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Adobe - Warning Empty Page - Read Out Loud

  • 21-08-2012 01:11AM
    #1
    Smythe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 434 ✭✭


    I have tried listening to books in PDF format using the Adobe 'Read Out Loud' function in their PDF reader.

    It works without problem on one book, though on a second book the voice states "Warning! Empty page." for every page in the book.

    Would anyone have any ideas as to what might be wrong?

    Thank you.


Comments

  • #2
    Smythe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 434 ✭✭Smythe


    I should add that I can highlight the text in both books using the cursor.

    So the book is not composed of scanned images.


  • #3
    MiniNukinfuts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 951 ✭✭✭MiniNukinfuts


    It's more than likely the way the PDF is formatted. Try copy and pasting the text from it to a document (either .doc or .txt file) then just re-save the file as a .pdf again. Then try the read out loud function


  • #4
    Smythe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 434 ✭✭Smythe


    MiniNukinfuts wrote: »
    It's more than likely the way the PDF is formatted. Try copy and pasting the text from it to a document (either .doc or .txt file) then just re-save the file as a .pdf again. Then try the read out loud function

    If that's the case I'm not sure how practical it would be to do that, as it's an 800 page book, with many diagrams and illustrations, meaning I can't just copy and paste straight down through the text.

    OCR is mentioned in this thread below:
    http://forums.adobe.com/thread/308134

    Would anyone here know what this OCR refers to?


  • #5
    MiniNukinfuts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 951 ✭✭✭MiniNukinfuts


    Convert it to a word doc then, there are plenty of online applications to do that. And they preserve diagrams. Then just open it in word, and select print>save as> pdf

    http://www.pdftoword.com/


  • #6
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    Smythe wrote: »
    Would anyone here know what this OCR refers to?

    Optical Character Recognition.

    PDF is a horrible format to work with. It's a dinosaur really, why it is still so widely used escapes reason. Any "text aloud" solution will fare much better with text/flow text formats.

    Conversion is an option, but like "text aloud" it can be a hit and miss and a proper job is real donkey's work.


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  • #7
    GreenWolfe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭GreenWolfe


    Does the PDF have any DRM?


  • #8
    Smythe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 434 ✭✭Smythe


    EarthlyPangaea wrote: »
    Does the PDF have any DRM?
    I'm not sure what that is.

    But what I should mention is the book which is giving the "Warning! Empty page." audio message can be read aloud without problem using the FoxIt Reader. (It's a different similar reader).

    Though the electronic voice with this program didn't seem to be as natural sounding to my ears as the Adobe version. Which is whay I would prefer the Adobe. But if all else fails I can still use the Foxit Reader.


  • #9
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    Smythe wrote: »
    I'm not sure what that is.

    DRM is a bad virus!

    Just kidding, it means Digital Rights Management, a protective measure which will complicate conversion and circumvention may not be discussed here. ;)


  • #10
    yoyo
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,017 Mod ✭✭✭✭yoyo


    Sounds like DRM, the book may have restrictions, a good way of testing is trying to copy some words from the book, if you don't have the option to do so, the pdf is secured

    Nick

    My Beer Glass collection site 🍺

    My Irish Callcards site



  • #11
    Kenny Logins
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,060 ✭✭✭Kenny Logins


    Torqay wrote: »
    Optical Character Recognition.

    PDF is a horrible format to work with. It's a dinosaur really, why it is still so widely used escapes reason. Any "text aloud" solution will fare much better with text/flow text formats.

    Conversion is an option, but like "text aloud" it can be a hit and miss and a proper job is real donkey's work.

    PDF is a great format to work with for distributable, archived and print-ready files IMHO (I work in print). It's when people figure they can use online services and free software to edit and convert to Word etc. that it begins to fall apart.


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  • #12
    Smythe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 434 ✭✭Smythe


    MiniNukinfuts wrote: »
    Convert it to a word doc then, there are plenty of online applications to do that. And they preserve diagrams. Then just open it in word, and select print>save as> pdf

    http://www.pdftoword.com/

    Thanks for that.

    I tried to upload to that webpage, but the book must be too large, being over 800 pages, and it would not upload.


  • #13
    Smythe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 434 ✭✭Smythe


    yoyo wrote: »
    Sounds like DRM, the book may have restrictions, a good way of testing is trying to copy some words from the book, if you don't have the option to do so, the pdf is secured

    Nick
    I just tried, and I can copy and paste words from the text.


  • #14
    Torqay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    Kenny Logins wrote: »
    PDF is a great format to work with for distributable, archived and print-ready files IMHO (I work in print). It's when people figure they can use online services and free software to edit and convert to Word etc. that it begins to fall apart.

    Sure, PDF or DjVu have their purposes but eBooks certainly isn't one of them. Utterly unsuitable for flowtext reading devices (and apparently for text aloud), no matter how you tweak/crop them.

    And and proper conversion can be a royal pain in the behind, even with the most sophisticated tools (Able2Extract would be my first preference). You still have to spellcheck, regex, restore formatting and typefaces and proof it against the original. Donkey work...


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