Office on your Mac and select the 'PDF' tab from the main interface.
- 2. Select Picture to PDF: Click on the 'Picture to PDF' tool located in the PDF conversion and editing menu.
- 3. Import TIFF Images: Drag and drop your batch of TIFF files directly into the conversion window, or click 'Add Pictures' to select them manually.
- 4. Convert and Save: Adjust your output layout preferences, then click the 'Convert' button to rapidly generate your merged PDF document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat Pro 2020 run slower than Acrobat 2017 on my Mac?
Newer versions like Acrobat Pro 2020 often include heavier background processes, stricter security sandboxing, and different rendering engines. If these are not perfectly optimized for your specific Mac hardware or macOS version, it can result in slower processing speeds compared to lighter, older builds like 2017.
Can corrupted preference files cause slow PDF conversions?
Yes. Corrupted or outdated Adobe preference files can cause unexpected app behaviors, memory leaks, and severe performance drops during resource-intensive tasks like OCR processing and batch image conversions.
Is there a way to speed up the OCR process in Acrobat on Mac?
You can speed up the OCR process by lowering the downsample resolution in the PDF optimization settings, selecting 'Searchable Image' instead of 'Clear Scan' (Editable Text and Images), closing unnecessary background apps, or processing smaller batches of TIFF images at one time.
What should I do if the new user account test solves the issue?
If Acrobat runs smoothly on a new admin account or root account, the issue lies within your original user profile's settings. You may need to clean up your Mac's startup login items, clear out user cache folders, or repair disk permissions to fix the original profile.
