kevinslimp

I think I've found the issue. It's a catch-22. If the files export as a PDF 1.7 (Acrobat 8.x file - it's programming language, not app version) - the PDFs come out correctly. Now the catch ... the majority of commercial (magazine, book, newspaper) presses have issues with PDFs higher than 1.5 (Acrobat 6), which is why most industry printing standards are based on PDF 1.4 and 1.5. Even though the files might print correctly most of the time, they would cause RIP (press) issues from time to time, meaning losing income from an ad or whatever. The receiver could optimize the PDF in Acrobat, bringing it down to 1.5 with no problem, however it is an extra step that would have to be taken with every PDF file. We're getting closer ... I'm smiling. Thanks again, Walt.

Thanks, Walt. I found it with your help. Apparently I was using it all along. I tried embedding, linking, passthrough, not passthrough. I still get the same results. Plus I'm using PDFs sent in to me from professional designers around the U.S. and Canada. It happens on about half of them. The one thing they all have in common is: - It's usually a TT font that is causing the issue - They all have CID fonts (where the non-problem ones don't ... however that's probably because OpenTrype doesnt' usually convert to CID, thus they probably used no TT or Type1 fonts) I'll keep working on it next week. I Thanks again or your help, Walt. Kevin

Walt, I know they must be there because you mentioned them. I've looked in the export window, the preferences - I googled Affinity Pass Through. I did a find file for the word pass through throughout the entire help guide that comes with beta. I know it's there. I just can't find it. Where is it? Thanks

Thanks, Garrett. That is helpful. In my testing, I found the exported PDFs didn't keep the fonts intact. They exported generally as they looked on the screen with changed fonts, tracking issues, etc. I'd love to figure this out. Interestingly, back when we were figuring out the whole PDF thing back in 1993, it dawned on me the issues might be in the printer drivers ... which was the key to figuring out the whole thing. I'm not equating the PDF issues in Publisher with printer drivers. Just saying, these things can be caused by things most would never imagine. For testing purposes, I suggest creating some PDFs, using postscript files out of InDesign and Acrobat distiller - then seeing if those files work correctly. My guess is that they will. If that's the case, the issue is related to the exported fonts. That and $7 will get you a cup of coffee.

I'm pretty sure the issue is Affinity's ability to open PDF files and edit them. This conflicts with Publisher's newer ability to "place" PDF files, without making them editable. When we were first working with PDFs, we ran into issues similar to this – and still sometimes do with PDFs that include CID fonts. Here's what I've learned: PDFs created through Acrobat Distiller, rather than exported from an application, do not have issues with Publisher. Distiller doesn't create CID fonts, which I think are the issue with Affinity's PDFs. It looks like it sees any TTF for Type1 font as missing and tries to replace them - even if they are embedded into the file. PDFs without fonts don't have any issues. A permanent fix might be to get rid of the editing PDF ability - and place the PDF files as other applications (InDesign, Quark, Word, etc) with all fonts intact.

Thanks for the beta. I had high hopes. I was involved in the development of the PDF printing process back in the early 90s with Gary Cosimini at Adobe - and have been teaching Adobe products internationally for 25 years, primarily to the profession design/editor/adv world. I'm hoping Affinity will create a product to compete with InDesign/Quark, but the PDF problems keep plaguing it. I'm finding most of the same issues with the beta as with the market versions of Affinity. Fonts act like they did in the very early days of PDFs: breaking apart, missing characters, changing fonts. Truetype and Type 1 fonts embedded in the files show up as missing. I've tried placing, opening (with the various options) an everything else I can think of. Yes, I can open the PDF in another app, resave it (using either distiller or photoshop) and the file will work, but Affinity just can't handle. I'd appreciate any advice. After almost thirty years as the "PDF Guru," and teaching InDesign since before it became public, I'd love to find another design app to "wow" the professional design world with. Thanks, Kevin.