Preview not Opening PDF Documents

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Level 1

44 points

Preview not Opening PDF Documents

I run macOS Ventura V13.7.2 on my iMac with Preview V11.0.

When I receive correspondence from my local Revenue Service this correspondence is issued in a PDF format that Preview can't open/read. I have to open this correspondence with Adobe Acrobat and unless I subscribe to Adobe Acrobat Professional, I cannot find a way to save this Adobe PDF or print it to PDF format that Preview can open/read.

I would appreciate assistance on this as I end up taking a screen shot of the correspondence and then saving it as a PDF document that Preview can read/open.

iMac 21.5″, macOS 13.7

Posted on Jan 18, 2025 3:26 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Level 10

125,738 points

Jan 18, 2025 3:58 AM in response to brian mck

Although Preview is fine for opening most PDFs, there are a few that Preview cannot open properly, or at all. Among those are:

Any PDF with forms controlled by Adobe's Acrobat JavaScript (AcroJS). Preview ignores AcroJS.
Some, (but not all) PDFs created by Adobe's LiveCycle Designer ES suite (Windows) that uses non-standard forms and other PDF constructs.
PDFs with internal references to Adobe Acrobat plug-ins that Preview would not have access.

Not all PDF editors are created equal and even if Adobe Acrobat Pro can open and save this particular PDF, it may be owing to Adobe having access to their internal private libraries, and another PDF editor may not open or save this particular PDF making it compatible with Apple's Preview.

My default opening PDF application is Preview. I also keep the free and current Adobe Acrobat Reader for thos PDFs that Preview mishandles. Some of these are U.S. Internal Revenue forms that use Adobe LiveCycle Designer.

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