Why I Can’t Highlight Text in PDF File? 8 Ways to Fix
Published: December 12th, 2024 • 9 Min Read
When a user can’t highlight text in PDF, they may not be able to make changes to mark a particular area. This issue often arises when a PDF file is restricted. Although, there can be several more reasons why you are unable to highlight text in PDF file.
In this article, we have discussed all the major reasons and various techniques to resolve it. So if you are also trying to select a text in PDF but frequently fail to do it then start reading this article and know what to do when the Adobe Highlight tool not working.
PDF files are crucial for sharing and preserving documents across different platforms. It is the most important document file for all users, businesses, and academics. Today, PDF files come with various features through which users can edit, lock, add digital signatures, and annotate PDF files. However, if a PDF file is restricted, users can’t highlight text in PDF.
Highlighting text in PDF files allows users to make changes in their PDF files, enhance readability, and review key information. Therefore, when the feature Adobe PDF highlighter not working, users can suffer from lots of challenges and difficulties.
Understanding the importance of highlighting or marking a text in a PDF file, we are here with the top 8 Simple Methods Unable to Highlight Text in PDF issues. Keep reading to know the reasons, and learn about simple techniques if you can’t select text in PDF.
Why I Can’t Highlight Text in PDF?
Before jumping to the solutions, it is important to understand the root causes behind an issue. If you are unable to highlight text in PDF file, then there are some reasons behind it for sure. In the following, we have pointed out some of the major causes why you can’t highlight text in a PDF file:
- Scanned Document: Scanned documents are typically in the form of an image and not an actual text. Hence it is not possible to highlight the text in an image directly. Since they lack the text layer, PDF highlighting tools are unable to recognize them.
- Incompatibility Issues: Some PDF viewer tools or editors do not support the highlighting feature. Therefore, you might be using software that may not support the highlighting of the text. Either it can be outdated or lacks this feature. In this case, you can’t select text in PDF.
- Comment Restrictions: Sometimes, PDF creators impose restrictions on types of annotations to protect the document’s integrity. However, such PDF files do not have the necessary permissions to select or edit the text. Hence, users cannot highlight text in PDF with these restrictions.
- PDF Read-Only Mode: If you have opened a PDF in read-only mode, it will restrict you from making changes and you can’t highlight text in PDF file. This mode is used to protect PDF documents from accidental modification and to start selecting a text in PDF, you need to disable these options.
- Corrupt File: Damaged or corrupt PDF files do not function properly, and disables some features. When the PDF files are corrupt or incorrectly formatted, you may encounter issues like Adobe Highlighter not working.
8 Easy Ways to Fix Unable to Highlight Text in PDF File
After finding the causes behind why you can’t select text in PDF, it’s time to resolve them. There are 8 different techniques available to enable highlighting text in PDF files. In the following, we have provided 8 easy ways that can help you to easily resolve can’t highlight text in PDF issue.
- Enable PDF highlighter Tool
- Check If You are Using Scanned Image PDF
- Remove Restriction Using Adobe Acrobat Pro
- Turn Off the Read-Only Mode
- Repair or Recreate PDF
- Update Software
- Troubleshoot Browser or Software
- Use Professional Method
This was an overview of the 8 ways to fix adobe highlighter not working. However, we have explained these methods step-by-step below.
1. Enable PDF Highlighter Tool Using Adobe Reader
PDF provides various features and functions to manage a PDF file. It also allows users to disable and enable text highlighter in PDF. Therefore, if it is disabled, you can’t highlight text in PDF. To check if the text highlighter is disabled in your PDF file, simply follow these steps:
- Simply open the PDF file which you want to highlight.
- You will notice a highlight button at the top of the document.
- See if the Adobe highlighter (pen symbol) is greyed out.
If this feature is disabled, it means that the PDF highlighter not working. To enable the PDF text highlighter, use Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and follow the steps mentioned below:
- Open the PDF file in Adobe Reader.
- Click on the Highlight text tool.
- After that, tap on the Post button.
- Now Save the file at the desired path.
After saving this file, open it and start highlighting the text. Even so, if the problem is not resolved, try using other methods as there might be some error which is why you can’t highlight text in PDF Adobe Reader.
2. Check If You are Using Scanned Image PDF
Sometimes users keep trying to select a text in a Scanned Image PDF file, as they do not know that it will not work. Scanned image PDF files are basically, captured images of a document that are saved as PDF. It is typically an image of the original document rather than a text-based document. Hence you will be unable to highlight text in PDF file that are in the form of an image. Therefore, you can use an OCR or optical character recognition tool to change the scanned pictures into a text format. Follow these steps:
- Open the PDF File using Adobe Acrobat.
- Go to View Menu then Select Tools.
- Click on Recognize Text the select a file to run OCR.
- Wait for the OCR process to finish.
- Now try highlighting the text to ensure that the can’t select text in PDF error is not there now.
3. Remove Restriction Using Adobe Acrobat Pro
One of the most common ways to resolve can’t highlight text in PDF file is, by removing restrictions. There are certain restrictions in PDF files that PDF creators put to control user interactions and protect the document. You can unlock such security settings using Adobe Acrobat Pro:
- Open your PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Pro to solve unable to select text in PDF issues.
- Navigate to the Tools options and select “Protect”.
- Click on the Encrypt option then hit the “Remove Security” option.
4. Turn Off Read-Only Mode
Read-only mode is a powerful security feature in many applications including PDF viewers. This feature prevents users from accidentally making accidental changes. When you open a PDF file in a read-only mode, you cannot edit, add comments, or highlight text. If you can’t select text in PDF then make sure the read-only mode is turned off. However, if it’s on, then disable it.
5. Repair or Recreate PDF to Fix Can’t Highlight Text in PDF Problem
PDF files become corrupt due to various reasons like incomplete downloads, software glitches, etc. When a PDF file is corrupt, its internal structure becomes damaged and leads to various issues like unable to highlight text in pdf. To resolve it users can simply repair their files using PDF repair tools. However, if it does not work then recreate the PDF file.
6. Update Software to Fix Can’t Select Text in PDF Error
Outdated software can also cause various issues including can’t highlight PDF files. Users often encounter this problem due to the compatibility. Make sure the PDF reader you are using is up to date. Check and update it immediately to enable highlighting text in a PDF file.
7. Troubleshoot Browser or Software
Browsers can also cause can’t highlight text in PDF. To resolve this, clear your browser’s cache. This helps to remove temporary files that might be interfering with the highlighting feature. This will allow you to fix PDF highlighting issues that you might be encountering because of the problems in your browser and software. Simply clear the browser cache or try using a different PDF reader.
8. Pro Method to Fix Connot Highlight Text in PDF Issue
You can enable highlighting text in PDF by trying several manual ways which we have mentioned below. But if you are looking for an all-in-one advanced solution to easily fix the can’t highlight text in PDF documents problem then use PDF Unlocker Wizard.
This is a powerful software specially designed for your PDF files, which allows you to enable editing, copying, and printing. The highly advanced and feature-rich PDF highlighter tool can easily break owner-level, and user-level protections and also remove unknown passwords from PDF without using Adobe Acrobat and help you resolve unable to highlight text in PDF.
Use this tool to smoothly fix the cannot select text in PDF error and start selecting text from multiple PDF files on Windows and Mac computers.
Conclusion
Frustrating errors like can’t highlight text in PDF can hinder the productivity of users and impact their performance. However, it is a relief to know that there are several ways to fix this issue. In the above article, we discuss top solutions to resolve unable to highlight text in PDF error manually and using the all-in-one specialized tool. We hope after reading the article you have successfully understood why you can’t select text in PDF and how to easily fix it.
FAQs: Can’t Select Text in PDF
Q 1: Why can’t I highlight text in PDF?
Some common reasons why you can’t highlight text in PDF are broken or scanned PDF, image PDF, disabled highlighter, and outdated PDF reader software.
Q 2: How to enable highlighting in PDF?
To enable highlighting text in PDF you can try several solutions, such as using the specialized BitRecover PDF highlighter tool, updating software, clearing cache, repairing or recreating PDF, disabling highlighting limitations, avoid using an OCR scanner for image PDF files.