Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro - editing font properties in a text box

[Steve3034]

When I insert a text box on an existing PDF, initially Acrobat usually allows me to edit the font properties.  Sometimes it does not.  Once I type in the text box, the font properties toolbar becomes locked (i.e., "grayed out") so I can't change font type, size, color justification and other font properties.  If I save the file, close it and then re-open I can edit then the font, at least for a while.  If I have other PDF files open too I usually have to close those other windows.  After some time the font properties again become locked.

Obviously it is incredibly inconvenient to have to close a program and all open files then re-open those files just to change something like the color of a font.  I called Adobe tech support and they told me the fix was to buy Acrobat X.  I don't want to spend more money, I just want the product I already paid for to work properly.

Is there a way for this bug in the software to be corrected?

[try67]

What version of Acrobat do you have? Generally speaking, there shouldn't be

any problem to edit the field's properties, but you can't do that and

change it's value at the same time, since it uses different tools.

You can use the Object Select Tool to select the field, right-click it and

go to Properties. When done, switch to the Hand tool to change that field's

value, and then you can go back to the OST to edit the properties some more.

Any version of Acrobat can do that.

[Steve3034]

I am using Acrobat 9 Pro.

By "field" are you meaning form field?  I am not using form fields, just the text box tool on the "Comment and Markup" toolbar.  When I highlight text I've typed in the text box, sometimes it will allow me to change text properties on the properties bar (ctrl + e), sometimes I have to close the program and re-open before it will work.

A google seach shows other people having the same problem but no solution.

[Userasdf1234]

I know why the problem occurs but I'm trying to understand a work-around besides closing out the PDF and re-open it.  The problem occurs when you have more than one PDF open.  Once you open up another PDF file, it will stop all capabilities of editing the font on the 1st open PDF and go to the most recently opened PDF. 

So with that being said, the most recent PDF file opened will only have the editing capabilities.  So if you opened up a third PDF, the third PDF will have the editing capabilities and the other two previous will lose the editing properities until you close it and open it again.. as the most recent opened PDF. 

[Patrick_Conti]

Hello,

I found the solutions on the Adobe Forum at the following link:

http://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/unable-edit-properties-text-box.html

I'll save you the trip — to change the font properties of a text box:

1. Highlight (i.e., left click and drag across the text) you would like to change the size, color, font.

2. Choose View > Toolbars > Properties Bar (shortcut = Ctrl + E)

3. Set the color, alignment, and font attributes for the text.

Hope this helps!

[Nevin_Leiby]

** SOLVED FOR ME **

Acrobat 9.0 and 9.1 Standard

No v9 properties toolbar access except in last document opened

I don't know if this applies to you but I had a similar problem with documents on our network.

It turns out the documents were being saved as PDF/A or PDF/X format.

I had the users open up Adobe.  Go to Edit>Preferences      Then go to the Documents section and find the "Open in PDF/A" section.  I had them select "Never"  and then the toolbars were no longer greyed out.