CindyIM
Level 1 (9 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Sierra Affecting Preview App PDF Editing

Hi All,

 

  I had my company invoice created as an editable PDF.  Viewing this invoice template the past 3 years in Preview app, I was able to easily edit client addresses, invoice details, fee amounts, taxes, etc.  When finished I would export a copy of the invoice that would be an non-editable version I would send to my clients.

 

  Since updating to Sierra last week, I'm not able to use Preview or any other app to edit my invoice template.  As I type in text information, certain previous text lines disappear, when exporting some or most of the text in the new version is gone, there is a text color change from white to black in the bottom final $ fee box.

 

  After many attempts, a client warned me about this - somehow I was able to export a version they could read in Adobe Acrobat,  but they also commented that Acrobat showed the following warning: An error exists on this page.  Acrobat may not display the page correctly.  Please contact the person who created the PDF document to correct the problem.

 

After 3 years of working perfectly, now my invoice is haunted! Any suggestions or fixes would be greatly appreciated! 

 

Regards,

- Cindy

MacBook Pro, iOS 10.0.2

Posted on Oct 3, 2016 12:17 PM

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CindyIM

Q: Sierra Affecting Preview App PDF Editing

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  • by higherterrain,

    higherterrain higherterrain Oct 3, 2016 12:36 PM in response to CindyIM
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 3, 2016 12:36 PM in response to CindyIM

    Delete the .plist for Preview and reboot.  users/user/library/preferences

  • by CindyIM,

    CindyIM CindyIM Oct 3, 2016 12:53 PM in response to higherterrain
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 3, 2016 12:53 PM in response to higherterrain

    Hello highterrain,

     

      Following your steps, strangely there is no com.apple.Preview.plist found in my preferences folder!  I've looked in my prefs on my 1 other older OSX system here, and that preference folder does contain the com.apple.Preview.plist.  FYI, using preview app to look at images, photos seems to work as usual.  Did last week's Sierra install wipe out my com.apple.Preview.plist pref?  Thanks!

  • by léonie,

    léonie léonie Oct 3, 2016 1:00 PM in response to CindyIM
    Level 10 (108,869 points)
    iCloud
    Oct 3, 2016 1:00 PM in response to CindyIM

    Have you really looked in your user  Library folder in your Home folder, or in the Library folder at the top level of your system drive?

    To reveal the hidden User Library:

    • Bring the Finder forward by clicking on the Desktop or the Finder icon in the Dock.
    • Select your user/home folder (with the house icon in the Finder sidebar)
    • With that Finder window as the front window, press the key combination ⌘J to bring up the View options.
    • In the View options panel enable ’Show Library Folder’. That will make your user library folder visible in your Home folder, if it is still hidden.
    • Open your Home folder, then the Library folder, then preferences and look again.

  • by CindyIM,

    CindyIM CindyIM Oct 3, 2016 1:06 PM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 3, 2016 1:06 PM in response to léonie

    Hi léoni,

     

      When I follow your steps, in my View Options panel, "Show Library folder" is not an option for me, does not appear

     

    Regards,

    - Cindy

  • by léonie,Helpful

    léonie léonie Oct 4, 2016 7:14 AM in response to CindyIM
    Level 10 (108,869 points)
    iCloud
    Oct 4, 2016 7:14 AM in response to CindyIM

    You need to have your Home folder selected in the frontmost Finder window, or it will not work.  Any other Finder window does not contain the Library folder, and then the "Show Library Folder" option will be hidden.

    Screen Shot 2016-10-04 at 09.11.08 GMT.png

  • by CindyIM,

    CindyIM CindyIM Oct 4, 2016 7:16 AM in response to léonie
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 4, 2016 7:16 AM in response to léonie

    Thank you Léoni, very helpful with your instructions.  Unfortunately after deleting the .plist, the Preview app is still acting strange with my PDF invoice 

     

    - Cindy

  • by VikingOSX,Helpful

    VikingOSX VikingOSX Oct 4, 2016 1:53 PM in response to CindyIM
    Level 7 (21,500 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 4, 2016 1:53 PM in response to CindyIM

    Boot into Safe Mode, and open your PDF in Preview again. Does the PDF act properly in Safe Mode? Reboot normally , and check it again. Does the PDF continue to work in Preview, or not?

  • by AbeoftheJ,

    AbeoftheJ AbeoftheJ Oct 4, 2016 10:23 AM in response to CindyIM
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Oct 4, 2016 10:23 AM in response to CindyIM

    I'm having this exact same issue since upgrading to Sierra. Not only that, but I was just trying to scan some PDFs from my scanner through preview (as I usually do), and instead of adding pages to my PDF file, it keeps replacing the first page with the page currently being scanned. I was thinking I'd wait until an update resolved the problem, but I really need these documents scanned. I even purchased PDF expert out of frustration (which wasn't necessarily a bad decision--it's a good app).

  • by CindyIM,

    CindyIM CindyIM Oct 4, 2016 1:58 PM in response to VikingOSX
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 4, 2016 1:58 PM in response to VikingOSX

    Hi VikingOSX,

     

      I booted into SafeMode as you suggested, opened my invoice in Preview and I was able to edit and save a PDF copy which worked as usual except for 1 simple text color change.  I rebooted back into Sierra - the finder "preview" function I use often (highlight a file icon and hit spacebar) still has the bug of showing that my completed invoice is completely blank of all text/numbers I input, yet when I open this copy in Preview App, it displays with all content in tact.

     

      On an older OSX system I still use, these invoices can be edited as I have for years with no problems.  Definitely a glitch with Sierra. Thanks for your help! 

     

    - Cindy

  • by CindyIM,

    CindyIM CindyIM Oct 4, 2016 2:00 PM in response to AbeoftheJ
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 4, 2016 2:00 PM in response to AbeoftheJ

    Please stop highjacking this thread.  The kind people here are being very helpful - my questions for help have nothing to do with your scanning problems.

  • by AbeoftheJ,

    AbeoftheJ AbeoftheJ Oct 4, 2016 2:09 PM in response to CindyIM
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Oct 4, 2016 2:09 PM in response to CindyIM

    I'm terribly sorry Cindy, I definitely wasn't trying to "hijack" your thread, rather I was trying to point out that there is definitely a bug in Preview with Sierra. Perhaps I worded my reply wrong, but that's what I was trying to say.

     

    Since this was the only thread anywhere that mentioned this bug, I guess I decided it would be a good idea to bring awareness to this issue and Apple  might address it in a future update (this being an Apple page and all), if at least two people are having the same issue.

  • by VikingOSX,

    VikingOSX VikingOSX Oct 4, 2016 2:33 PM in response to AbeoftheJ
    Level 7 (21,500 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 4, 2016 2:33 PM in response to AbeoftheJ

    Apple leadership and product teams are not reading, or otherwise participating in these open, user-to-user support communities. The correct thing to do is send feedback via the accepted  channel to the macOS Sierra team that owns Preview — via a feedback form.

     

    If you don't see a post regarding Preview and Scanning problems, then start your own new post. It will get far more attention than buried inside of a post with a different heading.

     

    The other issue with “hijacking” is that there is the unfortunate, and very true reality that single or multiple occurrences devolve the original post into conversational mayhem, and the original poster is not served, as participants are too busy interacting between their own hijacks.

  • by AbeoftheJ,

    AbeoftheJ AbeoftheJ Oct 4, 2016 2:30 PM in response to VikingOSX
    Level 1 (13 points)
    Oct 4, 2016 2:30 PM in response to VikingOSX

    Thank you VikingOSX, I was unaware, but I have now sent my feedback.

  • by VikingOSX,

    VikingOSX VikingOSX Oct 4, 2016 2:55 PM in response to CindyIM
    Level 7 (21,500 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 4, 2016 2:55 PM in response to CindyIM

    The Finder's Quick Look (select an icon, and press Spacebar) facility is not using the Preview application to view your invoice PDF. It is using a Quick Look PDF generator plug-in to provide a PDF view. There are generator plug-ins for other document formats included with the operating system, or from third-party developers.

     

    So after the Safe Boot, would you say that viewing your completed invoice in the actual Preview 8.1 application is now functional as you would expect — or not?

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