Only PDF files with a text layer can be searched. In image-only PDF files, only comments can be searched. Use the Make PDF Searchable tool in the Home ribbon to permit full text searches in documents with image-only pages or parts.
For simple searches in the current PDF only, use the Search Current dialog box. For more complicated searching, use the Search dialog box. This lets you search over multiple files, narrow the search by adding more criteria and use advanced search techniques.
Begin a search from the Home ribbon. The program offers several ways to perform full text searches on PDF files:
search a single word or phrase
search multiple words or phrases
search by pre-defined supplied patterns
search by custom written patterns (arbitrary masks)
See: Search dialog box and Searching by Patterns and Masks.
You can also determine the scope of the search:
current document, or just the comments in the document (by calling the search from the Comments panel).
selected documents within a PDF package or a PDF portfolio,
an entire PDF package,
a specified folder (called folder search),
search with the currently selected indexes, and
search with another index.
A folder search lets you search one folder (with or without sub-folders) and lets you limit the search according to values in standard fields (author, title, subject, keywords, etc.) of the PDF Properties. See Selecting Search Options. An index search gives greater speed because it uses a pre-built index. It also gives more flexibility; letting you widen the search by defining a set of search folders and sub-folders and letting you narrow the search, using not only standard PDF Property fields, but also custom defined fields with values you define.
For any of the above, specify commonly used search criteria such as Match Case, Match whole word only. In addition, specify whether to include comments and bookmarks.
Logical Operators
When performing searches in multiple documents, you may enter the following logical operators to refine your search:
Use parentheses to define the order in which Boolean operators are performed. For more information, and diagrams showing the effects of these operators see Searching with Boolean Operators.
Searching for redaction or markup
Searching can be combined with other program functions, as follows:
Search and Redact: Found items are marked for redaction, as described in Searching and Redacting Text. Choose this from the Security ribbon of Power PDF Advanced.
Search and Markup: Found items are highlighted, struck out or underlined, according to your choice. Choose this in the drop-down list of the Text Markup Tool in the Comments ribbon.
Scan and Markup: Found items are highlighted, struck out, underlined or marked for redaction, according to your choice. In this case searching multiple strings is not offered. Choose this in the drop-down list of the Scan tool in the Home ribbon; see Creating PDF Files from a Scanner.