Designer crashes trying to export large document to PDF Press Ready or PDF/X-4

[kwaaui]

I have two 70x100 cm poster artboards I need to export to PDF and send to the printer, but it keeps crashing. Also tried to export at 150dpi (instead of 300), but it takes ages to complete the "Export Item" process.

 

Affinity Designer 1.9.3 - macOS 10.15.7 - MacBook Pro 9,1 Quad-Core Intel Core i7

SPORTIVA-posters.afdesign

[MikeW]

Using Windows here...

Exporting @150dpi with a single artboard takes about a minute/maybe a touch longer.

However, there are several/many missing resources and have no idea if they, or the missing fonts, will cause me issues as well. I suggest trying each artboard separately...which is how I would always send the job anyway.

[kwaaui]

One export succeeded, but the bleed didn't contain the extended graphics (the printer markers were as expected, but the bleed area was all white). Tried again but it keeps crashing before export. Not good, I have to find a way to export these documents, including the correct bleeds

[MikeW]

Yep, that sucks.

In lieu of simply remaking the posters in a different application, I've attached a single poster version using the atletica artboard. I've chosen to rasterize all raster/pixel objects that had adjustment layers one at a time. I've also selected all objects and moved them up/outside/above the artboard and deleted to artboard itself, which leaves the base page.

If this works for you, I would recommend doing two Save As, naming them for each artboard and performing the same things I describe above.

The included pdf was exported at 150dpi.

SPORTIVA-atletica-poster.zip

[kwaaui]

@MikeW , Thank you. I created two different documents for each artboard, made a copy of the artboard and rasterised everything to one pixel layer. This worked for me in order to export quickly, without the need to create a new document without artboard, and with the correct bleed —the two successful exports I managed to obtain before this operation always had white in the bleed area instead of the extended graphics. I guess processing all the layers on such a large canvas is somehow overloading the app, or my computer isn't powerful enough, but I never had such problems —I sadly have to admit— using Illustrator.

[Sean P]

Hi Kwaaui,

Unfortunately like MikeW I was also unable to reproduce the crash on my Mac. The issue with the bleed being white you've mentioned is unfortunately a known issue when using Adjustments on documents with Artboards. This is with development however I will get your comments passed along.

[MikeW]

29 minutes ago, Sean P said:

Hi Kwaaui,

Unfortunately like MikeW I was also unable to reproduce the crash on my Mac. The issue with the bleed being white you've mentioned is unfortunately a known issue when using Adjustments on documents with Artboards. This is with development however I will get your comments passed along.

I was able to reproduce a crash to the desktop trying a few times. Three times, actually. 

[Affinity Info Bot]

The issue "Bleed fails to export when you have an adjustment layer on an artboard" (REF: AF-413) has been fixed by the developers in internal build "2.3.0.2150".
This fix should soon be available as a customer beta and is planned for inclusion in the next customer release.
Customer beta builds are announced here and you can participate by following these instructions.
If you still experience this problem once you are using that build version (or later) please reply to this thread including @Serif Info Bot to notify us.