How to Remove Decorative Graphics in CommonLook PDF Desktop

Product

CommonLook PDF Desktop Version

Feature

Images

Document Element

Decorative Graphics, Untagging Images

Overview

Documents are often full of lines and other decorative graphics, like cell borders or shading, that shouldn't be read by assistive technology. These usually show up in the Tags tree as Paths or XObjects, and occasionally as other graphical element types. Even though their icon in the Tags tree looks like a tag, Paths and XObjects aren't actually tags, they're the graphical elements themselves.

Before removing anything, decide whether the graphic actually conveys important information. If it does, tag it as a Figure and add Alt text instead of removing it. See "How to Tag Images, Graphics, & Figures in CommonLook PDF Desktop " for that process. If it doesn't convey any meaning on its own, use one of the methods below to remove it.

Prerequisites 

Before you begin, make sure you have:

1. Confirmed the graphic doesn't convey important information. See "How to Tag Images, Graphics, & Figures in CommonLook PDF Desktop" if it does.
2. Access to the Tags tree, the physical view, and the Settings tab.

Steps to Follow

There are a few ways to remove decorative graphical elements. Some are more efficient than others, depending on the situation.

Untag through the context menu

1. Select the content in the Tags tree or the physical view.
2. Right-click, or otherwise open the context menu, and choose Untag.
   
   This method is highly accurate, but time-consuming.

Adjust your Selection Settings

1. In the Settings tab, in the Selection group, check the boxes for Images and Tagged. This lets you select only graphical elements, so you can highlight them without accidentally grabbing text or other content.
   
2.  With your selection settings set this way, selecting a tag in the Tags tree will also only select the graphical elements inside that tag.
3. Once you've selected the graphics you want to remove, choose Untag from the context menu, or press the Delete key. This method is both highly accurate and efficient.

Artifact all images at once

1. Right-click, or otherwise open the context menu, on the Tags root.
2. Choose Artifact all images.
   
3.  This untags every graphic in the document at once. It's extremely efficient, but not always effective if there are graphics you need to keep tagged, since it removes all of them without exception.

Common Problems

I used Artifact all images, and now some graphics that should still be tagged are gone.

Artifact all images removes every graphic in the document without exception. If you need to keep some graphics tagged, use the context menu or Selection Settings method instead, or manually re-tag anything that was removed by mistake.

My Selection Settings don't seem to be selecting just the graphics.

Confirm both the Images and Tagged boxes are checked in the Settings tab, under the Selection group.

I can't seem to uncheck the box for Images in the Selection Settings

Select Exact instead. This will uncheck the Images checkbox.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Paths and XObjects actually tags?

No. Even though they appear in the Tags tree looking like tags, Paths and XObjects are the graphical elements themselves, not tags.

Which method should I use to remove decorative graphics?

It depends on the situation. Untagging through the context menu is accurate but slow. Adjusting your Selection Settings is both accurate and efficient for most cases. Artifacting all images at once is the fastest option, but it removes every graphic in the document, so only use it if you're sure you don't need to keep any of them tagged.

What if a decorative-looking graphic actually conveys information?

Don't remove it. Tag it as a Figure and add Alt text instead. See "How to Tag Images, Graphics, & Figures in CommonLook PDF Desktop."