Document Completion

After manual tagging is applied to make a document accessible, maintaining visual conformity between the original and the tagged versions is essential. This practice ensures that the document not only meets accessibility standards but also remains user-friendly, retains its original design, and faithfully conveys its intended message.

1. Compare the Original and Tagged Versions:

• Side-by-Side Comparison: Open both the original and the tagged documents side by side. Visually inspect both versions to ensure that the overall layout, formatting, fonts, colors, and images appear identical. Pay close attention to headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, and any special formatting (e.g., bold, italics, or underlined text). This can be done by navigating through both documents using the Ctrl + Tab keyboard shorcuts.
• PDF Preview: Use the print preview to see how both documents appears. This can help identify any discrepancies that might not be as noticeable while working initially.

2. Examine Visual Elements:

• Images and Graphics: Ensure that all images, graphics, charts, and diagrams are positioned correctly and maintain their original size and proportions. Verify that alternative text (alt text) has been correctly applied without affecting the image placement.
• Tables: Inspect tables to confirm that cell alignment, borders, and shading are consistent with the original. Ensure that headers are properly tagged and visually distinct if they were in the original document.

3. Test Interactive Elements:

• Hyperlinks and Buttons: Check that all hyperlinks, buttons, and other interactive elements are visually and functionally consistent with the original document. They should be clearly visible and maintain the same formatting (e.g., color, underline).
• Form Fields: If the document contains form fields, ensure that they are correctly positioned, with the same size and style as in the original. Labels should be clear and aligned properly.

4. Use Accessibility Checker Tools:

• Run an Accessibility Check: Use Adobe Acrobat’s built-in accessibility checker or other PDF accessibility tools to scan the tagged document for any issues. While these tools primarily check for compliance, they can sometimes highlight areas where visual conformity may have been compromised during tagging.
• Screen Reader Test: Conduct a test using a screen reader to ensure that the document’s logical structure (as defined by the tags) corresponds with its visual appearance. This helps to verify that the document is both accessible and visually coherent.

1. Deleted Content

If content was deleted by mistake or needs to be restored from the original version of the document, you can add it back manually using Edit PDF and Insert Pages options. Here’s how to do it:

Insert Text or Object

• Open the original document (if you have access to it).
• In Adobe Acrobat Pro, go to Tools > Edit PDF.
• If text or objects were deleted from the tagged document, you can manually insert them. Use the Add Text option to type in missing content.
• If images or other objects were deleted, use the Add Image button to insert them from the original document.
• For form fields or tables that were deleted, you can recreate them in the Prepare Form tool, or manually add table cells and rows using Edit PDF.

2. Replacing Content with the Original Document

If you need to replace content that was modified or removed during the tagging process, you can use these methods to ensure the content from the original document is properly placed in the tagged version.

Copy and Paste Content from the Original Document

• Open the original document and the tagged version side by side.
• Select the content that needs to be replaced in the original document (text, images, tables, etc.).
• In Adobe Acrobat Pro, go to the tagged PDF and select the location where the content is missing or incorrect.
• Copy the content from the original document and paste it into the tagged version.
• After pasting, ensure that the content is properly tagged and the visual appearance is aligned.

3. Bring Forward (or Send Backward)

Sometimes, objects might be layered behind other elements, leading to visual confusion (e.g., a text box might be hidden behind an image). The Bring Forward or Send Backward options allow you to adjust the layering order of objects within the PDF.

How to use Bring Forward/Send Backward:

• In Edit PDF mode, select the object (image, text box, etc.) that is not displaying properly.
• Right-click on the object and choose either Bring Forward or Send Backward to adjust the layering.
• Use Bring Forward to move an object in front of others, or Send Backward to move it behind other elements if necessary. This can help to avoid visual errors like overlapping elements or hidden content.

4. Check for Hidden Objects

Sometimes, objects might be incorrectly hidden behind others, which can cause visual errors. Hidden objects may be invisible but still interfere with the document’s layout and accessibility.

How to check and fix hidden objects:

• In Edit PDF, check the Layers panel to see if any objects are hidden or incorrectly layered.
• Use Show/Hide Layers to make sure no hidden objects are disrupting the document’s layout.
• You can also use Preflight to check for any hidden objects or elements that might be causing issues and ensure they are properly tagged.

Note : After correcting visual errors in a PDF, it's essential to perform retagging and rechecking to ensure that the document remains fully accessible and properly structured. This includes reapplying tags to any newly added or modified content and verifying the document's accessibility to ensure that all elements are correctly tagged and aligned.