PDF text is turned into dots (iPadOS 15 bug)

Background

After updating to iPadOS 15, you might find that the text of some of your existing PDF documents is turned into dots. This also happens if you import some PDFs into the app as new documents.

Resolution

Unfortunately, this is an iPadOS 15 bug that occurs to some specific PDFs, because if you open the original PDF in the Files app, you'll see the same dots in place of PDF text:

Since GoodNotes relies on iPadOS PDF engine, we'll need to wait for an official fix from Apple.

Here are some workarounds:

- If you have GoodNotes synced to another device not on iPadOS 15, switch to that device to open that GoodNotes document or import the original PDF to GoodNotes there, then export the document in Image format instead.

- If you have a PDF file with this issue, convert it to an image-based PDF, which you can import to GoodNotes without this issue:

• Method 1: Use this site to convert the PDF to images and then convert those images to a new PDF.
• Method 2 [1]:
  1. Open https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/web/viewer.html with Chrome from a computer.
  2. Click the Open icon and browse for the PDF.
     
     
     
  3. Click the Print icon next to the Open icon.
  4. Set "Save as PDF" for Destination and choose Save.

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References:

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOSBeta/comments/oc7l5l/pdf_rendered_as_small_dots_instead_of_texts/