Embedding links in Preview

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Embedding links in Preview

It does not seem possible to embed a hyperlink in Preview. Moreover, when generating a PDF from Word, say by using Print as PDF, the hyperlinks that were embedded in the Word document do not come through (although the pretty blue color in the font is there). This was not always the case, but since "upgrading" to Monterey which has Preview Version 11, it is no longer available. This is absurd and very problematic in my work. I guess I'll have to punt on Apple, get a Windows laptop and use Adobe from now on....

Posted on May 6, 2022 7:28 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,152 points

May 7, 2022 10:57 AM in response to SustainableYitch

I just put a hyperlink on some text in Word 16.60 on macOS 12.3.1. I did not choose Print… but rather, Save As… where I chose PDF as the document format. When I opened this document in Apple's Preview, the hyperlink was active and opened in Safari.

By choosing Print > PDF > Save as PDF in Word 16.60, you flatten (make the hyperlink inactive) in the PDF and though the text has a blue underscore, it is useless.

Apple's Pages word processing application has a File menu > Export To > PDF that preserves hyperlinks in the exported PDF in a similar analogy.

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,152 points

May 6, 2022 7:50 AM in response to SustainableYitch

Apple has not provided link annotation in Preview since Snow Leopard. If you need to apply links to existing PDF content, you will need to acquire a proper PDF Editor, several of which are in the Mac App Store, or Code Industry's Master PDF Editor, all lower-cost alternatives to an Adobe Acrobat Pro DC subscription, and all with free trials from the respective vendor websites.

When you print as PDF, you are flattening the annotations and they are now inactive. Some prefer flattened PDF when deriving images from it as the inactive annotations still appear in the image.

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Answer 3

May 6, 2022 12:30 PM in response to VikingOSX

Thank you. That sort of answers my question, but would prefer not to have the extra step of having to embed hyperlinks to a PDF after generating the PDF. What I really need is far simpler. When printing a Word document that already has the embedded link, I want the PDF to retain the link. Which of the products will do that and are Mac OS verified for Monterey? Also, I would prefer free software to a subscription service.

I can do this when working within Office 365, but that seems to be messing up other document formatting.

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Embedding links in Preview

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