FAQ & Troubleshooting

Find answers to frequently asked questions and solutions to common problems.

General Questions

What is the PDF Editor?

The PDF Editor is a browser-based tool in Appfactory Studio for editing PDF documents. You can add text, images, signatures, shapes, manage pages, and more — all directly in your browser without downloading additional software.

Is it free to use?

PDF editing is included with your Appfactory Studio account. Check your account plan for usage limits.

Do I need to install anything?

No. The PDF Editor runs completely in your browser. No software installation is required.

Is my document secure?

Yes. Documents are stored on secure Appfactory servers with encryption. Only you and people you explicitly share with can access your documents.

What file formats are supported?

Upload: PDF files only Export: PDF files only

You cannot import or export Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), or other formats directly. You can:

• Convert documents to PDF using other tools first
• Export as PDF and open in other applications after

Features and Capabilities

Can I edit text in existing PDFs?

Yes. When you open a PDF, all extractable text appears as editable elements. You can:

• Modify text content
• Change formatting (font, size, color, etc.)
• Move or resize text boxes
• Delete text elements

Can I add text to a blank document?

Yes. Create a new blank document and use the Text tool to add content.

Can I insert images?

Yes. Use the Image tool to insert PNG or JPEG images. You can:

• Resize images
• Move them around
• Reorder pages with images

Can I draw freehand?

Freehand drawing is supported via the Signature tool's draw mode. For other freehand drawing, use shapes (rectangles, ellipses) or add pre-drawn images.

Can I add signatures to documents?

Yes. Use the Signature tool to:

• Draw a signature with your mouse/touchpad
• Type your name in a signature font
• The signature is stored and reused

Can I merge multiple PDFs?

Not directly in the editor. However, you can:

1. Open PDF 1
2. Add pages from PDF 2 using duplicate + manual work
3. Or copy pages from PDF 2 and manually recreate

Workaround — Use a dedicated PDF merger tool first, then edit in the PDF Editor.

Can I split a PDF?

Not directly. You can:

1. Open the PDF
2. Delete unwanted pages
3. Export as a new PDF

This effectively creates a split document.

Editing Problems

Text editing seems unresponsive

Problem — Text doesn't appear when I type or edits are slow Solution:

1. Try double-clicking the text again to re-enter edit mode
2. Clear browser cache and refresh
3. Try a different browser
4. Check your internet connection

Why — Temporary browser glitch or network issue

Can't select or move elements

Problem — Elements won't select when I click them Solution:

1. Make sure text is not in edit mode (press Escape first)
2. Click directly on the element, not just near it
3. Try clicking with a different mouse button (to check it's not a hold mode)
4. Refresh the page and try again

Why — Focus is locked on another element

Undo doesn't work

Problem — Ctrl+Z isn't undoing my changes Solution:

1. Check you're using Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac)
2. Try clicking the Undo button in toolbar
3. Refresh and check if undo history is preserved
4. You may have exceeded undo limit (200 steps)

Why — Undo history limit reached or focus lost

Zoom doesn't work properly

Problem — Zoom slider doesn't respond or zooms incorrectly Solution:

1. Try using browser zoom (Ctrl+Plus to zoom in)
2. Use the zoom percentage in the toolbar
3. Refresh page if zoom is stuck
4. Test in a different browser

Why — Browser rendering issue

Saving and Export

Are changes saved automatically?

Yes, but only after you've manually saved at least once. Then:

• Every 15 seconds, autosave creates a version
• You can see autosave status indicator
• Versions are available in History

How do I manually save?

Click the Save button in the toolbar or press Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on Mac).

Can I save as I go?

Yes. You can save as frequently as you want. Each save creates a new version.

What happens if I close without saving?

If you haven't manually saved yet:

• Your work is lost
• Always save before closing

If you have autosave enabled (after first save):

• Recent autosaves are available in History
• You can restore from autosave version

Document won't save

Problem — Save button doesn't work or save fails Solution:

1. Check your internet connection
2. Verify you have permission to edit (not View Only)
3. Refresh the page and try saving again
4. Check browser console for error messages (F12)
5. Try a different browser

Why — Network issue, permissions problem, or browser compatibility

Can I export as a different format?

Not currently. The PDF Editor only exports as PDF. To convert:

1. Export as PDF
2. Use a third-party converter (PDF to Word, etc.)
3. Or import from other formats by converting to PDF first

File size is too large

Problem — Exported PDF is much larger than expected Solution:

1. Delete unnecessary images
2. Remove extra pages
3. Reduce image resolution if possible
4. Save and export again

Why — Large images, many pages, or high resolution

Exported PDF looks different

Problem — PDF doesn't match what I see in editor Solution:

1. Check zoom level (it affects appearance)
2. Verify all edits were saved before export
3. Try zooming to 100% before exporting
4. Check if fonts match (use standard fonts)
5. Refresh and try exporting again

Why — Rendering differences, unsaved changes, or font issues

Sharing and Collaboration

Can I share documents with others?

Yes. Click the Share button and:

• Share with specific team members by email
• Generate a link for anyone with access
• Set View Only or Edit permissions

Can I revoke access?

Yes. In the Share dialog:

1. Find the person or link
2. Click the X or "Remove Access"
3. Access is revoked immediately

Invitation wasn't received

Solution:

1. Check spam folder for invitation email
2. Verify email address is correct
3. Ask recipient to check their email
4. Try sharing the generated link instead

Can I share with people outside my organization?

Currently, no. Sharing only works within your Appfactory organization. To share externally:

1. Export document as PDF
2. Share the PDF file directly
3. They can download and view

Real-time collaboration not working

Problem — Other person's changes aren't showing up Solution:

1. Press F5 to refresh the page
2. Wait a moment (autosave is 15-second intervals)
3. Ask other person to save
4. Refresh again to see their changes

Why — Need to manually refresh to see others' changes

OCR and Scanning

Why isn't OCR working?

Problem — OCR button doesn't do anything Solution:

1. Text may already be searchable (try Ctrl+F first)
2. Refresh the page and try OCR again
3. Check internet connection (OCR downloads Tesseract.js)
4. Wait longer (first run takes 5-15 seconds)
5. Try on a different browser

Why — Already searchable, network issue, or browser compatibility

OCR results are very inaccurate

Problem — Recognized text has many errors Solution:

1. Double-click text to correct individual errors
2. Manually add correct text using Text tool
3. Delete incorrect OCR text
4. Use higher-quality scans in the future

Why — Low scan quality, small text, or unusual fonts

OCR is too slow

Problem — OCR takes many seconds to complete Solution:

1. First run takes longer (it downloads ~5MB)
2. Subsequent runs are faster (use cached version)
3. Close other browser tabs to free resources
4. Wait for completion, don't interrupt

Why — First run downloads processing library

Scanned document looks blurry after OCR

Problem — Text and images appear fuzzy in editor Solution:

1. This is normal for scanned PDFs
2. Zoom in to 100-150% to see better
3. OCR text is invisible but searchable
4. The original scan appearance is preserved
5. Exported PDF will match what you see

Why — Scanning produces lower resolution images

Performance and Technical

Editor is slow or laggy

Solution:

1. Close other browser tabs to free memory
2. Reduce zoom level
3. Close and reopen the editor
4. Try a different browser
5. Check your internet connection speed
6. Restart your computer if needed

Browser crashes when opening large PDF

Solution:

1. Close other applications to free memory
2. Clear browser cache (Settings > Clear browsing data)
3. Try a different browser
4. Split the large PDF into smaller files
5. Use more RAM if possible

"Out of memory" error

Solution:

1. Close other browser tabs and applications
2. Refresh the page
3. Try editing a smaller portion of the document
4. Split document into multiple files
5. Upgrade browser or restart computer

I'm using an old/unsupported browser

Supported Browsers:

• Chrome/Chromium (latest 2 versions)
• Firefox (latest 2 versions)
• Safari (latest 2 versions)
• Edge (latest 2 versions)

Solution — Update your browser to the latest version

Keyboard and Input

Keyboard shortcuts aren't working

Problem — Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+S, etc. don't work Solution:

1. Make sure focus is on the editor, not address bar
2. Check if text editing is active (can interfere)
3. Click the editor canvas first, then try shortcut
4. Check if browser/OS shortcut override (unlikely)
5. Try using the toolbar buttons instead

Can't type in text fields

Problem — Text doesn't appear when I type Solution:

1. Make sure you've double-clicked to enter edit mode
2. Click inside the text box to position cursor
3. Check if text box is in focus (should have cursor)
4. Try typing slowly to see if it's just lag
5. Refresh and try again

Mouse cursor is frozen or unresponsive

Solution:

1. Move mouse to different part of screen
2. Click again to regain focus
3. Refresh the browser page
4. Restart your browser
5. Check mouse/trackpad is working in other apps

Account and Permissions

Can't access my documents

Problem — Documents don't appear in dashboard Solution:

1. Make sure you're logged in
2. Refresh the dashboard page
3. Check if you're in the right account
4. Verify you have permission to access
5. Contact your administrator if issue persists

Permission denied error

Solution:

1. You likely have View Only access
2. Ask document owner to grant Edit permission
3. Create a copy if Edit permission isn't available
4. Request access from the person who shared it

Lost access to a shared document

Solution:

1. The owner may have revoked access
2. Link may have expired
3. Contact the document owner
4. Ask them to reshare with you

Still Need Help?

If your issue isn't covered here:

1. Check related guides:

   • Text Editing
   • Images & Signatures
   • Page Management
   • OCR & Accessibility
   • Sharing & Collaboration
   • Version History

2. Browser troubleshooting:

   • Clear cache and cookies
   • Disable browser extensions
   • Try incognito/private browsing mode
   • Try a different browser

3. Contact support:

   • Reach out to Appfactory Studio support
   • Provide details about your issue
   • Include browser version and OS
   • Describe steps to reproduce problem

Tips for Best Results

• Use modern browsers — Latest versions have best compatibility
• Stable internet — Fast connection ensures smooth editing and saving
• Manage document size — Too many pages/images can cause slowness
• Regular saves — Don't wait for autosave; save manually frequently
• Check versions — Use Version History if something goes wrong
• Clear cache occasionally — Helps prevent performance issues