Embedding a link in Preview

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Embedding a link in Preview

Asking this again as the original question will not allow me to post a response. I've found that if you put a link in regular format - https://someURLhere.com - it will automatically link it when you use the PRINT to PDF function (Command-P, lower left corner dropdown). This is basically the last step you want to do when entering text into a PDF and you want to make entire document read-only (non-editable). It's not a true answer to the original question (being able to highlight a word in a PDF document in Preview and hyperlink it), but is an ok workaround until Apple gives us back the Command-K function in Preview. This workaround works at least in Preview v14 (Dec 2023).

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Dec 13, 2023 11:38 AM

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Answer 1

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VikingOSX

Level 10

124,778 points

Dec 13, 2023 12:10 PM in response to owe-me

You can put links in the the original document content before it is converted to PDF, but Apple's Preview will not allow you to select original PDF text and apply a hyperlink to it.

Preview has not had operational user-applied link annotations since Snow Leopard 10.6.8. However, any proper PDF editor permits link annotations to existing PDF content.

When you enter a Text Annotation, supply a valid URL, and then open the print panel, select PDF, and Save as PDF, you flatten that Text annotation layer into the PDF and it is no longer editable text, but as you state, becomes an active hyperlink in that PDF. The cost is that all other annotations are flattened and that may not be entirely desirable.

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Answer 2

owe-me Author

Level 1

12 points

Dec 13, 2023 11:39 AM in response to owe-me

If you put a link in regular format - https://someURLhere.com - it will automatically link it when you use the PRINT to PDF function (Command-P, lower left corner dropdown). This is basically the last step you want to do when entering text into a PDF and you want to make entire document read-only (non-editable). It's not a true answer to the original question (being able to highlight a word in a PDF document in Preview and hyperlink it), but is an ok workaround until Apple gives us back the Command-K function in Preview. This workaround works at least in Preview v14 (Dec 2023).

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Embedding a link in Preview

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