How to Split a Large Text Box into Smaller Ones in Adobe Acrobat
Question details
The user needs to divide a single, full-page text box into multiple smaller text boxes for easier management.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Editing text layout within a PDF document.
- Observed behavior
- The text is contained within one large text box, and Acrobat lacks an automatic feature to split it.
Determine if you only need to make minor layout adjustments or if substantial text reflow is required. For heavy editing, locating the original source document is highly recommended.
Manually Create New Text Boxes and Paste Text
Since Acrobat does not have an automatic split function, you must manually create new text boxes and transfer the text.
Adobe Acrobat is designed primarily as a final-format document viewer rather than a full-fledged word processor. Because of this, it lacks advanced text reflow and automatic text box splitting capabilities.
Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, select the 'Edit PDF' tool from the right pane, and highlight the portion of text you want to move from the large text box.
Cut the selected text by pressing Ctrl+X (Windows) or Cmd+X (Mac).
Click on 'Add Text' in the Edit PDF toolbar, then click and drag on the page to draw a new, smaller text box in your desired location.
Paste the cut text into the newly created text box by pressing Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac). Repeat this process for the remaining text until the large box is fully divided.
Modify the Original Source Document
For substantial editing, formatting, or text reflow, it is best to edit the original file and generate a new PDF.
Convert and Edit PDF Text Seamlessly with WPS Office
Instead of manually cutting and pasting text in a rigid PDF editor, use WPS Office to convert your PDF to a Word document. This allows you to easily split text, adjust layouts, and export back to PDF in seconds.
- 1. Open PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open your PDF document.
- 2. Convert to Word: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab and select 'PDF to Word' to convert the document into an editable format.
- 3. Edit and Split Text: Open the converted Word document in WPS Writer, where you can easily split paragraphs, create new text boxes, and adjust the layout.
- 4. Export back to PDF: Once your layout is perfect, click 'Menu' > 'Export to PDF' to save your updated document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Adobe Acrobat put all my text into one large box?
When a PDF is generated or OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is applied, the software attempts to group text logically. Depending on the source document's structure, it may group an entire page of text into a single bounding box.
Is there a plugin to automatically split text boxes in Acrobat?
No, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC does not have a native feature or widely supported official plugin to automatically split a single text box into multiple smaller ones. Manual adjustment or source file editing is required.
Can I use the 'Edit PDF' tool to resize the large text box?
Yes, you can click and drag the handles of the large text box to resize it. However, this will only change the bounding area and reflow the text within that specific box; it will not split the text into separate boxes.
What is the fastest way to fix PDF text layout issues?
The most efficient method for major layout changes is to convert the PDF back into a Word document using a tool like WPS Office or Adobe Acrobat's export feature, make the layout changes in a word processor, and then save it as a PDF again.
