Invisible text in PDFs

I have noticed this also, and basically decided that it was some proprietary Adobe/Acrobat thing. It's not so much that the text doesn't exist, it's more that Preview/Safari's PDF engine can't interpret some PDFs. I haven't determined what kinds of PDFs are affected by this, but I have my eyes open.

I am having this problem in virtually everything. I was using adobe reader 7.0.5 very successfully until I updated to OS X 4.3. I have been a pdf reader user since mac 2. (It wasn't so long ago that we elected to get attachments as pdf or word files.)
I use entourage as e-mail. (dotMac is my alternative but not as easy to use) Clicking on highlighted text in an e-mail will sometimes bring up the link, sometimes not. We have our brokerage accounts on line which require adobe reader. I'm able to do a work-around to get the information, but time and ease are missing. Safari is my browser. The web-sites open, but often the links do not, and this is a real problem. Bringing up a blank page is indeed frustration. Information gathering via the web is a primary use of my computer so this new wrinkle is indeed unwelcome.

I have uninstalled Adobe 7.0.5 by searcing line by line through all the possible lists and removing anything "adobe reader" connected.
Re-install--same problem I am not a command-line user as I know nothing about programming and don't want to cause havoc, so if anyone can help I would need a step-by-step in and out.

If anyone has a solution, please help us out.

Ruth Miller

PPC MD G4 dual 1 GHz, Mem 512 MB Mac OS X (10.4.3)

PPC G4 dual 1 GHz, Mem 512 MB Mac OS X (10.2.x)

Hi Ruth,

Here's some info right from Adobe. Perhaps it may be of some use to you. I would guess you can skip the first two steps and concentrate on numbers 3 and 4.

Configuring Acrobat to display PDF files in Safari

Drag the Acrobat package from the CD (or disk image) to the Applications folder to install Acrobat. The first time you start Acrobat you will be prompted to accept the end user licence agreement (EULA) and register Acrobat. After you accept the EULA, Acrobat runs a Self-healing procedure which checks for any Acrobat components that need to be installed in other applications. The self-healing process installs the Adobe PDFViewer plug-in file and creates the Safari Framework links.

If you need to update your copy of Safari in order to view PDF files, then you should do the following:

1. Completely remove the old version of Safari.

2. Install the latest version of Safari.

3. Remove the Adobe PDFViewer.plugin from the Library/Internet Plug-Ins folder.

4. In Acrobat run Help > Detect And Repair and choose Adobe PDFViewer.

Jrsy

Dear jrsy,

Thank you for the clear instructions. I will follow them and get back to you.
Time of the season seems to have overtaken me. If I don't have time before Sunday, have a happy holiday.

ruth miller

PPC G4 dual 1 GHz, Mem 512 MB Mac OS X (10.2.x)

PPC G4 dual 1 GHz, Mem 512 MB Mac OS X (10.2.x)

I have noticed this also, and basically decided that it was some proprietary Adobe/Acrobat thing.

I realize that I'm responding to an older post in this thread, but just to pass along an observation, I don't think the above is necessarily true in this specific example:

On the first page I can read black text in the center but only see an empty grey box at the bottom.

I'm using "Panther" and "Preview.app" seems to work fine - although I don't necessarily know if there are things that I can't see, the contents of the box at the bottom are visible (beginning "The 2000 Edition of the MCM is..."). I've heard that "Preview" in "Tiger" was pretty messed up in other ways. Probably best to go the "feedback" route, or maybe file a bug report with respect to this issue...

Hi,

For what it's worth, I have never seen this bug, on any of half a dozen Macs that my students and I use daily. We use Mac OS X 10.4.3. Safari 2.0.2, Adobe Reader 7.0.5, Preview 3.0.3. We've kept Adobe Reader's plug-in inside the /Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ folder, where Adobe Reader installs it when first run if you permit it to do so; thereby Safari previews PDF files using Adobe's reader. (This is mostly for convenience, since it offers some controls that Safari's previewer doesn't.) So, the "Coutmartial Manual" in your link previews correctly with Adove Reader, within Safar, saves correctly and the saved file previews correctly with Preview. Thus, the behavior you notice is not intrinsic to to file (nothing proprietary there), but then must be some conflict on your system.

Let us know what happens...

Thanks, Tristan

G4 PowerBook Mac OS X (10.4.3)

My issue with PDF has been solved. I was having several other problems and my sons said, "Mom, you need to re-install the operating system." Done, so far no problems. I am responding to this thread now to indicate it is no longer an issue. I have learned that I can't pull old posts. Thanks for your help.

I am having this problem in virtually everything. I
was using adobe reader 7.0.5 very successfully until
I updated to OS X 4.3. I have been a pdf reader user
since mac 2. (It wasn't so long ago that we elected
to get attachments as pdf or word files.)
I use entourage as e-mail. (dotMac is my alternative
but not as easy to use) Clicking on highlighted text
in an e-mail will sometimes bring up the link,
sometimes not. We have our brokerage accounts on
line which require adobe reader. I'm able to do a
work-around to get the information, but time and ease
are missing. Safari is my browser. The web-sites
open, but often the links do not, and this is a real
problem. Bringing up a blank page is indeed
frustration. Information gathering via the web is a
primary use of my computer so this new wrinkle is
indeed unwelcome.

I have uninstalled Adobe 7.0.5 by searcing line by
line through all the possible lists and removing
anything "adobe reader" connected.
Re-install--same problem I am not a command-line
user as I know nothing about programming and don't
want to cause havoc, so if anyone can help I would
need a step-by-step in and out.

If anyone has a solution, please help us out.

Ruth Miller

PPC MD G4
dual 1 GHz, Mem 512 MB Mac OS X (10.4.3)

PPC G4 dual 1
GHz, Mem 512 MB Mac OS X (10.2.x)

jrsy, a quick response. I have just posted a question about how to get rid of old, irrelevant questions, and learned that I probably needed to respond to each to solve this as I can't remove old posts. I had many other problems in addition to the PDF problem showing up. My sons who were here over the Holidays (They are both long-time experienced Mac users) said "Mom, you need to re-install the OS". Done, and no more problems. I will keep your instructions, however, in case it ever shows up again. Thank you.

Dear jrsy,

Thank you for the clear instructions. I will follow
them and get back to you.
Time of the season seems to have overtaken me. If I
don't have time before Sunday, have a happy holiday.

ruth miller

PPC G4 dual
1 GHz, Mem 512 MB Mac OS X (10.2.x)

PPC G4 dual 1
GHz, Mem 512 MB Mac OS X (10.2.x)

Tristan, Thanks for your response. The problem with PDF's got solved over the Holidays when my sons (very experienced Mac users) were here. I had several other problems and they said "Mom, you need to reinstall the OS. " I did and no more problems. When I recentlly tried to find the thread, I realized that my question had been solved even though I didn't have the chance to use helpful suggestions and comments. I posted the question as to how to get rid of irrelevant posts. I learned that I need to respond individuually as I can't remove posts. I hate to do an archive and re-install, but programs do get corrupted, and it's a solution that seemed to work. For persons such as myself, who are not using our systems on a professional basis anymore, I fear that I am not as careful about routine maintenance as I need to be. Probably many problems could be averted if this were done. Your diagnosis seemed to fit--a conflict in the system Thanks again.

Ruth Miller

Hi Ruth,

Glad to hear you got it worked out. As far as deleting posts go I think you'd have to contact a forum administrator for that. You can also unsubscribe to the topic if you don't want to receive further email alerts when another reply is posted.

Jrsy