---
title: "Top 6 PDF Issues in Panorama"
canonical: "https://help.cccs.edu/space/KnowledgeBase/957644823/Top%206%20PDF%20Issues%20in%20Panorama"
format: markdown
---
Depending on how it is created, a PDF file can either be accessible for a wide user base or be completely unusable. These top six issues reported in YuJa Panorama appear very frequently in PDF documents within the system, with millions of occurrences for the top four issues! For any of these issues, you can select **Learn more **to learn how to fix the issue in its native software.

**NOTE: **In some cases where a PDF document initially created in Word is difficult to fix, it can be helpful to export it back into Word, repair the issues, and export back to PDF and double check.

1. Open the **File menu **in Acrobat.
2. Hover over **Export To **and then **Microsoft Word**.
3. Choose **Word Document**.
4. Choose a name and location for the Word document and select **Save. **The document will open in Word if **View Result **is checked.

![Hovering over the File menu, the Export To dropdown eighth from the top, Microsoft Word, and then Word Document in that order.](media://9bf88bf1-3eec-4ef9-a0ef-af0011a831f7)

## 6. The PDF is untagged

Severity: **Major**

An accessible PDF is structured using tags like a HTML document or a website. These tags carry semantic meaning that is communicated to assistive technology users. The tags are also read in order when using a screen reader, so paying attention to both the semantic meaning and order of the tags is important.

To learn more about tags and their meaning, visit Adobe’s page on [Standard PDF Tags](https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/editing-document-structure-content-tags.html#standard_pdf_tags).

### Fixing in Acrobat

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat.
2. Select **Accessibility **from the Tools menu on the side or from the Tools tab at the top.
3. Select **Autotag Document **to automatically tag elements in the document.
4. Open the **Tags **panel from the left side.
5. Select the first tag in the Tags tree.
6. Go down the list of tags to ensure they are sorted the way the document would naturally be read. If not, click and drag the tags to reorder them.
7. Save the PDF.
8. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

## 5. Table does not have a header

Severity: **Major**

Tables require semantically tagged header rows to be fully accessible. Assistive technology can distinguish header cells from data cells and uses them to communicate relationships. Without header rows, it can be difficult to understand the contents of a table.

Oftentimes this error results from tables being used to lay out or format text rather than display relationships. It is not advised to use tables for formatting.

### Fixing in Acrobat

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat.
2. Select **Accessibility **from the Tools menu on the side or from the Tools tab at the top.
3. Open the **Reading Order** pane from the Accessibility sidebar.
4. Select the number at the top left of the table.
5. Select **Table Editor.**
6. Click and drag over the header cells. To make multiple selections, hold Shift while selecting more cells.
7. Right-click the cells and select **Table Cell Properties.**
8. Select the **Header Cell **radio button.
9. Change the **Scope **dropdown to **Column **if the headers are at the top or **Row **if they are on the side.
10. Select **OK, **press **Esc **to leave the Table Editor, and close the Reading Order window.
11. Repeat for any other tables with missing headers.
12. Save the PDF.
13. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

![Accessibility pane opened and labeled 1, Reading Order last in the Accessibility pane labeled 2, a table in the document selected and labeled 3, and the Table Editor button in the Reading Order window labeled 4.](media://6e974116-b4fa-4ae9-ba86-c276c5bb9ce6)

## 4. Check reading order

Severity: **Minor**

The reading order determines the order that content is read in a PDF file. Reading order should be structured logically instead of jumping around the page. While most assistive technologies rely on accessible PDF tags, Acrobat’s built in Read Out Loud tool uses the Reading Order to determine how elements are read. It is important to consider audiences that use this tool or other assistive technologies that rely on Acrobat’s reading order.

### Fixing in Panorama

1. Open the Accessibility Report for the PDF in Panorama.
2. Locate the alternative description issue and select **Fix Issue**.
3. Verify the reading order in Acrobat.
4. If the reading order has no issues, check **Verify reading order **and then select **Add Change**. Otherwise, follow the steps in Fixing in Acrobat below.
5. Select **Apply Changes **section in the Panorama accessibility Report once all accessibility issues are repaired.

![Panorama reading order window with a single checkbox labeled 'Verify reading order'.](media://c82beda4-ccea-45cd-ac61-8a63a117eaaf)

### Fixing in Acrobat

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat.
2. Select the **Order icon**, which resembles four boxes with a Z-shaped line connecting them.
3. Observe the numbers that appear next to each element in the page. The number determines the order it is read in the document.
4. If any elements on the page are out of order, drag the elements in the Order Pane above or below each other until the page reads in a logical order.
5. Repeat for the remaining pages in the document.
6. Save the PDF.
7. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

![The Accessibility icon at the top of the right toolbar labeled 1, the Reading Order button at the bottom of the Accessibility toolbar labeled 2, and the Show Order Panel button in the bottom right of the Reading Order window labeled 3. The icon on the left side resembling four boxes with a Z-shaped line connecting them also opens the Order Panel. Each element in the document is shaded and has a number next to it.](media://e016b038-6c6f-4ab5-9c08-a8cd4b132cab)

## 3. The item does not have an alternative description.

Severity: **Major**

Alternative descriptions (or alternate text) are brief, descriptive captions embedded into images. Screen reader users will hear alt text read aloud when encountering an image in a webpage. This helps them understand the image, and without it they would only hear the image read as “Image.” Alt text also helps users with poor internet connections where images may not load.

### Fixing in Panorama

1. Open the Accessibility Report for the PDF in Panorama.
2. Locate the alternative description issue and select **Fix Issue**.
3. Enter a brief description that summarizes the contents of the image. Aim for less than 120 characters.
4. Select **Apply Changes **in the Accessibility Report once all accessibility issues are repaired.

![Panorama alt text window with a text field labeled 'Add Alt Text' and a checkbox to update all images in the document.](media://60dbce2e-2cfa-4511-a7be-37b8aba9d4ad)

### Fixing in Acrobat

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat.
2. Select **Accessibility **from the Tools menu on the side or from the Tools tab at the top.
3. Select **Set Alternate Text**.
4. For each image, either write a brief description or check **Mark as decorative **if the image is purely for aesthetic value.
5. Save the PDF.
6. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

![Accessibility icon first from the top in the right toolbar labeled 1, Set Alternate Text in the Accessibility toolbar labeled 2, and Alternate Text field in the Set Alternate Text window labeled 3. ](media://d28def1c-67df-4e02-b3dd-5291901e1050)

## 2. Insufficient contrast between foreground text and background

Severity: **Major**

All text and visual elements in your PDF file should be easy to read for all audiences. Keep in mind that some readers may struggle to differentiate foreground from background, whether it be from colorblindness, partial blindness, or other visual impairments. Good text contrast can also be useful in practical situations, such as a presentation viewed from far away or a physical document from a printer low on ink.

For WCAG AA standards, text under 18 pt (or 14 pt and bolded) should have a contrast of at least **4.5:1**. Large text (18 pt or 14 pt bolded and above) should have a contrast of at least **3:1**.

### Fixing in Panorama

1. Open the Accessibility Report for the PDF in Panorama.
2. Locate the contrast issue and select **Fix Issue**.
3. Select the color swatch underneath **Text Color**.
4. Use the color sliders or the syringe tool to choose a new color. Pay attention to the Contrast Ratio on the right side. A ratio of at least 4.5:1 is ideal.
5. Once you have chosen a new color, select **Add Change**.
6. Repeat until all issues are fixed.
7. Select **Apply Changes **in the Accessibility Report once all accessibility issues are repaired.

![Panorama Contrast window with the text color set to red and the background color set to white. The contrast ratio is 4.63 to 1, which means it passes both large and small font checks.](media://96d9e67b-bf98-4572-a12a-be54f4d8e38d)

### Fixing in Acrobat

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat.
2. Select **Edit PDF **from the Tools menu on the side or from the Tools tab at the top.
3. Select the text with poor contrast.
4. Select the **color swatch **in the Format section in the Edit PDF menu.
5. Choose a color or **More Colors **to access color sliders.
6. Test the new color with the [Colour Contrast Analyser](https://www.tpgi.com/color-contrast-checker/) to ensure it meets contrast standards.
7. Repeat for all elements with poor color contrast.
8. Save the PDF.
9. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

![Edit PDF icon second from the top in the right toolbar and labeled 1, selected text labeled 2, and color swatch dropdown with a dark blue selected labeled 3.](media://f28c17ce-3311-44ee-bb98-2504cb21240a)

## 1. The font size is smaller than 9 points

Severity: **Minor**

Like color contrast, a readable font size is paramount to an accessible document. Small text is hard to read for most audiences, but especially so for those with visual impairments. A font size of **12 pt **is recommended. 

### Fixing in Acrobat

1. Open the Panorama Accessibility Report.
2. Observe the text Panorama reports as too small.
3. Open the file in Acrobat.
4. Select the text Panorama highlights in the Accessibility Report.
5. Change the font size to **at least 12 **to make it readable.+
6. Adjust the formatting of the document to suit.
7. Update the document using the **Update Document **section in the Panorama Accessibility Report.

![Edit PDF tool in the sidebar second from the top labeled 1, selected text in the PDF labeled 2, and the font dropdown currently reading 9.96 labeled 3.](media://2e44353a-c8fc-4cc2-aca3-9d606679018e)