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Sitaifun
4 years agoHelpful | Level 5
blurry pdf viewed from browser
I've had a pdf file stored on dropbox for years; it was perfectly clear, but now when viewed in the browser it is blurry, so much so that the text is not readable. It is clear when downloaded; the pr...
Bdenio
4 years agoHelpful | Level 5
Hi, the top image below is a snapshot when the file is downloaded and opened in Adobe Acrobat (looks much sharper than the image I pasted in here -- wasn't option to upload an image). The 2nd image is a snapshot of the same image when viewing directly from Dropbox. Considerably more blurry.
Megan
Dropbox Community Moderator
4 years agoHi TaMo, how are you today?
Have you tried multiple browsers, in order to preview your content? Do they all give you the same results? If you could send me a screenshot of how the file looks like when you try to preview it, that'd be amazing.
Also, thank you for your screenshot Bdenio! Do you notice this behavior just with this specific file, or multiple files?
- TaMo4 years agoHelpful | Level 6
I had same blurry result when viewed with Chrome/Android phone.
It's as though the file is not rendering in the Dropbox preview.
I can't show the whole file because it is financial info but the cropped photos below show the discrepancy. Only happening with 8 files pdf'd from same website. All other files created on same day, same computer, same timeframe are fine-although most are only 1-2 pages.
One thing I noticed is that I have 1 other file that is 4 pages, it loads normal and clear in dropbox browser, and it shows as 4 numbered pages, ie. when you scroll down the pop up box at bottom of page shows page 2 of 4 etc. However, the blurry files are multiple pages, but they only show on the popup box as being 1 page and it doesn't change as you scroll. Maybe this is a clue, as somehow the file is being read as one giant page rather than being broken up?
I just opened file in Adobe Reader again and although it looks normal and I can scroll throughout, it also shows there as being 1 page, when it is more, but if I look at it in print preview, it tries to condense the multipages into one 8.5"x11" page. So my guess--in my case at least--is that there is a pdf save function related to multipage documents that isn't being interpreted the same between different platforms. So 5 pages of material is being condensed into a single page and thus is too dense to be rendered by Dropbox preview.
Clear pdf in Adobe AcrobatBlurry pdf in Dropbox Browser
- Nancy4 years ago
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hey TaMo! Thanks for posting this info.
Can you please clarify what’s the average size of the files that you’re having an issue previewing on the website?
Also, if you download these files on your local device, do they appear as they did originally?
- TaMo4 years agoHelpful | Level 6File Sizes range from 422-488KB, most around 460. Downloading files to device look normal in Adobe Acrobat. Also look normal if opened in new browser tab (right beside Dropbox browser tab), and in new tab using connected app from Dropbox (tested with smallpdf).
Only difference I can see is they were saved from a webpage and page breaks were not included, so whole multipage pdf shows as one page.
- Bdenio4 years agoHelpful | Level 5
Multiple files. Basically any file that includes drawings/graphics. I tested out a few text PDFs and didn't notice the same degree of blurriness. Maybe a teensy worse than viewing it from Adobe or Bluebeam, but nothing like the drawing files.
- Steamship3 years agoExplorer | Level 4
I'm experiencing the same issue. PDF looks clear and sharp when viewed locally in a PDF reader and if loaded locally into a browser from my PC. But if I preview it in Dropbox on the web, it's blurry. Not unreadable, but this PDF is a presentation document so any level of blurriness isn't acceptable. I decided to open an account on box.com to give it a try - I had no issues with blurriness there and everything works as expected.
Seems very much like a Dropbox problem.
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