Fine Positioning Adjustment of Text Box

Windows 7 / Acrobat 10 Pro / FP Desktop 7.2

 

We've been having a problem positioning variable content boxes to align with static text in our PDF layout. When we select the box, the keyboard arrows have no effect on moving the box. And when we use the FP arrow selection tool to physically move the box, it gaps, almost like when a magnetic alignment tool is activated. But it doesn't necessarily align with anything we can tell, and we can't place it exactly where we want. In other words, it doesn't move smoothly, but jumps from point to point. We need to align the box and it won't cooperate. We've looked thru the Acrobat settings and don't see anything relevant.

 

Anybody with any ideas?? Have to get this resolved! Thanks in advance

We've been having a problem positioning variable content boxes to align with static text in our PDF layout. When we select the box, the keyboard arrows have no effect on moving the box.

Make sure you have the "hand" tool selected in Acrobat, not the text selection tool.

And when we use the FP arrow selection tool to physically move the box, it gaps, almost like when a magnetic alignment tool is activated. But it doesn't necessarily align with anything we can tell, and we can't place it exactly where we want. In other words, it doesn't move smoothly, but jumps from point to point.

Try zooming in. Also, make sure you click last on the document, and that the focus isn't on the Frame Properties palette. Although, if you do click in the X, Y, W, or H box in the palette, you can use the up and down arrow keys to adjust the selected property there as well.

Thanks Dan.

 

We used to be able to use the FP arrow tool to move the text boxes around. Now, that doesn't work properly (jumps in 3/8" increments!), and the hand tool does the same. And we've tried magnifying the area as well, still the same problem. Putting the cursor in the palette works, but it's a slower way to get there. Also, is there a numeric limit to that? We are working on a larger page size, but the box stops at the number "10" in each direction? Strange and frustrating.

Does this happen for all templates?

Yes, all templates. I noticed the incremental "jump" is .33 if I watch the palette measurements change as I move the box. If I don't move it enough to get over the hump, the box snaps back to it's original spot. If I get it far enough, it jumps forward to that .33" move. I was originally looking for some sort of preference setting or something like that, but don't believe there is one, correct?

From the menu in Acrobat X, select View -> Show/Hide -> Rulers & Grids, and uncheck "Snap to Grid." Or type the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl+Shift+U".

That did it! Sometimes the most obvious solution is the hardest to see. Thank you so much Dan - you have no idea how relieved we are right now. Resolved a problem we seemed to be having with the crop tool as well. For some reason we noticed some of our preferences changed with no explanation as to why.

 

Thanks again!

If you have the FusionPro Plug-In for InDesign, you can also set your text boxes up in InDesign so they line up with the static text.

I'm not sure where the InDesign plug-in falls in regards to whether it's FusionPro Desktop or something else, but thought it might help someone.