How to Fix Acrobat Highlighting Large Areas Instead of Selected PDF Text
Question details
The user needs a solution for their PDF reader highlighting large, irregular shapes instead of the specific text they select.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Highlighting text in a PDF that was processed with OCR or created using a "Print to PDF" function from web browsers like Microsoft Edge.
- Observed behavior
- Instead of highlighting the selected line of text, the software highlights large oval or irregular areas that span multiple lines.
Verify if the document contains native text by opening a standard, non-scanned PDF and testing the highlight tool to see if the issue is isolated to documents with OCR output.
Recreate the Document using a PDF Printer
Use this method to rebuild the document's structure and fix misaligned OCR text layers that cause irregular highlighting.
Often, the underlying text layer generated by web browsers or scanners is misaligned with the visual text on the page. Re-printing the file as a new PDF forces the software to restructure the document, effectively removing the glitchy artifacts and oval highlight zones.
Launch the flawed PDF document in your current PDF viewer or browser.
Click on 'File' in the top menu bar and select 'Print', or press Ctrl+P on your keyboard.
In the printer selection dropdown, choose 'Adobe PDF', 'Microsoft Print to PDF', or another virtual PDF printer installed on your system.
Click 'Print' or 'Save'. You will be prompted to choose a destination folder and name the new file. Save it and open this newly created PDF to test the highlight tool.
Update Adobe Acrobat Standard DC
Apply the latest patches to fix known bugs related to highlighting in scanned or OCR-processed PDFs.
Use an Alternative Browser for Printing
Avoid the issue entirely by using a different web browser to generate your daily PDFs.
Accurately Highlight and Edit PDFs with WPS Office
If you are tired of struggling with misaligned text layers and irregular highlight shapes, WPS Office offers a robust, built-in PDF editor. It features highly accurate text recognition and precise annotation tools that let you highlight exactly what you need without formatting glitches.
- 1. Open your PDF with WPS Office: Launch WPS Office, click on 'Open', and select your problematic PDF file.
- 2. Access the annotation tools: Navigate to the 'Comment' tab located in the top ribbon menu.
- 3. Select the Highlight tool: Click on the 'Highlight' icon and choose your preferred color from the drop-down palette.
- 4. Highlight your text accurately: Click and drag your cursor smoothly over the specific text you wish to emphasize.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my PDF highlight in blocks or ovals instead of selecting the text?
This happens when the document's Optical Character Recognition (OCR) text layer is misaligned or corrupted. The software tries to highlight the irregular bounding boxes generated by the scanner or browser (like Microsoft Edge) rather than the visible text itself.
How can I tell if my PDF has a corrupted text layer?
Try selecting a single word or letter using your standard text selection cursor. If the selection jumps to encompass a large block, or if you cannot highlight individual characters, the underlying text layer is likely flawed.
Can the browser I use to 'Print to PDF' cause formatting issues?
Yes. Different web browsers render HTML elements into print data differently. Printing from Microsoft Edge sometimes results in irregular text mapping in the final PDF, while doing the same task in Mozilla Firefox might produce a perfectly formatted, easily highlightable file.
Will running OCR again fix the highlighting bug?
It might, but typically, if the document already contains a flawed invisible text layer, running OCR again can cause conflicting layers. Re-printing the document to a new PDF to flatten it before running a fresh OCR scan yields better results.
