InDesign to PDF or Packaging CC2017

[tamikad20802688]

I am having a lot of issues exporting my InDesign documents into PDFs or even packaging them. Every now and then I would have issues with images and would have to pdf the documents in segments until I found the problem image. This now seems to be happening with almost every document since upgrading to CC2017.

I go through the same process of elimination until I find the problem page, however when I go to re-pdf after fixing the problem, another page will have the same issue and I have to continuously fix these pages and cross my fingers that the next export works.

Can anyone shed some light on why this issue has gone from a "once every few months issue" to "every day" issue?

[Willi Adelberger]

You should give us more information:

1. What is the content of your file?
2. What kind of images did you link?
3. Or did you embed them?
4. Did you try to clean up the INDD via IDML-cleaning?
5. What are the PDF export settings?
6. Do you work locally or in a network?
7. Do you have special characters like |/:\@#äöüß in the file's name or in the path's name?

[tamikad20802688]

You should give us more information:

1. What is the content of your file? ---- Most images from google and text. JPEG's, PNG's
2. What kind of images did you link? ---- I usually place JPEG images in
3. Or did you embed them? ---- Place / link
4. Did you try to clean up the INDD via IDML-cleaning? ---- no I have no heard of this - could this help?
5. What are the PDF export settings? ----- I have a custom preset where I have altered the Compression settings. I have altered the Bicubic Downsampling to 150 from 300
6. Do you work locally or in a network? - We use a network - national company
7. Do you have special characters like |/:\@#äöüß in the file's name or in the path's name? no

[Willi Adelberger]

Try to save as IDML, open that IDML and save as INDD. Check if things have changed. If the file was corrupted, it could happen.

[Geоrge]

>> have issues with images

What the issues?

If export not works, than don't worry and do "Print to Adobe PDF". (in windows you can have it such "printer" with installed Acrobat Pro, what in OSX now — I don't know).

[Willi Adelberger]

No, please don't recommend to Print to PDF. This way to create PDFs should be avoided under any circumstances! Avoid PostScript!

This would neither solve the underlaying problems.

[Geоrge]

No, please not say it to me that "Print to PDF" have it some problems

NO PROBLEMS and less bugs than "export to", IMHO. There is no problems in print to Adobe PDF if you prepare settings for this print early.  And I say it not about "ps"-file, I say it about "pdf".

No difference, as example in "high quality print" preset when you do by export or print. BUT sometimes "modern" export not works, but print goes as needed.

Time is money, I do not prefer to find why export falling down. Do print. And if print not works than I try export.

And only after that if still bugged I use half-blade method - Re: Closure of Indesign when I try to export a file

[Willi Adelberger]

Creating a PDF via print uses PostScript. You will get a flattened PDF and create a PDF via Print from InDesign, PhotoshopIllustratortrtor is a no-go. You should know it better.

You loose tags, you loose layers, you loose transparency, you loose the distinction between content and orientation (like header, footer and page numbers). You will cause further problems if you need to offset print this PDF or use it in a workflow to import it to InDesign, Photoshop or Illustrator (only linking!).

[Geоrge]

Willi Adelberger​

>> You will get a flattened PDF

If you choose X1-A — yes, if you choose X4 — no. And not forget that in some situation with old-devices needed to do exactly flatten PDF.

>> You loose tags,

Who are need this tags for print? Is there any here in thread topic-starter say it about "interactive" PDF?

>> you loose layers

And? Is this a problem for print to professional printer/offset print?

>>you loose the distinction between content and orientation (like header, footer and page numbers). You will cause further problems

This is prejudice. I don't find in my practice some "distinction" from CS1 version. But find that export is more bugged to falling down ID than "print to Adobe PDF" because don't like some placed images. I know that this feature is unavailable in OSX, but if user have it Win and need to have ready-for-print-PDF than Why not?

>> it in a workflow to import it to InDesign

I prefer to do indd into indd menu-file-place

>> Photoshop or Illustrator (only linking!).

And prefer to redact pdf from indd not in psd, but directly original indd with the InDesign

>> if you need to offset print this PDF

You won't believe me, but not have problems with it by many years too. If you prepare a file to print than you have what you need.

P.S. If tamikad20802688​ needed interactive features in PDF or work with OSX than Willi Adelberger​ only in this situation is absolutely right!

[Dov Isaacs]

On behalf of Adobe Systems Incorporated (and as chair of ISO TC130 WG2/TF2 - the PDF/X standards group)…

Willi is absolutely correct with regards to how PDF should be created from InDesign. There were file size issues in PDF export in very early versions of InDesign (such as InDesign 1.0 through 4.0) perhaps, but those issues were resolved over a decade ago.

In both my personal experience and that of the vast majority of professional InDesign users, creating PDF via direct export from InDesign yields higher quality, more efficient PDF than creating PDF via distillation of PostScript. The PostScript generated by InDesign as well as Illustrator and Photoshop was optimized for direct printing and can be problematic for PDF creation.

We are not aware of any significant problems with PDF created via direct export any more than via distillation of PostScript. If you know of such problems, it would behoove you to report them along with the digital assets to back you up. Yes, occasionally we have found problems with some placed images but further examination of such images has typically shown that the image file itself was corrupted and sometimes also caused problems within InDesign for edit and direct printing (including PostScript). (You can even contact me via private forum message such that we can arrange for me to get the details and files!)

Whereas “old device” do require old, obsolete versions of PDF/X such as PDF/X-1a based on PDF 1.3, virtually every RIP produced in the last 10 years supports PDF/X-4 which supports live transparency, color management, and layers. And those old RIPs that are typically PostScript-only (or do internal conversions of PDF to PostScript) generally yield much better results when PDF/X-4 exported from InDesign (or saved from Illustrator) are printed from Acrobat to such RIPs as PostScript.

Maybe “layers¨ don't mean anything with your printing, but the availability of such layers in PDF/X-4 has been instrumental in allowing one PDF file to serve as a master for multiple editions with varying languages and prices based on the layer selected for display or print.

PDF files in which transparency has been flattened are exceptionally difficult to manipulate in Acrobat if last minute text changes are required. Plus, such PDF files yield terrible artifacts and dull color when used for display. (Many publications make their issues available for download as PDF files.)

PDF files created by distillation of PostScript are often exceptionally difficult to search given that the original PostScript was not generated with text search capabilities in mind.

Obviously you are free to use the method of PDF creation you like (as long as Adobe continues to offer that option), but it is certainly not recognized by the industry as best practice for 21st century publishing (including print publishing) workflows.

          - Dov

[Willi Adelberger]

You cannot create PDF/X-4 via print. That is not possible.

Flattened PDFs cause problems in the further workflow, like stitching lines, additional color conversion, artifacts, fonts are outlined or rasterized, same with vectors.

If you need to place a PDF in InDesign, layers are helpful as you can them turn off.

Tags are important to create PDF/UA and will open faster in new Adobe Acrobat. Acrobat tries to create such tags if they are missing. If the user has not turned off this feature it is a time-consuming procedure.

Sure, it is possible to place indd in indd, but this is often causing problems: You have to have the same version as the indd was created, if it a newer file it is impossible, if it is an older file you can open it and save in a new version, but it can cause problems with a newer text engine or a different dictionary and cause changes in hyphenation and reflow. And if the server is slow, I experienced errative PDF output with this method.

[Geоrge]

However, colleagues! The method of PDF-printing is real, and if it is suitable at the moment - it should be used if you don't need some new features/layers/tags/etc in this file.

[Dov Isaacs]

There is no equivalent of the Adobe PDF PostScript printer driver instance in MacOS. Apple discontinued support for that type of driver and we eliminated in Acrobat for MacOS a number of releases ago. Good riddance! MacOS does provide native PDF generation capability via the printer dialog although for PDF from Adobe applications, you will obtain much better off using the PDF export / save capabilities of InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop.

          - Dov

[Dov Isaacs]

You say you “fix” the pages on which PDF export or packaging occurs. Exactly what are you doing to “fix” the pages? That would be the key to what the problem is. The fact that you are encountering the problem more frequently now may have much more to do with the particular content now than the content in the past.

          - Dov