Maintain Logical Reading Order

A logical reading order ensures that text within the PDF follows a predictable top-to-bottom, left-to-right sequence, similar to how humans read. This helps proofing and accessibility tools correctly interpret the intended flow of information.

Best Practices

• Organize content naturally — structure paragraphs, tables, and captions in a top-to-bottom, left-to-right order.
• Minimize the use of floating text boxes that are visually aligned but positioned separately in the file structure, as they can disrupt text extraction.
• Group related elements — for example, table captions should be linked to their tables, and labels should stay close to corresponding graphics.
• Use logical tagging or grouping features in your design software to preserve reading structure during export.

Why this matters for proofing?

When the reading order is inconsistent, extracted text may appear fragmented or out of sequence. This affects text comparison, spellcheck accuracy, and content validation, particularly in multi-language or regulatory documents where text placement is critical.