Master Layers Causing KDP "Error Processing"

[CaptainGregg]

Hello all! I'm new to Affinity Publisher having moved over from INDD and I was liking the program very much until it was time to export my book file. I've been having so much trouble with Affinity's exports, it's been driving me bonkers for a month. 😞  Every time I would upload a PDF on Amazon's KDP, I would get an "Error Processing" message (before the Launch Previewer even appears). I thought it had something to do with the bleed setting, my page dimensions, or the margins, but I finally found the culprit > Master Layers.

My book is a compilation of stories from Victorian magazines so each page of text is actually an image (these were cleaned up scans from old magazines). I had ordered proofs at every step of the way and had no trouble until I added page numbers to the book. There are no master pages being used in the book now aside from the Master A which simply has two text boxes on the spread for the left/right page numbers. Now, before someone kindly suggests using the PDF Flatten export, when I did that prior to adding the page numbers (I was attempted to decrease the huge file size) the resulting print made the text grainy. It lost its sharpness. Probably because it was a JPG converted to a TIFF and, with the added flattening, it became a TIFF rasterized into an image (which it already was). Does anyone know why the Master Layer would be giving me a processing error (the book processes fine when I delete the Master Layer) and how can I export the PDF without flattening the images placed in the book? 

Added Info:

- 1 Master Layer being used, no other layers in the book and no other transparencies too (from fonts and such)

- I'm exporting using the Print (High Quality) setting with the color space "same as document". I'm doing this because it gives me the smallest export size (270mb). Just pages 1-150 alone was giving me a 752mb export size using PDF/x-1a (CMYK) color. 

- I took the two text boxes on the Master Page A and rasterized them to see if that would solve the issue. It didn't. It only bloated the file size to 810mb(!)

- One other thing I noted: I selected all the pages and clicked on "Clear Masters", I also deleted the two text boxes on Master Page A, and then saved the document. The next time I opened it and added the page numbers to Master Page A again and applied the master page to "all" with the "replace existing" checked off and lo! every page had 2 (two??) Master Layers on it doubled-up. If I cleared these and then added the Master Page again, there was 3. So clearing a master does not delete it permanently. It looks like you would still have to select "replace existing" even when there is no existing Master to replace. 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.....thank you!

 

[thomaso]

3 hours ago, CaptainGregg said:

using the PDF Flatten export, (…) the resulting print made the text grainy.

The preset "Flatten" rasterizes everything, page numbers and other text included. That's way text appears "grainy" (and for the test print it may also may depend on your printer, and/or on the colour definition for black text (CMY + K).

3 hours ago, CaptainGregg said:

Does anyone know why the Master Layer would be giving me a processing error (the book processes fine when I delete the Master Layer)

What makes you assume the Master Page layer as the culprit for the upload complaint, not rather the two text frames? (I assume the PDF does not contain an info about a Master Page layer.) Do the text frames touch their page edges or the bleed area and/or have a fill colour? Can you show a spread above page 100 and the Context Toolbar + the Layers Panel with one page number selected with the TextTool?

3 hours ago, CaptainGregg said:

each page of text is actually an image (these were cleaned up scans from old magazines)

3 hours ago, CaptainGregg said:

how can I export the PDF without flattening the images placed in the book? 

If the images are scans they don't have transparency, correct? What makes you consider flattening, either using or avoiding it? – Or do you mean resampling and recompressing in the export options?

3 hours ago, CaptainGregg said:

and applied the master page to "all" with the "replace existing" checked off

If "Replace existing" is deselected the Master Page may get assigned a second time. – Use one of this workflows instead:

• Select "Replace existing" when you re-assign Master A.
• Select all pages in the Pages Panel > choose "Clear Masters" before re-assigning Master A.
• Delete Master A in the Master Page Panel to remove its layer on all document pages. Then create a new Master A with new page number text frames. Then apply this new Master to the document pages.

[CaptainGregg]

Thomaso, thank you for your response. I tried deleting the Master A page, clearing the masters on all pages and then I put the text boxes in a new master layer ( after I deleted the first one) and it still gave me the Error Processing message. I'm thinking the layer is the culprit because I had deleted the text boxes in the Master A initially and I was still getting an Error Processing message, but once I cleared the masters from all the pages (even though it was an empty frame), it processed okay.

The reason for wanting flattening (which I actually don't want to do because of the grainy effect) is because I searched for the "Error Processing" message on the KDP forums and saw several people mention that text not flattened is often the reason for this message and they suggested using PDF/1-a setting to flatten all layers. However, I tried that setting and my file size balloons (and KDP has a 650mb cap on uploaded files) but using the PDF (Flatten) option on Affinity keeps the file size lower... I just end up with the grainy effect. Ideally, I would like to export it as PDF (High-Quality) or PDF/x-3 but the master layer is causing KDP to give me errors each time I use those export settings. 

[thomaso]

32 minutes ago, CaptainGregg said:

I'm thinking the layer is the culprit because I had deleted the text boxes in the Master A initially and I was still getting an Error Processing message, but once I cleared the masters from all the pages (even though it was an empty frame), it processed okay.

I still can't imagine that the PDF stores info about an empty master layer that might confuse the upload or preflight software. Could it be possible that one of the document pages contains an element inside its particular master layer that disturbed the KDP software and which was deleted when this master layer was cleared from all document's pages? – Or could your single (?) successful upload "just coincidental" be the one without master pages, but was successful for other reasons?

[CaptainGregg]

Well, I thought that perhaps the PDF considered the file to have layers even with the Master layer empty, hence clearing them altogether solved the issue. But I'll try running a few more tests. One with the text frames well within the margins, another with the Master A layer toggled off and another with it cleared and I will let you know what resulted.

[thomaso]

5 hours ago, CaptainGregg said:

I thought that perhaps the PDF considered the file to have layers even with the Master layer empty,

This would only happen for layers of type "Layer" (as container, like "Group") + if these layers are named + if the export option "Include layers" is selected. – While "Layers" is a PDF viewing option it is no reason to refuse the upload, preflight, or print.

[KarinC]

KDP is having massive issues. They continually blame the user. Saying the file has layers and transparencies is one of the excuses. I spent a month with them on the same type of issue only my manuscript upload constantly failed. They kept telling me I had layers and transparencies. I got so frustrated I closed my account. Good luck to you running the support gauntlet.

[CaptainGregg]

KarinC, I would like to blame KDP on the issue, but the files that do not have a layer do indeed upload right away, so if their uploader was wonkers I would think that it would reject all files and not just those with the layer. I know there has got to be a simple solution to this!

[KarinC]

24 minutes ago, CaptainGregg said:

KarinC, I would like to blame KDP on the issue, but the files that do not have a layer do indeed upload right away, so if their uploader was wonkers I would think that it would reject all files and not just those with the layer. I know there has got to be a simple solution to this!

My cover uploaded every time just fine and it was created with layers but exported correctly as a PDF. The manuscript wouldn't. But I had a different issue in that the manuscript upload would fail rather than having issues once it did upload like yours. I did get it to upload once after not being able to for two weeks, but then two weeks later after I edited it, I ran into the failures again. My previous book which was prepared in the same way uploaded fine with no errors. If you export it out to the correct type of PDF, that PDF will not support layers or transparencies. They kept telling me that having layers and transparencies was the problem.

Again, they finally said it was a technical issue on their side but they were not able to give me any time when it would be fixed. I am seeing reports of these types of issues pop up all over the place.

You might get it solved, but support will not be of any help. You have to figure it out on your own.

[CaptainGregg]

Thomaso, I ran a few tests and here is what resulted. All of these were using the preset PDF (for print) with print overblack on and the layers box checked off. 

The first one had the Master A layer with the text boxes for the page numbers moved well inside the margin line. That upload gave me an "Error Processing" message. 

The second had the text boxes deleted from the Master A layer (so the master is blank) and that upload worked (!). This was the same method I tried yesterday and it failed, so that was a surprise. 

The third one was with the Master A layer deleted and cleared from all pages. That one also uploaded successfully. 

I was using NewsPlantin as the font for the page numbers. I wonder if a font issue would cause the processing error, too....

My book is completed, so once I add back the page numbers it is ready for printing, if I can get past the error processing message. 

[thomaso]

1 hour ago, CaptainGregg said:

(…) had the text boxes deleted from the Master A layer (so the master is blank) and that upload worked (!)

(…) I wonder if a font issue would cause the processing error

So it is not the Master Page 🙃  causing the issue but either the text frames, their style, size, position – or the font and formatting.

I can guess only and would recommend placing the text frames inside the requested page margin and ensure also the text does not exceed the margin on any page. For a weird test you could place the page numbers in the centre of the page to get experience if text frame style or text style matter or the position only.

[CaptainGregg]

Thomaso, that's what it looks like! I was wrong again. I tried moving the text boxes well within the margins and it still gave me an error so this time I will re-install the font used in the book for the page number and see if that was causing the issue. 

[CaptainGregg]

Solution found! It was indeed the font that was giving me trouble. I re-installed it and there was still an error, so I replaced it with a common one (Times Roman) and it worked. Then I downloaded the font I wanted again and re-installed it and it worked. So it had nothing to do with the text box itself (or the master layer) but the font I was using for the page numbers. Gosh! Thank you both for your help and for responding to my plea about this. For the future, I will remember to look to the fonts first if there is a similar error message.