blurry pdf viewed from browser

Hey @Sitaifun, welcome to our Community!

Have you tried a different browser to try and preview the file there? If I were you, I'd also try either a different WiFi connection, or cellular data just to exclude that these might be interfering, and mess on how the file previews.

It's a good thing that the PDF looks as it should when you download it, because that means it hasn't been corrupt in any way.

Let me know more, and we'll take it from there.

Sitaifun

Yes, I tried several browsers - Chrome and Brave on the Mac and Firefox on Windows. I use a hard-wired ethernet cable. But maybe my software is a bit out of date. You could try; here is the link - http://tiny.cc/castoroil4skin

Hi @Sitaifun, thanks for the speedy reply!

Have you ensured your browsers are all up to date?

If you could also send me a screenshot of what you see on your end when trying to preview the file, that'd be amazing. Just make sure to attach it to your next response.

Rich

@Sitaifun wrote:
Yes, I tried several browsers - Chrome and Brave on the Mac and Firefox on Windows.

It definitely seems to be something on Dropbox's side during the conversion (remember, previews are just that, a transcoded preview of the original). Both the raw and downloaded files are fine. It only happens when viewed on the Dropbox preview page.

Bdenio

I am having the same problem. It doesn't matter what computer monitor or browser I use or if trying to view a small or large file. Zooming doesn't help either. This was never a problem before even when opening large drawing files. For me I noticed this problem just over the past year. Now to be able to see a file clearly I have to download a copy to my desktop or a zip file in order to read it clearly. As other users have said, this seems to be an issue on DropBox's side. I might have to find a different secure cloud storage system if this cannot be resolved which is unfortunate because I've subscribed to DropBox for many years. Would love to hear if others have figured out a solution!

Hi @Bdenio, I hope you're doing well!

Could you send me a couple of screenshots, showing how some example files are previewed for you? It'll help me with the visual too.

Let me know!

TaMo

I have same problem as other users. It only happens with the Dropbox browser preview and only with longer files (1-2pagers work fine for me but ~4pages stay blurry). They are only ~460KB. Me using Win10, up-to-date Chrome browser, but files are shared with another person on Apple computer/Safari who is without blurry issue. If I choose the "Download" option and then select link on bottom of browser window, the file opens in a new browser tab and is completely clear. Likewise, if I choose the "Open in" option and select to connect an app, like smallpdf, it will open in a new browser tab and is completely clear.

Next, I downloaded a "blurry" file to my computer, opened it in Adobe where it was clear, made edits, saved and uploaded new version to shared Dropbox folder. Clicking on file and opening in Dropbox browser preview resulted in blurry image again.

Bdenio

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.

Hi @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?

TaMo

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

Nancy

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?

TaMo

File 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.

Bdenio

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.

Steamship

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.

Hi all, happy Friday!

Your comments on this have been quite helpful, and I will do everything I can to ensure that your voice is heard.

I'll forward your feedback to the appropriate areas so we can continue to improve.

Have a lovely weekend ahead,enjoy!

After many years of using Dropbox I too am suddenly confronted with blurry PDF's ( across all my computers and browsers.) This is a real nuisance and I hope it is fixed soon.

I'm having this same issue, and I'm a designer - this is my resume' and portfolio documents, and simply NOT acceptable, and none of the responses I'm hearing from Dropbox do anything other than delay and/or blame the user. We need this fixed, or it's off to Google Drive. In the case of my photo portfolio and drawing sheets, the files are big - 14-18 Mb, but my resume is 2 pages of neat text and all of 122Kb.

Downloads are fine, and, actually, if I go into DROPBOX's "Editor" - the documents show sharp...but not in the viewing pane. If I'm sending this to a prospective client or employer, the first impression matters, and this is simply unacceptable.

Jay

Hi @eddrop1, @FWAtherton, could you try previewing the file while forcing it to render in the browser by changing dl=0 to raw=1 option in the shared link? Does this make a difference to the file?

https://help.dropbox.com/share/force-download

@Jay

Hmm...where do I go to alter the settings referenced in this article:

I don't see anyplace to make those editing changes in either my browser or my Dropbox setup - and it's MOST important that a random potential employer I send the links to can open it UNBLURRY without any fiddling. As it is, I'm going to have to explain in the short run that the preview is blurry and hope they can see beyond that....

This is a problem Dropbox has had before as a little Googling will show.

If I download the file I displays fine in the browser. This is strictly a view within dropbox on web issue.

Aha - I see how to force the download, but that's no help to me - I need some outside/any user to be able to see my existing PDFs in your preview pane UNblurred.

Agreed Ed - what's INFURIATING is that Dropbox doesn't fix the issue, which renders their platform nearly useless to me. And they've had this issue, as you note, for YEARS, and all their tech staff do are give answers little better than "have you tried restarting your computer" (nearly.).

Replying to FWA - I just recently started having the problem and I have used Dropbox for years. I have a free account - maybe they are trying to get rid of me!

Jay

Is the Dropbox preview pane required for your workflow? Does the preview without the pane show the full version of the file itself?

Heya Ed - same here - never had this problem before, and a free user, but there's no way I'd upgrade without them fixing this...pfft

Jay: The Preview pane is what any prospective employer (client or firm hiring person) is going to view/see first, and first impressions MATTER.

Right now, Dropbox is giving a very poor extended impression.

Nobody seems to have identified what's causing this issue, across multiple browsers for lots of users. This is in YOUR court.

Jay

We are currently experiencing issues related to sharing, so it's possible it could be affecting previews on shared links.