Having issues with script text being recognized? Are text marking tools not working?

You may have a "flattened" PDF.

A flattened PDF is a file where the contents of the PDF are no longer recognizable as individual parts, so the Scriptation algorithm (or any PDF program) can't recognize any text in the file.

This can happen with scanned files and with some watermarking programs.

How can I check if my PDF has been flattened?

An easy way to see if your file has been flattened is by trying to use the Text Marking Highlight function.


If the Text Marking Highlight function doesn't recognize any text, then unfortunately the file has been flattened and it won't be possible to do an automated transfer of your marker highlights.

You'll need to get a non-flattened version of the document to do everything you need to do in Scriptation, and you may want to ask whoever is distributing scripts to process them differently to avoid receiving flattened PDFs.

What's Next

Transferring Actor Highlights
Highlighting tool vs Highlighting with the Marker
What is Reader Mode?

Updated on: 28/02/2025