I just want to edit text

[Angelsix]

I just installed PDF-XChange Editor. I tried the free version, and liked it. I edited some text in a PDF document with the free version, and then realized (a) I wanted to make other changes that required the paid version, and (b) PDF-XChange Editor seemed like a good program, so I want ahead and purchased it (and successfully installed the user license). PDF-XChange Editor acknowledges that I have a valid user license.

I've re-opened the document, now, but it won't let me edit text (not delete or add). I can remove entire text boxes. I do have the Edit Text box checked. I can select the text, but <delete> and typing in the field both have no effect. This is very frustrating. Maybe I intuited something in the free version that enabled editing, but can't remember what it was. Or, maybe the free version was able to edit text but the paid version isn't. Yes, this is editable text -- if I open the document in MS Word, I can edit the text (the format gets all screwed up, but the text is editable).

Help?

[Patrick-Tracker Supp]

Hello,
Thank you for you post and for your purchase. With the Edit content tool selected (you do not need to specify text elements) simply double click on the text block you wish to edit. You will find more details here: https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowle ... -documents

Failing that, the text may not be represented as actual text elements. In such cases you will need to OCR the pages, and subsequently edit them as detailed here: https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowle ... -performed

To better assist you, please send us the document in question, and detail which portion of text it is that you are experiencing issues with.

Sincerely,

[Angelsix]

Thanks. Got it working.

[Sasha - PDF-XChange]

[mmintz]

I'm in the same boat. It should not be so difficult.
Regardless, if I have a "pure" PDF or a PDF that is generated via the OCR option, I cannot edit the text.
Need help, this is frustrating!

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello mmintz,

These two situations are very different, If the document is, as you say, a "pure" PDF where all the text is base content or comments, you can Edit the text with the "Edit Text/all content" tools, you will also need to ensure that the "Edit text Elements as blocks" option is enabled:

DMKB18November701.png

Following that, editing base content text will be possible. If they are comments, simply use the select comments tool, or the appropriate commenting tool (such as the typewriter) to edit those annotations.

On the other hand, if you have had to OCR the document, it is likely a scanned page, or the "text" is in image form. All the running OCR does is allows searching of the document by placing an invisible text layer above the image. Editing the text in those images themselves Is not currently possible. If you wish to edit the text, you will need to remove the image it was generated from and change the font color of the invisible text, the article Patrick linked should help: https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowle ... -performed

Regards,

[mmintz]

So then, if an office that receives 100's of faxes each week is automated to convert all incoming faxes as a PDF OR, if client files are combined for a folder, jacket, reference to a specific case, person, etc., and that "packet" of documents is put into any device to scan them for electronic records keeping, you are saying that the PDF generated has to be OCR'd and then the procedure you reference followed? If so, is there not an easier, streamlined method? Alternately, do you have any advice as to how to address the referenced example of documents as stated above so as not to have any issues?

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Currently no, there is no easier streamlined method. With that said, in the future we are looking at new OCR engine options that could certainly improve this process for everyone.
At the moment however, I cannot give a distinctive timeline on these improvements.

[mmintz]

So, help me understand the supposed purpose of your software then. If I have Adobe Acrobat Professional, and I choose "Edit PDF" from the tools menu, I edit the text, from the very same/existing PDF 'image' as you refer to it as, and it is editable. 1-2-3, click, edit, done. No convoluted steps as you reference in your link to do. What is it that make Adobe easy to integrate it and your application so difficult? After all, you are selling your program, and possibly under false abilities, especially if I just tested it with Acrobat Pro as specified above and I was done in seconds. Help me understand why I bought you program then?

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello mmintz,

It is possible that a setting has been missed of you are able to Edit this document directly in Adobe. Could I ask you to send a copy of that document to us for investigation? If it contains sensitive material you can email it directly to support@pdf-xchange.com with a link to this forum thread.

Beyond that, Adobe does currently have a more advanced OCR engine that we currently do. As I mentioned earlier, we are currently in the process of migrating to a new much more advanced engine, but at the moment this simply is not in the realm of what can be done by our software.

This is an excerpt taken directly from the PDF-XChange Editor Product page, please take note of the last two lines:

Get Dynamic. Get Efficient. Get Productive. Get PDF-XChange Editor.
Simply put: the smallest, fastest, most feature-rich PDF software available. Create, view, edit, annotate, OCR* and sign PDF files – and that’s just the beginning. If you work with PDF then this fully-customizable product will optimize your work process to levels that no other product can achieve.
PDF-XChange Editor can be used to create PDF files from scanned documents, images, text files, Markdown files and much more. This software can also be used to convert Microsoft Office documents into PDF** – a feature that many PDF applications do not offer. There are over a hundred features available, including more than thirty tools that can be used to assist in the creation of document comments, annotations and links. These tools make editing PDFs a finely-tuned, precision process that produces documentation and image files of the highest quality. Our user-friendly functionality is diverse enough to meet the needs of all practitioners from novices to professionals. Please see below for an extensive list of all available features and functionality.
*The OCR process identifies text in documents and uses it to create an invisible text layer that is placed on top of the existing text.
**Please note that source files must be text-based in order to be converted into editable text.

We are sure to offer that all users try our software before making a purchase, as we know it may not be for everyone. We respect your right to choose another software over ours and simply wish to offer ours as a very cost effective alternative that does not compromise the PDF specification.

[mmintz]

E-mail directly sent by my Tech Support rep (please CC: or directly interface with him, as I'm the end user not clear on the whole enchilada

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello mmintz,

As I had suspected, the document you had sent us does indeed appear to be a scanned document, meaning that the aforementioned method of "Editing OCR'd pages" is the only one currently available in the Editor.
Apologies for the inconvenience.