Exported PDF from Publisher shows previously used file name as "Title" – not current file name

[Lorox]

I just came across something I cannot quite explain (or change):

I've exported a flyer design from Publisher v2.4 as a PDF for print and when I check its PDF "Info" in my Mac's Preview app (or in other PDF readers) I find that in the PDF’s "Info" an old file name gets displayed as its "Title" – which is the file name the file originally had (from another project) before I redesigned it and then per „Save as…" gave it its current file name.

Is there any place in Publisher where you can actually change the "Title" (as opposed to file name) of a PDF you're going to export? I always thought that title would automatically be taken from the file name of the Publisher file in the Export process.

Most people will possibly not even look at a PDF's "title" via its ”Info" (as its file name primarily tells what it is), but for anyone who does, this is actually a bit irritating. And as for privacy reasons of authors/designers I don't really think it's appropriate or desireable that anybody can uncover/see an old Title from some completely different previous context – whatever that may be...

[Lorox]

I just found the place – but it's so well hidden!

WIndow > References > Fields

[thomaso]

37 minutes ago, Lorox said:

I find that in the PDF’s "Info" an old file name gets displayed as its "Title" – which is the file name the file originally had (from another project) before I redesigned it and then per „Save as…" gave it its current file name.

Can you reproduce this "Save As…" with a new document in v2 without getting the field updated when saving with another document name?

To me in V1 every "Save As…" with another file name does update this field accordingly + gets used/offered as default name when exporting the document. This behaviour appears to be interrupted only if I have changed the field manually, then the document keeps this manual entry regardless whether I just "Save" or choose "Save As…" even with a new name.

44 minutes ago, Lorox said:

Most people will possibly not even look at a PDF's "title" via its ”Info" (as its file name primarily tells what it is), but for anyone who does, this is actually a bit irritating.

"Title" or "Author" etc. are metadata and an attribute of many file types (not Affinity specific), and a general property of PDF, too. Considering that PDF files may get created + send via data base related tools it can make sense to distinguish the file name from its document's title since the file name in such a process can either become the same name for a range of documents or a rather 'coincidental' series of digits or characters.

But I wonder whether it is possible to deactivate and generally prevent Affinity from filling this fields by default automatically at all. (It seems for "Author" it worked to delete it once in any earlier document to prevent its auto-fill for future documents)

[Lorox]

3 hours ago, thomaso said:

Can you reproduce this "Save As…" with a new document in v2 without getting the field updated when saving with another document name?

I just tried and maybe I have an explanation: If I create a new file of the original via "Save as…“ the Title (or the "Title" field) of the PDF gets updated – just like you wrote.

However, if I copy/duplicate a Publisher file in the Finder and then subsequently change its file name in the Finder, the PDF Title (or the content of the "Title" field) of the original file is actually preserved!

I guess that my "new" file (as mentionend above in my original post) had been created by just duplicating it in the Finder and I then used it for the new project – most likely the Title will eventually update if I "Save as…" this new file under an even newer name..

Edited April 8, 2024 by Lorox
clarification

[Jivix]

Sorry to necro this a bit, but I'm on 1.10.6.1665, and it doesn't matter what I save as or rename or copy, the PDF export still shows the original version of the document made over 2 years ago, which has been renamed multiple times in multiple ways.

This is a rather serious issue as I've been using this to build a resume and only just realized if the prospective employer happened to look at the tab name that they'd see a development name and not the proper document name.

"Window > References > Fields" doesn't exist in my version for either the publisher document or the PDF itself.

I can't find any options relating to PDFs, fields, or references in the settings. The advanced export options don't mention anything along those lines, either.

Furthermore, when I create a new document and import the pages from the old document, the newly exported PDF has two copies of the document name (the original, new document name with the exported name appended). This is unexpected and undesirable behavior.

 

 

[MikeTO]

21 minutes ago, Jivix said:

"Window > References > Fields" doesn't exist in my version for either the publisher document or the PDF itself.

In 1.10, the Fields panel is opened with View > Studio > Fields

[Jivix]

On 10/2/2024 at 9:53 AM, MikeTO said:

In 1.10, the Fields panel is opened with View > Studio > Fields

OMG! Thank you!

[Keith P]

I'm having exactly the same issue, but now in version 2.6.2 I cannot find how to change the settings!  Can someone please point me to the right place? 

[R C-R]

11 hours ago, Keith P said:

I'm having exactly the same issue, but now in version 2.6.2 I cannot find how to change the settings!  Can someone please point me to the right place? 

If you mean you can't find the Fields panel, try looking in the Window > References menu of Affinity Publisher.

If you mean something else please elaborate on what specifically you are trying to change.

[Andy-M]

I've encountered a similar problem with a document that I was editing in Affinity Designer 2.6

The document had been created from a duplicate of a previous document. When I look in Finder on my Mac I noticed a Title for the PDF but this wasn't related to the document I was working on. I can't seem to find any option to amend or delete this within Affinity Designer 2.6

My work around was to open the document in Affinity Publisher and then remove the Title field there.

I normally use Designer for single page documents or when working with several artboards. I use Publisher when working with multi page documents.

It would be helpful if Designer, Publisher and Photo all had common options to amend document titles, authors etc.

[deandmoo]

Just to add to this. 

 

It seems this behavior was added with the recent update in February. All the pdf exports before this moment used the file name as pdf title. (Publisher in our case) We have a template file that we use where a date was filed in in the fields for some reason, from 2018.

Anyway, we have an export on 03.2.25 that uses the file name. A "save as" of this file on the 20.2.25 saves with the "fields" text. Everything after that moment aswell.

[thomaso]

3 hours ago, deandmoo said:

It seems this behavior was added with the recent update in February.

Note, this thread was created in April 2024 and for Publisher v2.4. – The recent update in February (2025) was 2.6.

3 hours ago, deandmoo said:

we have an export on 03.2.25 that uses the file name. A "save as" of this file on the 20.2.25 saves with the "fields" text.

What do you mean by 'the "fields" text'  ? – As mentioned in previous posts, it is expected that simple "Save" actions may result in another title entry in an exported PDF than an export after "Save As…", depending on the used file names. Unless the .afpub file has been renamed outside of Affinity or the "Title" field has been manually changed, the Affinity document filename will be displayed and exported as the title in an exported PDF file.

[David Hieber]

I was happy to find this thread, posting my screenshot of the newest version and the Fields location on a Mac.  The menu for this information might be easier to find/modify if given the option whilst exporting, just saying.

 

[Ramon56]

I had the same problem, and I found this thread by searching in the forum.

Personally, I expected to find the "Document Information" under the "Document" menu item, but it wasn't there... VERY confusing.

However, it's nice that you can also add the ISBN.