How to Fix Gray or Black Bookmark and Comment Text in PDF
Question details
The user is experiencing an issue where text in PDF bookmarks or comments appears inconsistently colored, specifically partly gray and partly black, and changing the properties does not resolve the problem.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat / PDF Editor
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Trying to format or change the text color of PDF bookmarks and comment annotations.
- Observed behavior
- The text remains stuck as partly gray or black regardless of the color property changes applied, often due to confusion between formatting a bookmark versus a comment.
Before troubleshooting, verify whether the text you are trying to modify is located in the Bookmarks pane (navigation) or if it is a comment annotation on the document page itself, as they use completely separate property settings.
Identify and Modify the Correct Element Properties
PDF bookmarks and page comments are managed in completely different panels and require separate formatting steps to fix color glitches.
A common cause of unchangeable text colors in PDFs is selecting the wrong object type. Bookmarks serve as a clickable table of contents, whereas comments are text boxes or sticky notes on the actual pages.
Open the Bookmarks navigation panel on the left side of your PDF reader. Right-click the specific bookmark you want to modify, select Properties, and adjust the text color or style here.
If the text you are trying to change is on the document page itself, open the Comments panel from the right sidebar. Select the specific text box, sticky note, or highlight annotation.
Right-click the targeted annotation, select Properties, and change the appearance settings. Ensure the text color is set to black and the opacity is at 100% so it does not appear gray.
Manage PDF Bookmarks and Comments Seamlessly with WPS Office
If your current PDF reader struggles with formatting glitches or confusing menus, switch to WPS Office. WPS PDF offers an intuitive interface to add, edit, and format bookmarks and comments without color inconsistencies.
- 1. Open your PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office, click on the 'PDF' tab, and open the file you want to edit.
- 2. Access the Comment tab: Go to the 'Comment' tab on the top ribbon to easily add text boxes, highlights, and notes with instantly customizable colors.
- 3. Manage Bookmarks: Click the Bookmark icon on the left navigation pane to add items, right-click, and easily format the text style of your document outline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my PDF text box text grayed out?
This usually happens if the text box opacity is lowered in the properties menu, or if the PDF is locked for editing. Right-click the text box, go to Properties, and ensure the opacity is set to 100%.
Can I change the color of all bookmarks at once?
In most PDF editors, bookmark properties must be changed individually or by selecting multiple bookmarks holding the Ctrl or Shift key before opening the Properties dialog to apply the color change in bulk.
What is the difference between a bookmark and a comment in a PDF?
A bookmark acts as a clickable table of contents link stored in the navigation pane, while a comment is an annotation (like a note, text box, or highlight) placed directly over the document pages.
