PDF Accessibility
Adding Tags to Untagged PDF Files

Adding Tags to an Untagged PDF

Adding tags to an untagged PDF is not much different from editing an existing file. In fact, if a PDF file is poorly tagged, it may be faster to delete all or most of the tags and start over. If that is the case, you can select the Clear Page Structure button to erase all the tags.

There are two main ways to add tags: Let Acrobat try to add tags and then edit them, or add all tags manually.

Add Tags to Documents Feature

There is an option to automatically insert tags into an untagged PDF document, but the results are less than amazing. Still, it is a start and will probably be faster than doing all the work manually. This is especially true if the document contains tables.

Choose Windows > Accessibility > Add Tags to Document to start this feature.

Add All Tags Manually

If you would rather insert tags manually, Right-click in the Tags tab where it reads "No Tags available" and select Create Tags Root.

TouchUp Reading Order Feature

The TouchUp Reading Order feature is a new and promising addition to Acrobat 7. This is the first real feature to offer a fast way to tag a PDF. Although it can speed up the tagging process, it does not take the place of the other tools mentioned previously.

To use the TouchUp Reading Order tool, select Advanced > Accessibility > TouchUp Reading Order. When this feature is selected, the view on the screen will change. All of the content will be enclosed in numbered boxes. Each of these boxes represents a tag and the number corresponds with the tag number in the Order tab. The TouchUp Reading Order window will also open.

You will notice a group of buttons with the names of several common tags. You can use these buttons to assign tags to a selected block of text or an object.

TouchUp Reading Order is not perfect. Selecting text is difficult and many tags are not supported. It is also somewhat difficult to assign alternate text to images. Still, it is easier to mark up a PDF file using this feature than any other way. This is definitely one of the most valuable additions to Acrobat 7 Professional, and probably the easiest way to edit and add tags within Acrobat 7.

Adding Tags Using TouchUp Reading Order

There are two ways to select an area of text, image, table or other element using TouchUp Reading Order.

1. Drag a box around an element using the crosshairs that have replaced the default pointer. It is sometimes difficult to select exactly the right area, but it is a little easier if you try drawing a box that is slightly larger than the element. Once you have selected a new element, you can assign some of the most common tags to that element by clicking on one of the several buttons. If you use some other tool like the Hand or the Zoom tool, you must re-select the Touchup Reading Order Tool by pressing the icon in the TouchUp window.
   
2. You can also select everything within a box by clicking on the number at the top left corner.

Now that you have selected the text, you can assign a tag by clicking on the corresponding button. Once you select a button, Acrobat will place the selected content in the appropriate tag. If you have the Tags tab open, you can view these changes instantly.

While in TouchUp Reading Order, you can also assign alternate text to images by Right-clicking on the image and choosing Edit Alternate Text.