Unable to use the Highlighter Function

[SmackDaddy]

OS: Windows 10 20H2
PDF-XChange Editor version: 9.0.383.0

I recently purchased the editor and am having an issue using the "Highlight" function (comment) -- not all the time, but SOME times. I have a site where I export something to PDF and for all of these PDFs, I am unable to use the Highlight comment function. The website I get these PDFs from is here: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com (it's a site writers use to make Dungeons and Dragons content).

For example: https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/0naNKUmTp (there should be a "Get PDF" button at the upper right of the page) - I click and download the PDF.

After downloading a PDF, all seems well, however, when I select the highlight option within PDF-XChange Editor, I can choose a highlight color, but when I go to select my text to highlight, nothing happens and the cursor/icon resets back to a hand after attempting to highlight. I'm able to use the following functions just fine: Sticky Note, Arrow, and Rectangle. I just am unable to use "Highlight" (nor the "Underline" function either).

What I might be doing wrong? Is there something I need to change or do differently with these exported PDF to use these comment features? Any help would be appreciated as it's driving me bonkers!

[TrackerSupp-Daniel]

Hi, SmackDaddy

Its not something that you are doing wrong, but it is something that neither of us has much control over. The problem here is that that site does not offer a PDF download, instead it "prints" the webpage from your browser. These days, most browsers convert webpage text content into "shapes" when printing, instead of proper "text" objects. This means that, as far as our Editor is concerned, in the PDF document you have printed only contains a series of squares and triangles, no actual text to select or use the highlighter on.

You have two options in this situation, you can either follow the steps here to setup the rectangle or pencil tools as "freehand highlighters" (available for free), to freely draw highlight-like comments.
Or you can make us of our Enhanced OCR plugin (requires an Editor Plus, or PDF-XChange PRO license) to generate proper text on the output document.

As an aside, I have personally used NaturalCrit myself for some documents (as a DM myself on occasion). I could have sworn they offered direct PDF downloads in the past, but do not remember where exactly those links were placed. You may want to scrounge around their site outside of the documents themselves to see if you can find a better download option.

Kind regards,

[SmackDaddy]

Thank you - makes a lot more sense now as to why I can't. I am attempting to do a Print to PDF using Chrome (which they suggest) and without background images -- and so far, it's looking better, but one more question. Seems doing this method, I actually can do some "Highlights" but......after I do a highlight, it turns back to a hand and I have to keep going back up to the top, click "Highlight" and rinse and repeat and that is going to be so flipping annoying and tedious...... how can I have "Highlight" stay enabled until I choose another "Comment" function? Thanks in advance.

[lev]

https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowledgebase/304-When-I-use-tools-in-PDF-XChange-Editor-they-are-disabled-after-one-use-Is-there-a-way-to-keep-the-current-tool-selected

[SmackDaddy]

https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowledgebase/304-When-I-use-tools-in-PDF-XChange-Editor-they-are-disabled-after-one-use-Is-there-a-way-to-keep-the-current-tool-selected

Perfect! Thank you very much!!!

[Tracker Supp-Stefan]