Preview text box typing upside down

Using Inspector in Preview, the files that I have with the problem indicate the following:

PDF Producer: GPL Ghostscript 9.52

Content creator: PDFCreator Free 4.2.0

These files are being sent to me by a client. I know they are using Windows, but I don't have any other details regarding the OS version or hardware they are using.

BTW, I just sent feedback to Apple regarding this issue:

Product Feedback - Apple

I gave Apple the info I mentioned above. I'm hoping there isn't some new rule in macOS 13 that the 3rd party software is breaking, because then we would be at the mercy of the 3rd party to fix it. Apple not likely to be able to help in this case.

mitch_san_angeles wrote:

I just updated to 13.1, problem still there.

Good idea, printing to PDF as a workaround...\\The PDFs I'm marking up are 11x17 format and I don't have a printer that prints at this size, so 11x17 was not on the list of paper sizes to choose from.

In the print window select Custom and create an 11 x 17 custom print size like I did for a 20 x 30 poster size:

You can print to PDF and get an 11 x 17 PDF file.

Hi Old Toad,

In my next sentence after the ones you quoted, I did say "I wanted to keep the size as 11x17 to send back to client, so I chose "Manage Custom Sizes..." and created a Custom Paper that is 11x17 with 0" margins. Yet another workaround!"

I'm not sure why you didn't acknowledge this, but your screen grab could help clarify for others, so thanks for that.

In the meantime, since I don't see a solution other than the workaround of printing to PDF, I suggest everyone report this to Apple Product Feedback - Apple

hlevinger wrote:

(Apple, are you listening???)

As I'm sure someone has already said - NO! Apple does not read these forums. This is a user-to-user tech support forum for Apple products.

If anyone wants to post a link to any file that can reproduce this problem, we would be happy to look at it and tell you more. But until that happens, until somebody actually gives us some tiny scrap of data, you got nothin'.

Thank you etresoft for your wonderfully sarcastic response!

For your information and gratification, here is a screenshot of the problem.

Also FYI, I have posted this exact report in Apple's support page, so I do realize what this forum is and the difference to Apple's support page.

Now that I've posted this screenshot, I am sure (with your expertise) that you will now be able to solve the problem. Ball's in your court. I'm sure you'll be able to easily solve this now.

First off, Thank you for your help. I've tried a bunch. These are the steps I've taken to try and make some sense of this issue on behalf of a colleague down the hall. The file link is attached below.

I tried this on a new Macbook 16" 2022 and a Mac Studio 2022.

1. Ok. So original pdf export came from AutoCAD.
2. if I open it in Preview, it's sideways.
3. I next rotate it and save
4. When I annotate text in edit mode, the text is upside down. When I finish, it corrects itself.
5. I then take the file and open it in Acrobat. When I try to edit the annotations from Preview in Acrobat the text in Acrobat edit mode is sideways and then goes back to straight when done editing.
6. When creating a new annotation in Acrobat, it's right side up.
7. When I save the file and open it in Preview, my Acrobat annotations aren't editable, so couldn't see if those would still be upside down.

From Acrobat, I tried the following, then annotated in preview:

• Save - Preview - fail
• Export - Preview - fail
• Reduce - optimize - Preview - fail

I then took the original file from CAD directly into Acrobat and adjusted the orientation. I then saved, exported, converted, and opened it in Preview again... Fail.

I've attached the original file. This file has never been opened in preview AFAIK it's straight from AutoCAD Revit.

Clean File

Thanks for the sample .pdf illustrating the problem.

I can reproduce it with macOS 13.1 -only tools:

Make a .png screenshot (Cmd-Shift-3).

Finder > [select screenshot] right mouse > Quick Actions > Create PDF.

Open that screenshot.pdf with Preview.app > Tools > Rotate Left.

Preview.app > Tools > Annotate > Text > [write something] > the text is upside down until you click elsewhere.

Thanks robertfromscarborough,

The PDFs that I'm having problems with are also from Revit, but perhaps not directly. See my earlier post regarding the PDF creation source.

I really appreciate the steps you have taken to describe the problem.

PS: For some reason, I was not able to click on the "Helpful" button.

etresoft wrote:

And I found another bug too. If you re-open a PDF that already has an annotation, there will be a phantom annotation if you try to move your annotation object. It will go away if you close the document and reopen.

Thanks to you too, etresoft! (Again, clicking on the "Helpful" button doesn't register). I had posted to the Product Feedback page. I hope you have posted the details you found to the feedback page too, but from what you say, we may not see a fix for a while.

So far as that other bug about the "phantom annotation", it actually happens in an older version of macOS. My office computer is a 2014 27" iMac 5K, so latest possible OS is Big Sur. The upside down text doesn't happen, but I do get that phantom annotation weirdness on it.

I just tried it on a .HEIC file and the problem is no longer there.

However, this is how I got my .HEIC file:

Export in JPG from Photo Library

Open in Preview, then Export to HEIC.

Is there a better way to get a HEIC file on Mac?

Did it on Ventura 13.2

Same issue here after just updating OSX.

Hopefully a bug fix soon as I use this feature a lot.

Currently marking up a photo with notes.

Same here trying to mark up a file created in Adobe Illustrator by work colleague.

This will be a massive problem for me.

MB Pro 2021 14"

I have the same issue since 10 minutes. out of nowhere. Restarting computer did not help. restarting program did not help.