Preview Application Not Saving Text

Question

Level 1

8 points

Preview Application Not Saving Text

I use PDF files with "Text Boxes" to complete business forms. I open the PDF in preview, fill-in the fields and then "Save" or "Save-as". Ever since upgrading to Leopard the Save feature erases all of the text. The Save command works, however, no matter where I save it or the name I use, once the item is saved, all of the text disappears leaving the form entirely blank. I have been able to find a temporary work-around by using the "Print" then "Save as PDF". This proceedure works but is completely unnecessary. Is anyone else having the same problem or any solutions?

BTW: I have already restarted the system as well as run Disk Utilities (Permission Repair & Disk Check).

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Oct 31, 2007 11:35 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 1, 2007 8:08 PM in response to eMak

Ditto. They're there, then they're not. Not a color issue-text is just gone. Tried copy/paste, same result. Text disappears when leaving the field, reappears temporarily when going back to field. Form created in Acrobat 7.X

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Answer 2

eMak Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 1, 2007 8:23 PM in response to Robert McDaniels

Very Strange, I know! I've done my best to trouble-shoot but have not been able to come up with any logical cause. Seems to me that it is in some way due to Leopard and the only solution is to wait for an OS update. This is the downside of wanting to be the first to have something! Anyone have any idea when some OS X Updates are expected?

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Answer 3

Nov 2, 2007 5:39 AM in response to eMak

Stranger still, Acrobat can, of course fill in the blanks on the form and read the saved file with included data, so the data is there. But when opening the saved file in Preview, data is there if text box selected, but again goes away when the field loses focus.

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Answer 4

eMak Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 2, 2007 2:03 PM in response to Robert McDaniels

I know that I should be expecting a certain amount of "issues" when being one of the first to do anything let alone install an new operating system. However, it is starting to take it's toll on me because is seems like the only issues that I am experiencing are the ones that are prohibiting me from completing the crucial business tasks that I depend on. I think next time around, I should be a bit smarter and less eager when making this kind of change. In the end, waiting a few months to upgrade (post update release) would not have hurt me too much. I just hope that my faith in Apple will pay off and this issue amongst others will be repaired in a timely manner!

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Answer 5

Nov 6, 2007 5:57 PM in response to eMak

Just adding my poor experiences to the list of affected users. I've been using Preview.app to try to edit PDF files from irs.gov. Same thing: I can edit everything I want. I can save it out. After the save function completes the entire document gets blanked. Opening the document in anything relying on the built-in PDF code paths results in a blank document. I have not tested Adobe Acrobat as I've heard that it does not currently work in Leopard.

I am amazed that this bug was not caught before the OS release. Heck, this is basic functionality. I hope there's an update soon!

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Answer 6

eMak Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 6, 2007 6:04 PM in response to ryunokokoro

In the meantime you can use this workaround solution. Instead of saving, go to the print menu and use the "Save as PDF" option. It's more steps then necessary but this will work!

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Answer 7

Nov 6, 2007 6:16 PM in response to eMak

I understand that. The problem is that I need to work on these documents incrementally as I don't have all of the information available to finish filling the out all at one time. The files produced when you Print the file to PDF are image based and lose all text field information.

😟

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Answer 8

eMak Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 9, 2007 10:44 AM in response to ryunokokoro

Guess what I noticed today? Looks like all of the Preview documents that I have been managing to save via the Print / Save as PDF menu's have stopped working. Initially, they were fine, however, several days later, none of them are opening with ANY program. The error message indicates that they are damaged, so it looks as if even the workaround is a temporary one at best. This needs to get solved and I mean quickly!!!

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Answer 9

Nov 15, 2007 12:41 PM in response to eMak

10.5.1 no help.

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Answer 10

eMak Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 15, 2007 1:07 PM in response to Robert McDaniels

Im am truly disappointed! Such an easy fix for something so important, yet they didn't care to do it.

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Answer 11

Nov 24, 2007 3:35 PM in response to eMak

The only solution I've run across within Preview it to 'remake' the original form and make sure that font size is fixed in the original - No Auto sizing of fields. Alternately, you see to be able to use Auto font size if you select the Multi-line option.

Not elegant, but if you have to make it work, a quick work around.

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Answer 12

eMak Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 24, 2007 3:49 PM in response to Robert McDaniels

That was one of the first things that I did because originally the words that I typed would disappear as soon as I would go to another field. Regardless of my modifications to the original doc, the files will not save.

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Answer 13

drdocument

Level 4

3,019 points

Nov 24, 2007 4:00 PM in response to eMak

I create forms with Acrobat Pro and distribute them, and I've always had the best results by sticking with Acrobat and Adobe Reader. If the permissions of the PDF are set to allow user to edit the form, Reader can "Save As" with form field content intact.

However, the forms capability is a fairly specialized creature of Adobe, and I think Preview is missing some of the form-field-handling code. I'd like to use Preview as well, because it's much faster, but since Reader is free anyway it's safer to use Reader for Adobe forms.

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Answer 14

eMak Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 11, 2007 12:03 AM in response to drdocument

Your right, I just like how Preview works and how integrated it is. I really want to avoid using another app. to do something that Preview is designed to do. Let's hope Apple gives a bit of attention to this.

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Answer 15

Dec 19, 2007 10:43 AM in response to eMak

The drama drags on. Same result with forms from Skim. I'm not so sure Adobe is the evil-doer in this. Yes, using Reader is a work around, but I really like the Safari/Preview combo. And, of course, can't see the Reader resulting document (at the for the fields) in Preview.

Hoping for 10.5.2.

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