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jma2's avatar
jma2
Explorer | Level 4
5 years ago

My comments on PDF files are only visible on the site

I'm using Preview on a Mac to comment on a pdf file (adding text). Document is a pdf of a slide presentation, so each page is not text heavy. I worked on it all day yesterday (42 pages) and this morn...
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Jay's avatar
Jay
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff

Hi jma2, thanks for joining the Community!

When you say you were using Preview to edit the file, are you referring to the Mac app itself, or the new Dropbox desktop application?

How do the comments appear on the Dropbox site? Are they using the Dropbox commenting feature, or are they comments inside the PDF itself? 

If it is the Dropbox comments, then these would only appear on the site, and not the document itself.

Keep me posted!

jma2's avatar
jma2
Explorer | Level 4
5 years ago

Yes, I'm using the Mac Preview App to edit. The comments are inside the pdf file. All work is using the applications on my computers. When I view the file with my browser, the comments are there. I download the file and open with the Preview app installed on my Mac---no comments! Working under a deadline and I've spent more time troubleshooting than actually working! :-(

Thanks for taking the time to reply and trying to help me.

  • Jay's avatar
    Jay
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    5 years ago

    Can you try opening the PDF file in a different app to see if the comments are visible there?

    Is it possible that Preview app when opening the PDF isn’t showing the comments by default for some reason?

    • jma2's avatar
      jma2
      Explorer | Level 4
      5 years ago

      I tried Adobe Acrobat as well in three different computers (Mac laptop, Mac desktop, and PC). Same issue. If I put in new comments in Preview, they remain in the document. I'm stumped. I hoping that there may be some issue with syncing and downloading on my account that will resolve itself overnight... Although anything new that I put in Dropbox seems to be okay.

      Thank you!

      • Jay's avatar
        Jay
        Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
        5 years ago

        Could you forward a screenshot of the Preview app you’re using to add comments, and also a screenshot of the PDF file on the site showing the comments themselves.

        If possible, try to hide any personal details or info in the screenshots!

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