An incorrect heading level in Word should usually be corrected in Word first. The same applies to table design, link text and image descriptions that will be reused. When the source is unavailable, or the exporter loses some structure, direct PDF repair may be necessary.
A well-made source can still need post-export work. Check the exported file before deciding what the template can reliably produce.
Keep copies of both the source and the exported PDF. Choose one representative failure, such as a heading you cannot navigate to. Does the source text use a real heading style? If not, correct it there and export again. If it does, inspect whether export produced a heading tag connected to the right text.
This small experiment distinguishes an authoring problem from an export problem. Without it, you may spend hours repairing PDFs when a template change would prevent recurring errors, or keep changing a correct source when the limitation is in the exporter.
Update frequency matters too. Direct PDF repair can be sensible for a one-off edition with no source file. A weekly publication needs a record of repairs lost at each new export. Keep those as a post-processing checklist and allow time for them in the publication process.
Before
Every new PDF contains the same 24 incorrect headings. The editor repairs them in the PDF again.
After
The heading styles are fixed in the report template. A separate check catches anything export still loses.
Why this works The next report starts from a better source. Review time goes into new content issues instead of identical repairs.
- The source file, template and export settings.
- A list of changes made only in the PDF.
- A checked sample with the application version recorded.
- A process for checking again when text, images or tables change.
Accessibility work may reveal contradictory numbers or unclear wording. Let the document owner resolve the meaning. Permission to repair technical accessibility is not permission to alter a published decision.
Suppose a chart caption says 15 percent while its table says 18 percent. Do not put your preferred number in the alternative text while leaving the visible page unchanged. Ask the document owner to confirm the value and how the correction should appear. Otherwise different readers receive different information.
The same principle matters for past decisions, signed documents and contract attachments. An edit may have consequences beyond improving structure. Agree how the original, remediated version and any correction are named and related. Digital signatures require their own workflow; modifying a signed file is not a neutral export setting.
Sources
- Create accessible PDFsMicrosoft
- Accessible PDFsAdobe
- Create and verify PDF accessibilityAdobe
Examples are our own unless stated otherwise. These guides distinguish legal requirements, standards and practical advice. Passing an automated check is not a complete assessment of document accessibility.