Black bars in PDF files in Preview (Snow Leopard)

brycesutherland · 11-04-2009, 07:32 PM

Hi,

I've just got my new 27" iMac (10.6.1) and I'm having a problem viewing PDF files that have been downloaded from my university's class schedule web site. In short, the files open in Preview but anything that is a link content is replaced/obscured by thick black lines. The problem is not there in 10.4 or 10.5 and it's most likely not a problem on Windows or there would have been an outcry.

According to Acrobat Pro the files were generated by Crystal Reports and optimized for Acrobat 3.x. Acrobat Pro and Reader seem to display them fine.

Again, it's just the link content that's obscured, but since link content is also text, it makes the document pretty much unusable.

You can find a sample document here:
http://cslocator.csustan.edu/docs/Cl...e_2102_MUS.pdf

I'm interested in any theories and whether there's a simple suggestion to be made to the folks who are creating the files.

Thanks,
Glenn

macosnoob · 11-04-2009, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brycesutherland


	The problem is not there in 10.4 or 10.5...

I'm seeing the black bars, too. Preview and 10.5.8.

brycesutherland · 11-04-2009, 07:44 PM

Thanks. Good to know.

I didn't think I saw it with those files in 10.5 but I must not have actually had reason to download them (long story short: I had 10.5 on my workstation for about four days before the new machine arrived and must not have needed to access those PDFs).

macosnoob · 11-04-2009, 07:49 PM

On another machine now. . . . Preview and 10.4.11--PDF displays properly, no black bars.

Las_Vegas · 11-04-2009, 08:07 PM

Your problem is the formatting of the PDF itself. Note the 1st screenshot below taken from SL's Quicklook. The second is from Acrobat Reader. it appears the links were created using rectangles within the postscript description. IE:

Code:

<<
/Type /Annot
/Subtype /Link
/A 11 0 R 
/Rect [ 27 696 92 762 ]
/Border [ 10 10 10 60 ] 
>>

By setting the border, preview attempts to display it. Had they left the Border command out, or set it to all zeros, you wouldn't see them anywhere.

Drag the PDF to TextEdit and do a Search and replace for:

Code:

/Border [ 10 10 10 60 ]

Leave the replace space empty and replace all. Save the result. This will solve your problem.

EatsWithFingers · 11-05-2009, 05:09 PM

On the off-chance Las_Vegas' solution doesn't work for some future PDF (unlikely, I know), you can use QuickTime Player. Yes, QuickTime Player. On my 10.5.8 system, no black bars are shown using QuickTime, but they are using Preview. I think the reason is that QuickTime Player doesn't handle hyperlinks in PDFs, therefore doesn't display the associated borders, etc.

Of course, navigating is harder!

macosnoob · 11-05-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EatsWithFingers


	...you can use QuickTime Player....

Interesting observation. I notice that if you print to PDF, the black bars also disappear, but, again, so do the hyperlinks.

11-04-2009, 07:32 PM	#1
brycesutherland Triple-A Player Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 110	Black bars in PDF files in Preview (Snow Leopard) Hi, I've just got my new 27" iMac (10.6.1) and I'm having a problem viewing PDF files that have been downloaded from my university's class schedule web site. In short, the files open in Preview but anything that is a link content is replaced/obscured by thick black lines. The problem is not there in 10.4 or 10.5 and it's most likely not a problem on Windows or there would have been an outcry. According to Acrobat Pro the files were generated by Crystal Reports and optimized for Acrobat 3.x. Acrobat Pro and Reader seem to display them fine. Again, it's just the link content that's obscured, but since link content is also text, it makes the document pretty much unusable. You can find a sample document here: http://cslocator.csustan.edu/docs/Cl...e_2102_MUS.pdf I'm interested in any theories and whether there's a simple suggestion to be made to the folks who are creating the files. Thanks, Glenn

11-04-2009, 08:07 PM	#5
Las_Vegas League Commissioner Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 5,845	Your problem is the formatting of the PDF itself. Note the 1st screenshot below taken from SL's Quicklook. The second is from Acrobat Reader. it appears the links were created using rectangles within the postscript description. IE: Code: << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 11 0 R /Rect [ 27 696 92 762 ] /Border [ 10 10 10 60 ] >> By setting the border, preview attempts to display it. Had they left the Border command out, or set it to all zeros, you wouldn't see them anywhere. Drag the PDF to TextEdit and do a Search and replace for: Code: /Border [ 10 10 10 60 ] Leave the replace space empty and replace all. Save the result. This will solve your problem. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Las_Vegas -- Ts'i mahnu uterna ot twan ot geifur hingts uto. -- Sometimes I wonder… Why is that Frisbee getting Larger? …and then it hits me. -- Disposable thumbs make me specialer than most animals… Last edited by Las_Vegas; 11-04-2009 at 08:12 PM.

11-05-2009, 05:09 PM	#6
EatsWithFingers All Star Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 629	On the off-chance Las_Vegas' solution doesn't work for some future PDF (unlikely, I know), you can use QuickTime Player. Yes, QuickTime Player. On my 10.5.8 system, no black bars are shown using QuickTime, but they are using Preview. I think the reason is that QuickTime Player doesn't handle hyperlinks in PDFs, therefore doesn't display the associated borders, etc. Of course, navigating is harder! __________________ Question everything -- especially that which you already believe to be true.

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11-04-2009, 07:44 PM	#3
brycesutherland Triple-A Player Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 110	Thanks. Good to know. I didn't think I saw it with those files in 10.5 but I must not have actually had reason to download them (long story short: I had 10.5 on my workstation for about four days before the new machine arrived and must not have needed to access those PDFs).

11-04-2009, 07:49 PM	#4
macosnoob MVP Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,147	On another machine now. . . . Preview and 10.4.11--PDF displays properly, no black bars.