Fix: Figures and Tables Cannot Be Highlighted in Acrobat Reading Order
Question details
Users are unable to highlight, select, or correctly tag specific figures and tables when adjusting the reading order for PDF accessibility.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC / PDF Editors
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Adjusting the accessibility reading order and manually tagging figures or tables within a PDF document.
- Observed behavior
- Certain figures and tables cannot be selected or tagged as a 'Figure' or 'Table' using the Reading Order tool, breaking the accessibility workflow.
Check the original source file (like Microsoft Word or InDesign) if available, as resolving structural tagging issues is often much easier before exporting the document to PDF.
Verify PDF Creation Method and Correct the Tag Tree
The underlying tag structure depends on how the PDF was generated. Ensuring it was exported as an interactive, tagged PDF rather than 'printed to PDF' is critical for accessibility.
When a document is 'printed to PDF', it acts as a virtual printer that strips away all semantic structure, making it impossible to select or tag elements like tables and figures automatically.
If the PDF was generated from Word or another authoring tool, it must be saved or exported with accessibility tags enabled so that the PDF editor can recognize distinct blocks of content.
Open the Tags panel in Adobe Acrobat (View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panes > Tags) to see if a logical tag structure already exists for the document.
If you have access to the original Word or InDesign file, ensure you use the 'Save as Adobe PDF' or 'Export' function, making sure the 'Enable Accessibility and Reflow with tagged Adobe PDF' option is checked.
If the PDF lacks tags entirely, use the 'Autotag Document' feature under the Accessibility tools to generate a baseline tag tree. Once completed, attempt to highlight the figures and tables again in the Reading Order tool.
If elements are still unselectable in the Reading Order tool, go directly to the Tags panel, right-click to select 'New Tag', choose 'Figure' or 'Table', and manually associate the content with the new tag.
Create Structured PDFs Easily with WPS Office
Avoid reading order and selection issues by creating well-structured PDFs directly from WPS Office. WPS seamlessly converts your Word, Excel, and Presentation documents to PDF natively, preserving your tables, figures, and essential formatting without complex re-tagging.
- 1. Open your Document in WPS: Launch WPS Office and open your source document (Word, Excel, or Presentation).
- 2. Ensure Proper Formatting: Make sure your tables and figures are correctly inserted, captioned, and formatted within the original document layout.
- 3. Export to PDF: Go to the 'Menu' at the top left and select 'Export to PDF'. Choose your desired quality settings in the prompt.
- 4. Save and Review: Click 'Export' to generate a properly structured PDF that maintains the integrity of your figures and tables.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'Print to PDF' ruin document accessibility?
Printing to PDF flattens the document into a visual-only representation. It strips out all metadata, structural tags, and semantic elements required for screen readers and the Reading Order tool to identify what is a text block, table, or figure.
Can I fix an untagged PDF directly in Acrobat?
Yes, you can use the 'Autotag Document' tool in Acrobat's Accessibility menu to automatically generate a basic tag structure. However, this is an automated guess and you will likely need to refine the tags manually in the Tags panel.
Why are only some tables unselectable in the reading order?
Tables that were inserted as images, improperly formatted in the source document, or nested incorrectly using spaces/tabs instead of actual table grids may not be recognized as tabular data by the PDF creator, preventing them from being highlighted or tagged as a Table.
Is it better to fix tags in the PDF or the source file?
It is always highly recommended to fix structural and formatting issues in the source file (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, or InDesign) and re-export the PDF. Fixing complex tags and reading order directly in a PDF editor can be tedious and time-consuming.
