pdf export not working

[RyS]

I have opened an InDesign file in Publisher 2 which is an A5 booklet with 40 pages. It imported very well with only four text frames requiring a small degree of resizing. However, when trying to export to pdf the preview never appears (I gave up after 45 minutes) there is just the revolving icon. If I try to export anyway there is a message that the export had a problem. Trying many export settings all had the same result.

Creating a new four page simple booklet with a few images and text exported to pdf with no problem, so is this a known problem with imported InDesign files? If so this is a real problem as I have a vast number of them.

[MikeTO]

The preview does seem to take an exceptionally long time to appear but if I just go ahead and export it creates the PDF without any issues.

[RyS]

It seems as if the problem is the unbelievably long time it takes to create/preview the pdf. If I export straightaway the error message appears instantly. If I wait the bar showing the export appears for a short while and then the error message appears. After waiting 45 minutes with still no preview the export starts and, going by the displayed progress, it reaches about 25% before the error message appears. At that rate I need to wait 3 hours if the export is to succed.

The document has around 80 images. Maybe Publisher just cannot cope with that number of images.

[MikeTO]

The preview time depends on how many pages are in the document. If I change it from All Spreads to Current Spreads or pages 1-10 the preview appears almost instantly. I think it takes as long to generate the preview and estimate the file size as it would take to export to PDF, so I just ignore the preview and export immediately.

My book, which was not imported from ID but created in Affinity, has hundreds of high resolution images and it exports in just a couple of minutes.

Perhaps you could post a screenshot of the error message you're seeing.

In the meantime, try exporting it page on its own and seeing if the problem is specific to one page of your document.

[RyS]

Thanks MikeTO for your suggestions.

The spinning icon appears as soon as the export window opens. Selecting a range of pages or current spread makes no difference at all.

I notice you are on Mac while I am on Windows 11 so the problem may be solely with Window.

[RyS]

Another development. Having tried again to export, the same error message but now all the images on the first seven pages of the document have been deleted. Tried two other InDesign files and the same problem.

I have been trying Publisher for some time and hoped by now the importing of InDesign files would be trouble free. However, I still have no confidence that going through all my documents and saving them for use in Publisher will enable me to move over to Publisher on a permanent trouble free basis.

 

[RyS]

I have uninstalled all three programs, removed all the leftover files with Revo uninstallerand reinstalled. So far everything is working and the export to pdf completes in a few seconds.

I did have trouble with the original installation. I purchased all three programs from Serif. They are msix files and Windows 11 gave a message that the files would not run. In the end I installed from Windows Store and used the email and password set up with Serif to activate them.

Will just have to wait and see how things go. There is much to like with the Affinity programs. I just hope this has just been a blip.

[Martin Tolley]

Similar problem with failing export to PDF, or excessively long time to render preview - I gave up after 10 minutes on a 20 page A5 booklet Win 11. This was a "previously constructed in V1" file, which in turn (about a couple of years ago) was converted from Indesign via IDML, and has worked perfectly until now. After several tests I abandoned V2 and reconstructed the document in V1 from scratch and exported PDFs from that with no problem. This morning I made a copy of the working V1 file, opened it in V2 and *that* version exported perfectly. Puzzling.

Some issues that might shed light - the non-working file had a couple of large hi res files, one of which was a PSD from Photoshop CS6 (v old version of PS). The working file had these replaced with smaller sized jpg and png - all constructed in Photoshop. Also another graphic in the non exporting file was an original PDF edited in Designer 2 with a contrast and brightness adjustment layer, which I replaced in the working version with a reconstructed image done in Acrobat 9.

 

[Giovanni Pietri]

If you have a file of many pages, I think the preview functionality is a waste of time. It does help when you have a brochure or tri-fold, something simpler.

I just exported a book with full page photos, it has 316 pages, all the photos (TIFF) are linked, so I used the export to PDF X/4 functionality, 300 dpi resolution, bleed 3 mm per side where needed, converted all fonts to curves: embedded color profiles.

I also exported the same file to low resolution digital PDF for monitor view at 72 dpi.

Result: It works in both cases, although in the first case it took more than 30 minutes; I have checked the resulting file and it weighs almost 7 Gb (in version 1, the resulting file was 1.7 Gb and took no more than 10 minutes, I'm talking about the same book), when opening the resulting document with Acrobat Pro, everything is in order, there is no loss, the colors are correct when checking them in the CMYK separator. I clarify that I have not used any transparency or gradient colors.

I have monitored the performance of the PC with Windows 11 and found that the program has requested almost 100% of the RAM (32 Gb) and almost nothing or absolutely nothing of my GPU and Processor, which has left me with many questions about the performance of the program.

The truth is that I have not read anywhere the technical requirements of the computer for this version of Affinity, so in my case it has been a matter of pure luck, I say this because for sure the program is less stable on less powerful machines.

[ReneCGN]

On 11/9/2022 at 11:37 PM, RyS said:

Thanks MikeTO for your suggestions.

The spinning icon appears as soon as the export window opens. Selecting a range of pages or current spread makes no difference at all.

I notice you are on Mac while I am on Windows 11 so the problem may be solely with Window.

Today I have noticed the same while export an A3 booklet containing 14 pages. It occurred when chosen small PDF. If the export is set for printing, it works.

Windows 10 Pro x64. 

[RyS]

I thought I had sorted the problem by reinstalling, but it came back. My files originated in InDesign and I left all images as Photoshop files. I have now gone through and saved all images as Affinity Photo files that are much smaller then Photoshop and replaced them in Publisher. So far exporting to pdf is working in that the preview appears much quicker and export can be started before the preview has appeared. Affinity files are smaller than Photoshop so that may account for it, or Publisher is slow handling Photoshop files.

In the process of replacing the files using Resource manager a message appeared several times stating that the file size was getting large and would I like to link images, even though they were all linked. Even with all images linked the file was over twice the size of the InDesign file.

[fragmichdochnet]

I've been having the same problem since just now.

Two hours ago I was able to export the document (A5, 48 pages, 48 linked Affinity Designer files - 1 per page) as a PDF. The export of the individual pages as TIFF works. If I combine these TIFF files in a new Publisher document, I cannot render it as a PDF either. The preview in the export window loads endlessly for me too.

I also tried the tip with the export log file (registry-change), but no pdflib.log is created, did that only work with v1?

Windows 10 Pro, 22H2, 19045.2251, x64, 32GB RAM & Affinity Publisher 2.0.0

[Martin Tolley]

OK so I've done a few more tests with my rogue file 20page A5 booklet I mentioned before. It won't export to PDF - using any of the presets. It goes into the endless loop, and if I attempt to export anyway it doesn't work and I get the unhelpful message - "An error has occurred" - it might help if we were given a small hint at what that might be!,

BUT I can get a pdf by using the "Print" option ctrl P, or from the File...print.. option. Setting the printer option to Adobe PDF which comes up as an option. I can set all of the commercial printer's options, bleed, colour bars, crop marks etc. Press OK and I get a PDF. with all of that included, it has garbled some footer text and left out one of the original PSD files (but included the other one!). Just weird.

[fragmichdochnet]

I created a new document with 48 pages, DIN A5 and tried to export it as a PDF immediately after saving it for the first time. Even here I now have the problem that it doesn't work - very mysterious...

Publisher file, error message and export settings attached

I have the nagging feeling that I'll have to reactivate my Adobe InDesign CS2 to finish the job by Thursday 🙈

Katalog.afpub

[fragmichdochnet]

New insight, when testing with the pdflib.log ( PDF Export logging ) it always didn't work. Writing to c:\temp doesn't seem to be possible. Changed the file path to another drive and re-exported the empty file - no problems. My file, which cannot be exported, has now also produced a log file, see attachment.

pdflib.log

[walt.farrell]

5 hours ago, fragmichdochnet said:

Writing to c:\temp doesn't seem to be possible.

Just out of curiosity: Did you follow the instructions in step 1 of the FAQ to create c:\temp ?

In any case, good work getting the log file. It may help someone else help you. Unfortunately, I can't say much based on that log other than it seemed to happen on the 7th page of the PDF file, after processing an image.

[AngeliqueG]

Hello

Having the same issue and same error message when exporting in PDF small format (low resolution) export. High and all others are working fine. I decided to try to open with V1 but it is impossible. At start, I thought my file was corrupted because it still worked with other files. I decided to create a new document. Unfortunately, it is still not working but proved my original one was ok. I have desinstalled publisher 1 still not working. 

if an expert could help; my client want the PDF in low resolution. thanks a lot

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, AngeliqueG said:

I decided to try to open with V1 but it is impossible.

If you mean you tried to open an Affinity file (.afpub, .afdesign, .afphoto) saved by V2 in the older V1, then no, that won't work. V1 does not understand the files formats of V2.

Sorry, but I can't help much with why the export isn't working. You can try the PDFLib Logging mentioned above and see if the log provides any hints. Or you can try exporting sections of the file to help determine where the error is. But I don't have any suggestions beyond that.

Someone else may be able to help.

[AngeliqueG]

Hello in fact I am trying to save a publisher file done in V2 in small format PDF but it is not working (only high resolution is working); So basically I tried alternatives with V1 as I really need urgently my file in PDF low resolution. The error message is similar to many 'export error to C/.......). Nothing works basically

Strange enough, I can save other files done in V2 in PDF small format but not this one. I have redone the 36 pages in a new document and still can't export it in small format. It used to work before

How to get PDFLib Logging ?

I am getting desperate, I have been trying to get my file for 2 days now.

thanks for your help

 

[walt.farrell]

1 hour ago, AngeliqueG said:

How to get PDFLib Logging ?

Sorry; it was referenced above but not as clearly as I remembered; must have been in a different topic. It's in the V1 FAQ:

 

[AngeliqueG]

thanks a lot; I will do it tomorrow because guess what now it works; but not sure i will again tomorrow. I had the same yesterday.

have a good evening

Angel

[walt.farrell]

You're welcome. Glad it worked for now.

[Old Bruce]

On 11/13/2022 at 9:26 AM, Giovanni Pietri said:

converted all fonts to curves: ...

...I have checked the resulting file and it weighs almost 7 Gb

For three hundred pages that is a lot of curves.

[Old Bruce]

On 11/9/2022 at 1:15 PM, RyS said:

I have opened an InDesign file in Publisher 2...It imported very well with only four text frames requiring a small degree of resizing. However, when trying to export to pdf... there is a message that the export had a problem.

 

On 11/9/2022 at 2:16 PM, RyS said:

The document has around 80 images.

 

On 11/9/2022 at 2:59 PM, RyS said:

now all the images on the first seven pages of the document have been deleted.

Odds are there is some problem with the images. Were they originally embedded in the InDesign file? What sort of format are they?

[AngeliqueG]

Hello everyone

unfortunately, it is no longer working today. Even exporting in HD does not work.

Does someone have a solution ? because I really need to send this PDF urgently today

It is really an issue, how can I trust and design an full catalogue if I cannot export it at the end. 

thanks