Understanding Untagged PDF Reading Order and Reading Mode Options in Acrobat
Question details
The user wants to understand the differences between Reading Order and Reading Mode options when opening untagged PDFs, and how to select the appropriate settings.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Opening and configuring untagged PDF documents for optimal reading or accessibility.
- Observed behavior
- Acrobat prompts the user to select Reading Order and Reading Mode options to determine how the untagged content should be interpreted and displayed.
Before adjusting reading settings, determine whether you are configuring the document for visual reading comfort or for assistive technologies like screen readers, as this will dictate your choices.
Configure Reading Order for Accessibility
Set the correct Reading Order to ensure screen readers and assistive technologies interpret the PDF content logically.
When Acrobat opens an untagged PDF, it attempts to infer the logical structure of the document automatically. The Reading Order setting determines the sequence in which content is sent to a screen reader or read aloud.
Select 'Infer reading order from document' if you want Acrobat to use the document's inherent layout and formatting to guess the structure.
Select 'Left-to-right, top-to-bottom' for simple text documents without complex columns or tables.
Use the 'Reading Order' tool located under the 'Accessibility' pane to manually tag and correct reading sequences if the automatic detection is inaccurate.
Adjust Reading Mode for Document Processing
Choose how the document is processed and presented on your screen for optimal visual reading.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is an untagged PDF?
An untagged PDF lacks hidden structural tags, such as headings, paragraphs, and lists. These tags are required to tell assistive technologies like screen readers the logical reading order and structure of the document's content.
Can I permanently save the reading order in a PDF?
Yes, by using the Accessibility tools to add tags to your PDF, you can establish a permanent logical structure and reading order that will be saved with the document itself.
Why does Acrobat prompt me about untagged documents?
Acrobat prompts you so it can temporarily determine how to process the document for reading aloud or for assistive tools. This ensures that visually impaired users receive the information in a coherent sequence without permanent tags.
How do I turn off the untagged document prompt?
Go to Edit > Preferences > Reading. Under the 'Screen Reader Options' section, you can adjust the 'Page vs Document' reading preferences or uncheck 'Confirm before tagging documents' to stop seeing the prompt.
