Cannot edit TEXT ONLY with free version

[sshank]

I install Pdfxchange editor on all computers I setup. Some clients need features of the paid version and buy it, others don't. This client has the free version. We are hiding the features we don't have access to. I have trouble testing because I use the pro plus version.

We cannot edit text. Just text. We keep getting the message:
Notice ! Licensed features were used for this document that are not covered by your existing license keys. As a result DEMO stamps will be placed on all pages if the document is saved.

Here are the tests we've tried:
1. In libre office writer make a text document of a few words like "now is the time"
2. Export to pdf. (we tried both methods of export.

Open the document in pdfxchange editor.
1. hit home, then Edit or edit text.
2. double click on the single line
3. edit the line by deleting and adding a few words,
4. Save.
5. Get warning and demo stamps appear.

We also tried printing to pdf using MS Print to pdf feature. Same result. Cannot edit text.

Thinking the issue might have something to do with Libre office, we tried a pdf document from elsewhere not done in libre office. It returned the same result.

We uninstalled pdfxchange editor and then re-installed. Repeated. Same results.

How is it possible to edit text with the free version without getting the demo stamp and being accused of using paid features?

Is there another edit text place or a switch somewhere?

[Willy Van Nuffel]

I have tried to reproduce the problem, but I am not able to.

Can you try with a "Reset Settings", via File > Manage Settings ?

Maybe you can post a PDF (without publicity stamps) that shows the problem after editing base-content text ?

Best regards.

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello Willy Van Nuffel,

Thanks again for the help!

@ sshank - indeed - a sample file that is originally demo stamps free which you are unable to modify in the free version (plus the result after an edit) will help us better understand your use case!

Kind regards,
Stefan

[sshank]

When the client gets back to the office we will try the reset settings option he suggests.

I am totally convinced the issue is NOT and cannot be the pdf file. Here's why:
1. We made files with only a few words straight text. a single line like "now is the time"
2. We exported that file to pdf from Libre Office using 2 different techniques and also did a MS print to pdf. So 3 different way to create the pdf file. They all exhibited the same problem.
3. We found a pdf file we'd been send and had the same problem.
4. The edits we are doing consist of erasing a word and adding a word or perhaps a period or ! at the end. So 'the' becomes 'a'.
5. I tested all the files to make sure they were searchable and not simply pdf images.
6. We were able to edit them.

On all files, we get the warning that we've used a licensed feature not available with the free version so DEMO stamps will be applied. We were able to print the file without the stamps, but they appeared after we saved the file.

We have uninstalled the program, re-downloaded, and repeated the tests with the newly downloaded application. For some reason, the uninstall took an inordinate amount of time.

If this isn't the intended behavior, then there must be a setting somewhere. I'll report back after the client returns to the office so we can test it.

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, sshank

So, this is actually intended to some degree... but please allow me to explain some more. What you described is free, which would be why Stefan and Willy could not reproduce the issue. Infact I myself also could not do so, until another colleague of mine came along and found the cause, they had accidentally moved the text block a fraction of an inch before entering it to begin typing.

At the moment the only part of base content text editing that is actually free is directly modifying the text/font information in while it remains in place. This means entering a text block and typing new words, or removing old ones, changing color, etc. If you attempt to "manipulate" the base content in any way, (IE: move the text block to a new position, add a new text block, delete a block, use functions from the content pane, or move an image to make room for the new text you added), those features do require a basic PDF-Xchange Editor license at this time. Do also note that if you make a change like this which requires a license, the software will immediately present a yellow banner warning you as much before you save:

image.png

I do agree that the handling of this tool and its "semi-premiums" status is highly confusing confusing, so we will be discussing it internally and I will try to convince the bossman that it is worth changing this for the better, to make all text manipulation free. Unfortunately, I cannot make any promises that this will be changing, but I will do my best.

As an aside, I should also note that this:

We were able to print the file without the stamps, but they appeared after we saved the file.

This is not intended. If the banner warning you about demo stamps is present, printing should also apply them. so I will need to inform the dev team of this at the very least, so that it can be fixed.

Kind regards,

[sshank]

Reset settings seemed to work. However, same client very similar problem. Now he creates a new blank documents. - File > New Document > With Blank Pages.

Next he applies his signature stamp. First he gets the unapplied stamp message then the demo feature message.

Signature stamps made with pdfxchange using he Protect / stamp feature should work in the free version.

I can't reproduce this either as I have the paid version, but it is consistent with his system and I don't even know if buying the product would actually help.

[sshank]

I'm back. I returned to the client and had lots of ideas. First we reset the settings (excluding the signature files). That didn't help. We'd created the signature files with a scanned clipped signature and then importing with PDF-Xchange.

I also thought maybe he's trying to save in a protected folder and the error message just isn't any good. That failed.

So, here's the setting:
Windows 11, newish computer, latest windows version of pdf-xchange editor free. We made 2 signature files and they have both been working for a month or so. Today, he gets an demo message whenever he tries to use the same signatures he's been using for a month. We've worked only with documents in the documents folder, so he's not trying to save to a program folder. We've tried:
1. text documents (searchable)
2. scanned image documents (not searchable)
3. a brand new blank document created by pdf-xchange editor.

The same problem occurs consistently regardless. I've made sure the documents are not encrypted, password protected etc.

I've got a dozen clients using pdf-xchange editor pro and use it myself. I've never seen this kind of behavior. I've got probably 100 clients using the free version. Also no problems. This fellow does do a lot of using the typewriter function to fill in forms and changes font size and possibly color, so much more editing that probably any of my other clients.

I've also caught him taking notes in PDFXchange !!! So, my guess is that somehow he tripped something.

He's willing to pay, but I'm not sure if he does something that trips the demo watermarks when it shouldn't, maybe it'll be tripped with the paid version as well.

Any help will be appreciated.

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello sshank,

When a license is purchased - any feature covered by that license will NOT add demo stamps to a file.
So he is likely using a tool that does require a license key.

Also - signing documents was made free a few versions ago, however - could it be that this particular user is using a very much older version? In the past signing was a paid feature, so I suspect an older version might be at play here as well.

Kind regards,
Stefan