PDF XChange Forum

Why can you highlight some text on pdf documents but not on others? When you select highlight and hover over the text, sometimes you get a square, which you know will enable you to highlight. Other times on other documents, the square doesn't appear and highlighting doesn't work. Any ideas?

Hi mkohut,

It all depends on how the PDF was created.

1) PDFs created using a PDF creation tool and textual content or a PDF conversion printer from an application like AutoCAD or MSWord, which actually includes text in the document, the highlighter will work on the text.

2) If it was created from an image file or scanner, the PDF files are really just an image on the page not actual text content that can be highlighted.

You can simulate the highlighting in case 2) by following the instructions in this knowledgebase article:

https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowled ... nly-images

HTH

Thanks HTH. I just realised myself also, that I was trying to highlight bits of a pdf that was an html, which is why it didn't work. Thanks for the other advice. I'll give it ago.

Hi mkohut,

Glad to assist.

Best,
Chris

HTH = Hope that helps

Good knowledgebase article! Thanks.

Excellent - thanks Thomas