I have a cover page (untagged) and a report (tagged) that need to be combined. The cover page, if it was tagged, consists of an image that would just be backgrounded anyway.
In Acrobat 9.1.3 I've tried File->Combine->Merge Files and ensured "always enable accessibility and reflow" is selected. The resulting document loses the metada from the report, keeps the tags although in document properties it says "Tagged: No".
I've tried Document->Insert Pages and added the coversheet before the first page of the report. This maintains the document metadata and tags but still document properties says "Tagged: No".
I've tried both of the above and then run add tags which seems to wipe the existing tags and then creates it's own tagging structure (not what I want).
JAWS identifies the headings and tables correctly in the "Tagged: No" versions and exporting as Accessible Text saves the tagged info to a text file.
Is it possible to combine a tagged and untagged document and still maintain a tagged document?
If the document does have tags, and the content is accessible via a screen reader, does "Tagged: No" have any effect in the real world?
Obviously the simple solution to a tagged document is to add tags to the coversheet and then merge the two, it's just an extra step or two that I was hoping to avoid as many of our document authors are struggling with the accessibility process in the first place.
If the image is deemed required for the non-visually impaired why would it not be made available/accessible to the visually impaired?
With an authoring application that has adequate tag management the image can be identified, upfront, as a figure and provided with
an alternate text description. This would be present in the tagged output PDF.
Consider use of a Batch Sequence that incorporates the sequence "Description" (& perhaps the sequence "Open Options")
to populate the metadata in the PDF's Document Properties (and the PDF's initial view).
Several could be made to support different categories. Once made, the *.sequ files can be provided to others.
Tagged PDF is more than accessibility. Both the PDF References and the ISO standard describe what it is.
So, Acrobat is checking. Are the requisite protocols established and rules followed for "Tagged PDF"?
If not, Acrobat flags the PDF as "Tagged PDF: No".
Note that when using Document > Insert Pages for PDFs that are tagged
(contain a structure tree representing the interplay between logical sturcture, marked content, & Tagged PDF)
that the sequence of insert is important. Logical structure/Tagged PDF are stored independently of a PDF's page content.
So, "MyReport.pdf" is open. I insert "coverPage.pdf" in front of logical page 1 of "MyReport.pdf".
The PDF page content for the cover page is now before the PDF page content of MyReport.
However, the cover page's structure tree is placed below MyReport's structure tree.
Example of an appropriate "insert" sequence:
< cover page - front material - content1 - content2 - appendix1 - appendix 2 - index >
Fragmenting the structure tree will, at the least, make a PDF difficult for AT and provide poor usability to the visually impaired.
Walk the structure tree, with "Higlight" selected. Do the highlights move gracefully to a logical pattern or do they bounce about the page?
In a single column text flow, is the first element (top) in the structure tree for section 14.1 at logical page 200 and the next element
at section 9.3 on logical page 85? AT parses the PDF elements to identify the logical hierarchy. AT that encounters a structure
tree that is built in a somewhat random manner or, worse, chaotically, will provide little that is usable information to the AT end-user.
Something to try:
Open the PDF (containing both source PDFs). Open the Tags Panel.
From the Options menu (cogwheels icon), select "Document is Tagged PDF".
[i]Of course, in context of PDF document interchange requirements, it is not...
This may pose problems downstream.[/i]
Now, save or save as - close PDF - open PDF - check Description in Document Properties.
For focused "touch up" add tags manually.
May or may not be an issue. Something to consider based on the targeted audience.
If the document does have tags, and the content is accessible via a screen reader, does "Tagged: No" have any effect in the real world?
Tagged PDF Summary
Defining a set of standard structure types and attributes,
Tagged PDF builds on the logical structure framework and provides a stylized use of PDF.
This allows page content (text, graphics, and images) to be extracted and reused for other purposes.
--| Accessibility: make content accessible to users with visual impairments.
--| Text processing: for searching; indexing and spell-checking.
--| Reflow: automatic reflow of text and associated graphics to fit a page size other than that assumed for the original layout.
--| Extraction: simple extraction of text and graphics for pasting into other applications.
--| Export: conversion to other file formats with document structure and basic styling information preserved.
For a PDF document to be a Tagged PDF the document is required to conform to rule sets (specified and described in the PDF standard, ISO 32000-1:2008).
These rules are:
--| Page Content rules
--| Basic Layout Model rules
--| Structure Type rules
--| Structure Attribute rules
Tagged "Yes" or "No" does have a tangible, real world effect.
Content in PDF tables to Excel and content to MS Word are two, very much used, examples.
n.b., Tagged "Yes" by itself, in context of accessiblity, does not mean the structure tree is well-formed and thus usable to AT and AT end-users.
Once accessible (usable + compliant) PDF becomes part of the deliverable, changes do have to be made to one's workflow.
Implicit in this is continuing professional development.
It takes time and effort but can be accomplished.
Remember Bob the Builder's mantra.Be well...
Be well...