How to Disable Automatic Text Recognition in Adobe Acrobat on Mac
Question details
The user needs to turn off the automatic text recognition (OCR) feature in Adobe Acrobat on macOS to stop document corruption.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Editing a PDF document containing flattened PowerPoint artwork and clip art.
- Observed behavior
- Acrobat automatically recognizes text when the user clicks outside a form field, which causes the embedded artwork and clip art to become distorted.
Make sure you save a backup copy of your original PDF document and check your specific Adobe Acrobat version, as settings interfaces can vary between different updates.
Turn Off Automatic Text Recognition in Acrobat Edit Settings
The most direct way to resolve this issue is to uncheck the automatic text recognition option from within the Edit PDF tool settings.
By default, newer versions of Adobe Acrobat may attempt to automatically run Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on documents it perceives as scanned. Disabling this toggle prevents Acrobat from altering flattened images.
Launch Adobe Acrobat on your Mac, open the PDF document, and click on 'Edit PDF' in the right-hand tools pane.
In the right-hand panel under the Edit PDF options, scroll down to find the 'Scanned Documents' or 'Recognize text' section.
Uncheck the box labeled 'Recognize text' or 'Settings > Recognize text automatically'.
Save your document, close it, and reopen another PDF to confirm that the text recognition setting remains disabled.
Update Adobe Acrobat to the Latest Version
If the text recognition setting continues to re-enable itself after closing the document, updating the software can fix known bugs related to saving preferences.
Reset Acrobat Preferences on macOS
If turning off the setting and updating the software fails, your Acrobat preferences file might be corrupted and needs to be reset.
Edit PDFs Safely and Smoothly with WPS Office
If you want to avoid frustrating automatic formatting changes and distorted artwork, consider using WPS PDF. It provides a stable, user-friendly PDF editing environment where text recognition only happens when you explicitly command it, keeping your original layouts and clip art perfectly intact.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office Free for your Mac and follow the standard installation process.
- 2. Open Your PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your PDF document containing the flattened artwork.
- 3. Edit Without Distortion: Navigate to the 'Edit' tab. You can safely modify text, fill forms, or adjust layout elements without triggering unwanted automatic OCR.
- 4. Save the Document: Click 'Save' to retain your changes while keeping all original clip art and PowerPoint artwork perfectly intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat distort my PowerPoint artwork in the PDF?
When Acrobat automatically runs text recognition (OCR), it attempts to analyze and convert flattened images and shapes into editable text and vector graphics. This conversion process can misinterpret complex artwork, leading to unwanted distortion.
Will disabling automatic text recognition affect my ability to search the PDF?
No, if the PDF was originally created from a text-based application like Word or PowerPoint, the text is already searchable. Disabling automatic OCR only prevents Acrobat from trying to extract text from images and flattened graphics.
Where is the text recognition setting located in older versions of Adobe Acrobat?
In older versions, this setting might be found under 'Preferences' (Cmd + ,) > 'Reading' or 'Page Display'. However, in newer Acrobat DC versions, it is directly integrated into the right-hand panel of the 'Edit PDF' tool menu.
