How Can I Edit Apparently Protected Text In A Form?

[malletKATman]

I have a need to edit PDF forms used by contractors that require a digital signature, printed name and date, with editable text fields where I can enter this information. I have figured out how to do this with my new trial version of PDF-Xchange but there are often also are apparently un-editable protected text fields on these forms that are incorrect. I would like to use your product to change that text as well, but I cannot figure out how to do so even after consulting your online manual. If I can accomplish this I will purchase a license. Please tell me if I can do this with PDF-Xchange and how to do this and I will. The attachment is an example of a portion of a form PDF where I need to do this. I want to change both the “PAT LINCOLN” and “LINCOLN PAT” text which appear to be locked somehow.

[Willy Van Nuffel]

Hello,

First, some information that might be helpful:

1) In PDF-XChange Editor you have three main editing modes:
- text editing (base content)
- form fields editing
- comments/annotations editing
So, in case you like to edit the text surrounding the form fields, you have to go into "text editing mode".

2) Another thing to mention is that PDF-XChange Editor has two distinct user interfaces you can choose between:
- classic toolbars
- ribbon UI
You can switch between these two interfaces via the "UI Options" icon, in the upper right corner of the window.

Now, depending of the user interface on that moment (in the classic toolbar or in the Home-ribbon of the ribbon UI):
- click the tiny arrow on the Edit-button/icon and click "Text" in the shortcut-menu
- click on the text that must be edited. You will see a rectangle around the text, indicating the selected text-box
- click once again on the text to activate editing. You will see the insertion cursor
- at this time, you can make the needed modifications
- when finished, click the Select Text icon in the toolbar

Note: In case the above should not work, then it might be that the PDF is protected against modification.
- File > Document Properties... > Security

I hope this helps.

[malletKATman]

...Note: In case the above should not work, then it might be that the PDF is protected against modification.
- File > Document Properties... > Security

I hope this helps.

Thanks, Willy. I actually did use the Text editing techniques you described and what happened when I tried to edit those text fields was more complex than I described: it created a one-character text block boundary and deleted one character. I could not expand the block without creating weird shapes and lines and I could never enter replacement text. I also got an email response from John Gareth of Tracker-Software Support and emailed him a copy of the PDF. I will upload the original PDF to this thread as another attachment so you and/or others can chew on it if you wish.

Replacement furnace permission original from Princeton Air.pdf

(292.73 KiB) Downloaded 21 times

[malletKATman]

Hello Willy. I just did your File -> Document Properties -> Security sequence and it came back "No Security".

[Ovg]

Check Edit Text Elements as Block

[malletKATman]

I want to thank both Willy Van Nuffel and Ovg for providing help with this problem. I was able to resolve it just now through Tracker-Software support, thanks to John Gareth and Paul O’Rourke of that group. The trick is to use Select Comment followed by Edit Text after positioning to the area with the Hand Tool, instead of Select Text followed by Edit Text. Once I did that, the editing was easy. So I consider this topic to be closed.

I love the support I get from both the support group and this forum. It’s a pleasure to be a member.

[malletKATman]

Sorry I misspelled Paul's name: it's Paul O'Rorke.

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]