How to Fix PDF Accessibility Checker Requesting Alt Text for Decorative Images
Question details
The user is attempting to pass a PDF accessibility check but the system continues to prompt for alternative text on images that are already designated as decorative artifacts.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Running an accessibility check on a tagged PDF document.
- Observed behavior
- The accessibility checker flags decorative images as missing alternative text, ignoring the fact that they are treated as background artifacts in the document structure.
Ensure you save your document and completely close the accessibility checking tool before re-running it, as older document structures can sometimes be cached during the check.
Verify and Re-Assign Artifact Tags in the Tags Panel
Use the Tags panel to manually confirm that the decorative images are correctly classified as background artifacts so the accessibility checker ignores them.
Sometimes simply marking an image as decorative in the reading order tool fails to update the underlying tag tree. Manually setting the tag type ensures the document structure accurately reflects the background artifact status.
Navigate to the View menu, select Show/Hide, choose Navigation Panes, and click on Tags to open the document's tag tree.
Expand the tag tree and find the specific <Figure> tag corresponding to the decorative image that the accessibility checker is flagging.
Right-click the <Figure> tag and select 'Change Tag to Artifact' from the context menu. Ensure the artifact type is set to 'Page' or 'Background'.
Save your PDF document to apply the structural changes, then launch the accessibility checker again to analyze the updated document.
Easily Manage PDF Layouts and Images with WPS Office
WPS Office provides an intuitive PDF editor that allows you to easily insert, modify, and adjust images or backgrounds in your PDF documents without dealing with complex structural errors.
- 1. Open Your PDF in WPS: Launch WPS Office and open your PDF document using the WPS PDF tool.
- 2. Enter Edit Mode: Click on the 'Edit' tab located on the top toolbar to access the document editing features.
- 3. Adjust Images and Backgrounds: Click on 'Edit Image' or select specific images to adjust their properties, remove unnecessary decorative elements, or modify the background.
- 4. Save Document: Click on the 'Menu' button and select 'Save' to preserve your updated PDF layout.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies as a decorative image in a PDF?
A decorative image is a visual element that does not add meaningful information to the document, such as page borders, background patterns, or stylistic flourishes. These should be ignored by screen readers.
What is an artifact in PDF accessibility?
In PDF tagging, an artifact is an element (like a decorative image or repeating header) that is hidden from screen readers. Because it provides no structural or informational meaning, it does not require alternative text.
Why does the accessibility checker still fail after I add alternative text?
If the checker still fails, the document structure might not have been fully updated. Saving the document, closing the checking tool, and re-running the check often resolves cached errors in the tag tree.
