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Firefox shows weird pdf

  • 13 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by cor-el

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I use both google chrome and firefox. I'm not native English speaker so I've to use some translators. When I've opened pdf(not .pdf file but link to pdf in web) in chrome, the pdf was fine but I've problem with tranlators so i decided to open this file in firefox. When I've opened link in firefox I've see some grid and images on background. Why this happens in firefox? How can i disable it? I've not found any options in firefox for customizing pdf preview instead of choosing another plugin or application.


How it looks in chrome https://clip2net.com/s/3STuKNK How it looks in firefox https://clip2net.com/s/3STuS7x

I use both google chrome and firefox. I'm not native English speaker so I've to use some translators. When I've opened pdf(not .pdf file but link to pdf in web) in chrome, the pdf was fine but I've problem with tranlators so i decided to open this file in firefox. When I've opened link in firefox I've see some grid and images on background. Why this happens in firefox? How can i disable it? I've not found any options in firefox for customizing pdf preview instead of choosing another plugin or application. How it looks in chrome https://clip2net.com/s/3STuKNK How it looks in firefox https://clip2net.com/s/3STuS7x

All Replies (13)

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HI, they are 2 different addresses you supplied and are completely 2 different articles. Note the /s/ in the address. I have no idea why the site offers up different pages for different browsers. Should contact the site. There is nothing wrong with Firefox with what I see. It is the website.

Please let us know if this solved your issue or if need further assistance.

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XuMEPA said

Hi, Pkshadow! Thank you for your answer. This 2 screenshot links. If you want the link to document this is it https://go.section.io/rs/408-RJX-412/images/varnish_guide_final.pdf?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTVRoa1pUVm1PR1JrTlRnMSIsInQiOiJEZmw2ZkwrVTMyRGp4clM4czk5MVp4VDZGM3ZPTXFJQzZseFlKcHZKZW0yWTF6NUFXbmNvTG1xR2kybFhLbG9zbDMwa0lHcjVKSU52djlRRE1Mb0duZmN3N1poaGZVM2dwUUVPNHA1YjZ4YUNuNWs4eFFEbzU4U042YTZ1NzFwZiJ9 Try open it in firefox and in chrome and you will see difference/

I do not have Chrome and never will. This is a Firefox Forum so is irrelevant to me trying to help you with Firefox. As I said it is 2 different address. That would be done on the website. Have no idea. Firefox did what it was suppose to do.

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Hi XuMEPA, Firefox converts PDFs to HTML, and some details of PDF layout and functionality can get lost in the process.

Interestingly, if I download the PDF, open it in Acrobat, extract the first page only, then export that to Word or to HTML, it shows up having those extra elements. Somehow that content must be in the PDF and hidden using a method that Firefox's PDF viewer doesn't implement.

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Yes, there are hidden layers in the PDF. The first screenshot show the status when I open the PDF. The second screenshot shows the results of flipping the hidden/visible status of the first three items. Firefox seems to make everything visible regardless of how it was set in the PDF.

The JavaScript library that converts the PDF has had an issue open to support layers for about 7 years, so I think this is just broken for now.

https://github.com/mozilla/pdf.js/issues/269

Modified by jscher2000 - Support Volunteer

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Hi, jscher2000! Thanks for your answer alot. So what is workaround for me? Should I install some third party exstension?

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Hi XuMEPA, I would view the PDF in a stand-alone program, but you mentioned that you need to view it in Firefox. Why is that?

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As I've said I'm not native english speaker, so sometimes I need to use traslator. I use mate translate in both chrome and firefox. In chrome it works fine on sites but i have problem with pdf. In firefox it works in pdf good, so I'he decided to read this pdf in firefox, but this background grid makes my eyes bleeding

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Well, it's a difficult problem. I can come up with a style rule to make it pure black text on a white background, but since the images are part of the background, then you lose the diagrams.

/* 
   Flip PDF to black text on white background
   Unfortunately, this hides images, too.
*/
.canvasWrapper { opacity: 0 !important; }
.textLayer { opacity: 1 !important; }
.textLayer div { color: #000 !important; }

There are techniques to selectively replace one color with another, but since the image is in a canvas and I'm not knowledgeable about how to access it there, I don't have an idea of how well that might work (or whether that grid color is 100% consistent so it can be fully knocked out that way).

Maybe you could mention it to the publisher? It should be a piece of cake for them to delete the extra layers.

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Here's how you could apply that custom style rule temporarily if you want to see how it works for you:

(1) Open the Style Editor in the lower part of the tab below the PDF. You can use the menu or a keyboard shortcut:

  • "3-bar" menu button > Web Developer > Style Editor
  • (menu bar) Tools > Web Developer > Style Editor
  • (Windows) Shfit+F7

(2) On the left side, above the list of style sheets, click the + button to create a temporary new style sheet (screenshot #1).

(3) In the new blank style sheet, paste the rules you want to apply to the document. Within a few moments, Firefox should update the document to reflect the changes (screenshot #2). After that, you can close the developer tools panel.

This kind of modification is lost when you reload the tab, so you don't have to worry about any permanent damage.

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I had been having the issues with the layout of pdfs for a long time so far, now I'm experiencing the same with chrome as well. Don't know for what reason but if I try to open a document with the built-in preview feature in both browsers there are missing fonts or just blank pages. Now previewing them with this tool w9.pdffiller.com but it worth it only if you have a lot of work with pdf, otherwise it would be just a waste of your money. Yet to me it's a good one

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Hi XuMEPA, since someone else revived this thread, I thought I would add a note about extensions and PDFs in Firefox 60 and later. The extensions do not work in the PDF viewer.

Here is a workaround to work with PDF files you already downloaded to your system.

Mozilla has an online demo of the latest development versions of the PDF viewer here:

https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/web/viewer.html

It shows a sample file, but you can load your own file -- there's an "Open File" button toward the right end of the black toolbar.

Since the PDF is loading into a web page version of the viewer, the special restrictions on the built-in viewer do not apply, and translation extensions are allowed to run.

Maybe that will help with some files (the ones you can download before viewing).

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(or drop the PDF file in the viewer area)