We're making changes to the Community, so you may have received some notifications - thanks for your patience and welcome back. Learn more here.
Forum Discussion
JADAstudio
2 years agoHelpful | Level 5
Dropbox Sign: all text in PDF goes missing
So I decided to try Dropbox Sign. I created a PDF with a bunch of text, a raster logo, and a few signature lines. However, in the Dropbox Sign field editor, all of the text is gone; Only the raster logo and lines remain. The recipient confirms they cannot see the text.
I feel kinda dumb. It's a super-simple document. What am I missing? How do I get text through the signature system?
- JayDropbox Staff
Hi JADAstudio, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Could you attach a screenshot of the original document, while blurring all the text on it to see exactly what you're describing?
This will help me to assist further!
- JADAstudioHelpful | Level 5
Thanks, @Jay.
I've attached a single (blurred) image showing the original two-page PDF (left) and the two-page "(in-progress)" PDF that Dropbox Sign creates. Note that during the ingest process, the field editor displayed the "(in-progress)" version, without all of the original text. Since the vector lines were still visible I could still place fields in the right places, but... yeah... where did the text go? 🤔
- NancyDropbox Staff
Thanks for the screenshots, JADAstudio!
If you haven’t done so already, can you please test this via another web browser on your computer, and let me know if you see any difference?
- jun yuHelpful | Level 5
I feel frustrated with the dropbox sign recent releases as well. These are not enhancement but drawbacks.
Here is my view.....
- Dropbox sign is for SIGNING. I might be help with some simplest text inserting just incase if the PDF miss a word or so but primarily it is for SIGNING.
- Any FREE PDF editor already have much more robust PDF editing capability that Dropbox sign can ever reach.
- Dropbox sign's effort of including PDF editing feature is taking a good signing experience away and introduce more errors that is not necessary. As the EXPECTATION is set wrong. Dropbox sign should not be regarded as for PDF editing more than insert a word capability.
- Dropbox sign used to be supper straight forward and RELIABLE. That is what users are looking for. Because user knows if they want edit PDF, they can always go to Adobe and other free editor to do a much better job.
It is a wrong direction to develop further feature of editing and make the reliable signing experience become bad.
A perfect SIGNING experience is user looking for, not a PDF editing experience.
About Create, upload, and share
Find help to solve issues with creating, uploading, and sharing files and folders in Dropbox. Get support and advice from the Dropbox Community.
Need more support
If you need more help you can view your support options (expected response time for an email or ticket is 24 hours), or contact us on X or Facebook.
For more info on available support options for your Dropbox plan, see this article.
If you found the answer to your question in this Community thread, please 'like' the post to say thanks and to let us know it was useful!