Use Reading Order to Examine & Repair Your PDF-2

 

Tips for Using the Reading Order Tool

 
  • Save the document (or a copy of it) before you use the Reading Order tool. You can’t use Undo to reverse changes made with this tool, so reverting to a saved document is the only way to undo such a change.
  • Choose View > Page Display > Single Page View, when using the Reading Order tool. When you click the Clear Page Structure button, Acrobat clears tags from all visible pages, even pages that are only partially visible.
  • The Reading Order requires a "tagged" PDF. Always make sure you are working with a tagged PDF document or else run the "Make Accessible" action wizard on the PDF before working with the Reading Order.

Structure Labels 

While this can be done, please verify that the tag type in the Tags Panel is correct for each object.

semantic structure types in TUROT

 Above: Content Labels

The content within your PDF document will be organized into content blocks that contain a label in the upper left-hand corner of each content block.

Make sure the text that should be styled as Heading 1 is displaying the H1 label: . Heading levels 1 through 6 are represented by the H with the corresponding number to indicate the level (H1, H2, H3, etc...).

Text that is not styled as a heading style will be labeled with the p (for paragraph) label:.

Images will be labeled with the "Figure" label: . 

 

Page Content Order

When the "Page content order" radio-button is selected from the Reading Order tool, each content block will display a numerical value. This is NOT the definitive source for the logical reading order of the page, rather it is the "painting order" of the visual rendering of the content on the page. 

Do not rely on the Page Content Order and the Order Panel to evaluate and manage the logical reading order of the document. While the logical reading order may be the same in both the Order Panel and Tags Panel, this is not always the case. Ultimately, screen-readers will follow the structure in the Tags Panel, not the Order Panel. Save time and effort by referring to the Tags Panel to manage logical reading order. If you still wish to learn more about the Reading Order, read Reading Order Tool & Order Panel: Use As Guideline Only!

Page Content Order and the Order Panel do not define reading order.

Above: Content sequencing labels in Reading Order.