Edit: The issue disappeared after installing the Version 2309 Build 16.0.16827.20014.
Original Question: I cannot copy data from recent pdfs created using Excel ExportAsFixedFormat method with Standard Quality when opened using Acrobat.
From Excel VBA:
Sub ExportPDF()
ActiveSheet.ExportAsFixedFormat Type:=xlTypePDF, FileName:="Test.pdf", Quality:=xlQualityStandard, OpenAfterPublish:=True
End Sub
The files created using this method cannot have data copy-pasted from them when using Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat Pro.
I can select the text and edit it but I cannot copy it unless the specific field have been edited using Acrobat, highlighted, underlined or striked...
The issue is not present when using Quality:=xlQualityMinimum. Copy-Paste is working fine when opening files using Foxit or Chrome.
The issue appeared in the first week of August 2023. The files created before that date do not have this problem. The issue has been replicated on two other computers using the same Excel version and using Acrobat Reader and Adobe Acrobat Pro.
I contacted Adobe, they analyzed the file and said it is a file specific issue. I contacted Microsoft and they basically told me that the interactions between Microsoft and Acrobat products is out of their scope and to ask for guidance over here.
The workarounds would be to either use PrintOut which would now allow to specify the filename, use something else than Acrobat products or use Minimum quality. None of these options are ideal. If I cannot find a solution, I will probably have do it thru a python script with panda and pdfkit but it seems way overkill for just exporting a pdf.
To summarize, it seems to be an incompatibility between Adobe Acrobat and the pdf files produced by the latest Microsoft Excel 365 release using Standard Quality.
I am using: Microsoft® Excel® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2307 Build 16.0.16626.20170) 64-bit Adobe Acrobat Pro Version 2023.003.20284
Thank you