Recently (perhaps the past 2 months), I've had a recurring issue while doing markups in Preview. After I create a text box and type some text, if I want to go back to that text box to add or edit text, when I double-click to place my cursor in the box, the box resizes into a single insanely long line (thus running way off the edge of the page/window).

so, I need to use the corner re-size drag to narrow it down as much as I can on that page, then slide it over to the edge, and resize again; repeat as needed, depending on how long the original text in the box was.

Any clues??

Does this happen when you log into a test account?

Yes, exact same behavior. In both cases, a single click, to activate the box, does NOT cause the resize, but when I double click inside the box to place the cursor, the box becomes one line high, and as wide as need be to fit the content (far outside the page/disappearing behind the right side of the window). The top left corner remains in the original place, I think. I am able to drag the box to the far left, then use corner resizing to move lower left corner to near right side of screen; then drag it again to the left, and repeat as needed until I restore a rectangular text box that fits on the page as it used to.

FYI
Macbook Pro
2.26GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo
OS 10.8.2

I assume these markups are to PDF documents? Have you tried using Adobe Reader and if so does it happen there? Are all these documents from the same source?

Preview has, from the very beginning, had various problems with a few PDF documents. Sometimes it is because there is a PDF function used in the document that is not in the public domain and therefore not supported by Preview. Sometimes the application used to create the PDF is creating some slightly wonky code as far as Preview is concerned. Very rarely, not even Adobe Reader will react correctly with a given document. Preview doesn't fail/glitch often with PDF, but it has happened to me enough times that I no longer use it with PDF documents.

Yes, they are PDFs. This glitch seems to be universal lately (though I will pay more attention to confirm this).

I've also gone in and out of using Preview, but over the past couple years have been quite content with it until this glitch surfaced recently (truthfully, I think the deciding virtue was quicker launch, plus my hatred of Adobe's updater routines).

No question Preview has the edge there, but you might try the new Adobe Reader, I haven't timed it but it seems to load faster than it used to — or maybe I have just gotten used to it. I am no fan of the Adobe updater either and it seems the updates come more frequently, but that may be a response to some of Adobe's recent security issues.

In somewhat of an oblique comment to Joemikeb's post, the variable I'd like to bring up here is the role of the source of the PDF, how (by what software) it was generated and possibly altered. Although it doesn't appear to have any direct bearing on the Preview text box issue you're dealing with, there is a known issue with marking up (certain) PDFs in Preview. It appears to be due to a bug, which causes Preview not to follow proper convention when marking up PDFs, effectively corrupting them. Some of the details are discussed in a reader report starting here.

Thanks for that link; that thread seems to be more about forms, whereas my issue is when I add a text box for adding annotation of my own.

I will attend more closely to sources of the PDFs; I know it's happened from more than one source, and as I mentioned i THINK it's always happening lately, but I'll be more attentive.

Still interested in hearing from anyone who may have dealt with this particular text-box-resizes-to-single-line glitch.

UPDATED REPORT: Before downloading Reader (which, I recall, also messed with Safari's PDF viewing), I decided to try using Acrobat, which I also have. When I clicked into a text box I'd made in Preview, instead of going to the "one-line" mode, it filled the text box with RED! But when I made a new text box with Acrobat, then left it, and returned to edit the text, then double-clicking placed the cursor, as it should, no problems. So it seems to have to do with Preview's text box creation. (at least on this PDF; still will attend to different sources)

Jim,

In
Mac OS X 10.7.5
Preview 5.5.3

I have experienced similar behavior you report as regards the use of Annotate to add a text box to some .pdfs.

My workaround in those instances to use the Note option.

If you choose to install Reader, you can prevent it from messing with PDFs in Safari by the following method after you install Reader:

Go to /Library/Internet Plug-Ins and look for AdobePDFViewer.plugin and AdobePDFViewerNPAPI.plugin (you may not have both, but they are installed automatically via the Reader installer). Move them either to Disabled Plug-Ins (inside Internet Plug-Ins*) or, if you don't have that folder, to another location. That gives you the option of reinstating them if you so desire (although I can't imagine why you would want to). Alternatively, you could trash them.

*You can create a Disabled Plug-Ins folder inside /Library/Internet Plug-Ins if you don't have one.