3 Replies Latest reply: Nov 11, 2014 8:25 AM by Test Screen Name RSS

    Cannot print PDF with selectable text from Chrome

    ghuth2 Community Member
    ghuth2 Nov 11, 2014 3:10 AM

      Hi All

       

      Fairly recently (since the last chrome update?) I cannot select text in my PDFs printed from Chrome (on my windows 7 machine).

       

      Previously, I had discovered the workaround (print using printer dialog) that is outlined here Google Chrome | Cannot select text in PDF but that solution no longer works, however.  Now, even if I follow that method, zooming in shows that the text has been converted to outline and the text cannot be selected OR searched for within windows.

       

      Doing the same print from Internet Explorer yields the expected result - selectable, searchable text.

       

      This may well be a Chrome issue... but considering it makes the above workaround invalid I figured it should be reported. Perhaps Adobe has a big enough voice to get Googles attention.

       

      It's such a massive pain - all PDFs I've created in the last couple of weeks are useless.

       

      Help?

       

      Thanks, Glenn

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        • 1. Re: Cannot print PDF with selectable text from Chrome
          Test Screen Name CommunityMVP
          Test Screen Name Nov 11, 2014 3:47 AM (in response to ghuth2)

          I don't think Adobe talks to Google about this. After all, Google put a PDF viewer into Chrome and locked out Adobe Reader. Adobe don't own PDF or have any say in what makes a good or bad PDF. You need to raise this with Google, I'd say.

          • 2. Re: Cannot print PDF with selectable text from Chrome
            ghuth2 Community Member
            ghuth2 Nov 11, 2014 8:17 AM (in response to Test Screen Name)

            Agreed.. it is raised there also (Google Groups)... although  there are multiple posts on the matter being ignored so I'm not overly optimistic.

             

            I just figured if Adobe cared enough above the issue to write that (now incorrect) help page Google Chrome | Cannot select text in PDF then they (and others) may care to know that particular solution is no longer working.


            The only thing that seems to work is Google's own "Save as PDF"... which seems to support your point, unfortunately.

            • 3. Re: Cannot print PDF with selectable text from Chrome
              Test Screen Name CommunityMVP
              Test Screen Name Nov 11, 2014 8:25 AM (in response to ghuth2)

              It might be that Google found it had to do this to fix some printing issues, and gave that priority. I don't think we need look for a bad motive.


              There is a horrible problem with some Microsoft hotfixes which means that creating temporary fonts for printing leads to serious issues. I (wildly) speculate that this is behind that. Adobe Reader still suffers from the issue, because after all creating temporary fonts for printing is doing what Microsoft have been recommending since the days of Windows 95. Working out who is to blame (it's a security fix, so there are hackers to blame too) is difficult and ultimately unproductive...