Why it's easier to edit PDFs created inside OnlyOffice solely than the external ones?

Desktop editors
1

Hi! I thought at first that PDF editor would work like Inkscape in that sense that I can open any book and edit any editable text, rotate any object. While it’s not the case. For instance, I downloaded this document (my drawing) as PDF from Google Drawings and tried to open it and move some shape just to realize that OnlyOffice doesn’t allow me to do that. I wonder to know why this happens with externally made PDFs.

2

Hey @EmilyGraceSeville7cf, :wave:

Thanks for the question! To clarify — what exactly didn’t work when you tried editing the PDF from Google Drawings?

For example:

  • Couldn’t select/move the shape?
  • Text wasn’t editable?
  • Something else?

Try this:

  1. Open the PDF in ONLYOFFICE
  2. Click Edit PDF in the toolbar
  3. Then Edit Text

Let me know what happens — might be a bug. We’ll figure it out!

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3

I was able neither to move shapes drawn on the canvas already nor to edit the text (by simply double-clicking it).

For a PDF made solely with OnlyOffice the bar on top contains the following items:

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while for a PDF created in Google Drawings just these:

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Home > Edit PDF allows me neither to move already drawn shapes nor to edit text directly. When I select some text and press on Edit text here’s how my PDF starts to look like:

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image919×856 102 KB

  • Background color
  • Shape placement

are messed up.

Here’s a video with an issue reproduced

5

Hey @EmilyGraceSeville7cf, :wave:

Thanks for the video and screenshots — I see the issue now. Got it!

We’re digging into why external PDFs (like from Google Drawings) behave differently from ONLYOFFICE-created ones. I’ll let you know as soon as we have updates or need more info from you.

Appreciate the details! :fire:

1 Like
6

Hello @EmilyGraceSeville7cf

New version 9.3 of Desktop Editors has been released, it bring more enhancements to PDF editing. The issues from this topic are now resolved.