How to Keep Text Selectable When Printing to PDF
Question details
Ensure text remains searchable and selectable after resizing pages or modifying layouts using the print-to-PDF function.
- Product
- PDF Printer
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Changing paper size or placing multiple pages on one sheet by generating a new PDF via the virtual printing process.
- Observed behavior
- Users want the output PDF to contain active text objects instead of being rasterized into unselectable, flattened image files.
Verify that your selected virtual PDF printer supports creating text objects, and ensure that the 'Print as Image' option is unchecked in your application's advanced print settings.
Use a Professional PDF Printer on Windows
Utilize a high-quality virtual printer like the Adobe PDF printer or WPS PDF to ensure text objects are properly preserved during the print process.
When you use a basic system 'Print to PDF' function, the software may sometimes rasterize the document, converting words into unselectable image pixels. To prevent this, always select a dedicated, professional virtual PDF printer that is designed to retain character data.
While this method keeps text selectable, be aware that printing to PDF will generally strip out underlying document structures such as hyperlinks, bookmarks, and accessibility tags. It is best used only when you strictly need to change visual layouts, like N-up printing.
Open your original document in your preferred viewer or editor, then press Ctrl+P or navigate to File > Print.
In the Printer selection dropdown menu, choose a professional PDF printer such as 'Adobe PDF' or 'WPS PDF'.
Adjust your desired layout settings, such as the paper size or selecting multiple pages per sheet.
Click 'Print' and save the new PDF file to your computer. Open the newly created document and attempt to highlight and copy the text to verify it is still selectable.
Easily Resize and Adjust PDF Layouts with WPS Office
WPS Office offers a built-in, high-quality PDF editor and virtual printer that allows you to change paper sizes, adjust layouts, and merge pages without losing text selectability or essential metadata.
- 1. Open your document in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open the document or PDF you wish to resize or print.
- 2. Select the WPS PDF Printer: Navigate to the Print menu and choose 'WPS PDF' as your active printer from the device list.
- 3. Adjust Layout Options: Configure your page scaling, multiple pages per sheet, or custom paper size preferences directly in the print interface.
- 4. Export with High Quality: Click Print to save the file. WPS Office will process the layout changes while preserving high-quality, selectable text data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my text become an image after printing to PDF?
This happens when the virtual printer rasterizes the document, converting the pages into flat images. Using basic system default printers or having 'Print as Image' selected in your advanced print settings is usually the cause.
Does 'Print to PDF' keep my hyperlinks and bookmarks working?
No, the 'Print to PDF' process typically flattens the document for visual layout purposes. This strips out interactive elements like hyperlinks, bookmarks, and structural tags. To retain links, use a 'Save As PDF' or 'Export to PDF' function.
How can I put two pages on one sheet without printing to PDF?
Many professional PDF editors, including WPS Office, feature built-in page layout tools that allow you to combine or resize pages natively. Alternatively, you can use standard N-up printing directly to a physical printer without creating an intermediate PDF.
Can I make an unselectable PDF selectable again?
Yes. If your PDF was saved as an image or rasterized during printing, you can use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. WPS Office provides an OCR feature that scans the image-based PDF and converts the recognized letters back into editable, selectable text.
