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Acrobat 5.0 free text tool stopped working

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2007-05-16 15:12:50
puterbug
Registered: May 16 2007
Posts: 3
Answered

Hello. I have been using Acrobat 5.0 on Windows 2k Pro for several years. I have not updated because I haven't needed to. 5.0 does everything I need it to do and perfectly...well, until very recently, anyway, when the "free text tool" started using a transparent grey for the text instead of black. It seem to be an opacity/transparency issue. All other free text colors are also very faint.
 
I have tried changing the properties to different colors, different fonts, and also with and without fill color, to no avail. Fill colors are also transparent and washed out. Line border selection are also transparent. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the program, hoping to regain some default setting in the program that might have gotten changed, but that did not help at all.
 
Adobe does not address this issue to any degree of satisfaction in the KB.
 
I very much appreciate any insight into correcting this problem.

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 5, Windows
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2007-08-01 11:54:09
#1
lkassuba
ExpertTeam
Registered: Jun 28 2007
Posts: 3636
Accepted Answer
Hi puterbug,

I would suggest resetting the Registry setting.

Open a PDF file that does not show the transparency in the annotations (this would be a previously created PDF with annotations).

Right-click on one of the annotations and make a change in the properties (a different line color, change line weight). This will cause the Registry entry to be rewritten. This will have to be done for each type of annotation that shows the unwanted transparent behavior.

Hope this helps,
Lori

Lori Kassuba is an AUC Expert and Community Manager for AcrobatUsers.com.

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2008-04-29 16:38:25
#2
Acro5FreeTextManSad
Registered: Apr 29 2008
Posts: 1
I have this same issue that puterbug had. I have tried opening older PDFs that had "solid" free text backgrounds. However, no change in transparency of new objects. Searched through registry to see if setting could be manually reset, but did not see clear direction. I believe other have this issue, is there some other solution avaliable now? Thank you.
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2009-06-06 17:58:28
#3
kyounge1956
Registered: Jun 6 2009
Posts: 2
I have just had this same problem on my computer at work (Windows XP). All of a sudden, the text and border of new comments added with the Free Text tool became transparent. Our IT department has updated my Acrobat to version 8, which allows the transparency to be set by the user, but I find it unsatisfactory for my uses. I'd really rather get version 5 working properly again. I didn't see Lori's message above until after I got home from work, so I haven't tried that. Is there anything else I can try if resetting the registry doesn't work for me when I go back on Monday?

Thanks

(2 days later) Just in case anyone else in the same predicament finds this thread, this AM I reset the registry as described by Lori, and it appears to have fixed the problem.
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2011-05-10 16:56:09
#4
puterbug
Registered: May 16 2007
Posts: 3
Lori's fix is a "gem". And I just had the same problem AGAIN... how many years later? Same program, newer computer though! And STILL this fix works. It seems to crop up after installing the free adobe reader. I seem to recall that is when I had the trouble back when I asked this question the first time.
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2011-09-29 18:23:41
#5
kyounge1956
Registered: Jun 6 2009
Posts: 2
The transparency bug cropped up again after a web browser upgrade, but Lori's fix worked again for me too.
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