KDP woes again

[KarinC]

I said in an earlier post that I was done dealing with KDP. I was getting failed uploads of the manuscript with no help from support for two long days.

I broke my word and decided to try again a few weeks later. The edited manuscript uploaded first time with no problems. It worked so well I got a proof copy. I made edits for a few weeks and today was the day to publish it. I exported in exactly the same way as the one that kept failing for two straight days.

I tried uploading the new manuscript all day long today and get fails. 

Again dealing with support I was told that it must have layers and transparencies that cause it to fail. They tell me that I need to export to PDF with this: ISO-19005-1 compliant (PDF/A). In their instructions they say that PDF/X-1a:2003 is the preferred file type which is what I am using.

They say that my cover has layers and transparencies even though it is a jpeg image with text overlays also exported the same PDF/X-1a:2003 exported from Designer. It uploaded fine. They tell me it has transparencies and layers which would cause the manuscript to fail. How could it have layers and transparencies if is a PDF/A? All the images are jpegs. I reduced the jpg compression to 85% which prints beautifully.

I do not have an ICC profile checked. Since support is completely unhelpful is there maybe a ICC profile that I should use that would be equal to ISO-19005. I know they are not the same thing. I am on my own here trying to figure out how to get this to upload. I am open to any ideas.

Is there something different from Designer exporting to PDF than Publisher exporting to PDF? Why would I be getting layers and transparencies this time and not the one and only time it uploaded fine and printed?

edit:

I should add that they have also told me that the problem is that I am using Affinity.

[MikeTO]

Are you able to share one page in afpub format here for review? Perhaps one of us can figure it out.

Good luck

[KarinC]

11 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

Are you able to share one page in afpub format here for review? Perhaps one of us can figure it out.

Good luck

@MikeTO I can, but how would I do that? Just delete all of the pages except one? Do a save as, of course?

[MikeTO]

2 minutes ago, KarinC said:

@MikeTO I can, but how would I do that? Just delete all of the pages except one? Do a save as, of course?

I'd make a copy of the document and then delete the text from all of the pages except one rather than deleting the pages. Deleting the pages wouldn't delete the text if all of the frames on the pages are linked from page to page. Just click at the start of the second text frame, scroll to the last page in that series of linked frames, and then Shift + click to select all of that text. Then press Delete.

You can also use a keyboard shortcut to select all the text from the cursor position to the end of the story (the text in the series of linked frames). It's Shift + Fn + Cmd + right arrow on macOS or Shift + Ctrl + End on Windows.

Cheers

[KarinC]

@MikeTO Thank you. Here is a file with three pages. The first page has text created in Publisher, the paper underneath is a jpg created in Designer. The other two pages have jpgs exported from Designer which is what most of the other of the 65 pages look like. The text below was created in Publisher. They are examples of the two types of pages, except the title page and a few others that are just text. I embedded the images, but they are linked in the full file.. Most of the book has full page images like the last two pages. I am using v2.4 both in APub and AD.

These are the settings for PDF export. I simply do not know what else to do.

 

[Twolane]

I can't speak to the text of your document, but as for the KDP POD cover, it must be saved as a flattened jpg: Document / Flatten. After you export as a jpg, remember to not save your original as Flattened. You will lose all of your layers. Close it, and don't save.

[KarinC]

5 minutes ago, Twolane said:

I can't speak to the text of your document, but as for the KDP POD cover, it must be saved as a flattened jpg: Document / Flatten. After you export as a jpg, remember to not save your original as Flattened. You will lose all of your layers. Close it, and don't save.

I was looking in designer to figure out how to flatten it but I couldn't see how to do that.

[KarinC]

3 minutes ago, KarinC said:

I was looking in designer to figure out how to flatten it but I couldn't see how to do that.

In the other thread I started when I was having problems initially I asked that question. Is a jpg flattened by default when you export it. I know it doesn't have transparencies.

[KarinC]

8 minutes ago, KarinC said:

In the other thread I started when I was having problems initially I asked that question. Is a jpg flattened by default when you export it. I know it doesn't have transparencies.

Plus, I exported the cover as a print ready pdf/A which is what they ask for.

[MikeTO]

I don't see anything wrong with the file so I don't know the answer. Perhaps somebody else will have an idea.

One thing you could try as long as there's no cost to it. Export the first half of your document as one file and the second half as a second file. Upload the first file and see if KDP is happy with it and then try the second file. If one works and the other doesn't, that's a clue that the problem lies in those pages. If that's the case, split that half into two and try each of those halves until you find out which page has the problem.

If both halves don't work, that's still a useful clue but I don't know what it would mean.

Good luck

[KarinC]

30 minutes ago, MikeTO said:

I don't see anything wrong with the file so I don't know the answer. Perhaps somebody else will have an idea.

One thing you could try as long as there's no cost to it. Export the first half of your document as one file and the second half as a second file. Upload the first file and see if KDP is happy with it and then try the second file. If one works and the other doesn't, that's a clue that the problem lies in those pages. If that's the case, split that half into two and try each of those halves until you find out which page has the problem.

If both halves don't work, that's still a useful clue but I don't know what it would mean.

Good luck

That's a good idea! Since I've been uploading it all day I will try your suggestion tomorrow. I'm just waiting for the current upload to fail, then I'm shutting down for the night.

[KarinC]

It's 1:30 am. 18 hrs of trying to upload with repeated failures and dealing with support when I finally get this from them:

"I'm so sorry for the error on my end. I have reached out to our Technical Team to see if there is an issue with your account that stops you from uploading the new manuscript.
They confirmed that currently we are experiencing a technical error that is not allowing you to upload your updated manuscript file. Our technical teams are aware of this problem and are working hard to fix it as soon as possible.
Currently we do not have a date when the issue will be resolved.
Thanks for your patience while we fix this problem."

There was never anything wrong with the manuscript.

Thanks for all the help here.

 

[MikeTO]

Oh that is very aggravating but I'm glad to hear it was a problem with KDP and not your Affinity PDF. I hope they get this sorted quickly.

Good luck.