The file name and the exported pdf don't match

[Marghu]

You create and save a file byDesigner 2, after you change the name file, export it to pdf and open it, the name of opened pdf will be the first name of the file you had created.

Has anyone had the same problem?

Edited April 9 by Marghu

[Pšenda]

6 hours ago, Marghu said:

the name of opened pdf

The name of the exported file is the same as the name you enter when saving the file. For me, the name of the document (afdesign file) is always offered, only with the appropriate extension pdf. Can you provide a screen recording of how exactly you proceed when exporting and then opening it?

 

6 hours ago, Marghu said:

after you change the name file

Do you mean SaveAs?

[Marghu]

Thanks for your reply

I recorded a video explaining the problem:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11Vzn9eFDNo0iDfYoQC9BZpVLfw70WiUj/view?usp=sharing

[Hangman]

Hi @Marghu and welcome to the forums,

This is happening because when the document is initially saved, the file name given to the file is stored internally as the Document's Title. The problem, however, is that you can only see and edit the Document Title in Publisher either by deleting the default name or by giving it a new name...

The only way around this is to open the original Designer file and resave it using the new filename rather than editing the filename in Windows Explorer, as this will update the Document Info Title internally, but it does mean you'll end up with two Affinity Designer files...

[Pšenda]

40 minutes ago, Marghu said:

I recorded a video explaining the problem:

As you can see, the "pdf file name" is BBBBBBBB.pdf, not AAAAAAAA.pdf.

What is displayed in the browser title is not the file name, but the internally stored document name (this is set in the application when the file name is first entered).

[Marghu]

14 hours ago, Hangman said:

The only way around this is to open the original Designer file and resave it using the new filename rather than editing the filename in Windows Explorer, as this will update the Document Info Title internally, but it does mean you'll end up with two Affinity Designer files...

I tried it but doesn't work.  I've saved as new file, opened the new file, when I exported it as pdf it had still the first name

[Marghu]

14 hours ago, Pšenda said:

As you can see, the "pdf file name" is BBBBBBBB.pdf, not AAAAAAAA.pdf.

What is displayed in the browser title is not the file name, but the internally stored document name (this is set in the application when the file name is first entered).

Yes but if I open the file by a program, every type of program, the title will be the wrong name, that isn't professional for send it to a customer

[Pšenda]

19 minutes ago, Marghu said:

that isn't professional for send it to a customer

If you are sending a document to a customer, I assume that you will "fill in" all metadata items, such as document title, author, document description, etc. Leaving this to an application that does not do it correctly due to your inappropriate procedure (renaming the file outside the application) is unprofessional.

By the way, I once wrote on the forum that automatically inserting the file name as the document name is not correct - the name should remain empty/undefined until the user enters it. Automatic filling of an undefined document name, which is unfortunately not implemented correctly (the used file name should be respected at all times, not just during the first setup), then brings these undesirable consequences.

Edited April 10 by Pšenda

[Hangman]

15 minutes ago, Marghu said:

I tried it but doesn't work.  I've saved as new file, opened the new file, when I exported it as pdf it had still the first name

1. Create a new Designer document
2. Save it as AAAAA.afdesign
3. Export to PDF using the default name, and it will show AAAAA.pdf in PDF Readers
4. Close and then reopen the document
5. Save it as BBBBB.afdesign
6. Export to PDF using the default name, and it will show BBBBB.pdf in PDF Readers

[Marghu]

11 minutes ago, Hangman said:

1. Create a new Designer document
2. Save it as AAAAA.afdesign
3. Export to PDF using the default name, and it will show AAAAA.pdf in PDF Readers
4. Close and then reopen the document
5. Save it as BBBBB.afdesignthe cre
6. Export to PDF using the default name, and it will show BBBBB.pdf in PDF Readers

OK I still tried and now it worked.
I tried also modifiyng the metadata in publisher and also this works. But I still think this procedures are not the best, should be more simple, I think the Affinity creators should fix this thing.

However thank you very much for your help

[Pšenda]

3 minutes ago, Marghu said:

I tried also modifiyng the metadata in publisher and also this works.

Be aware that whatever the implementation in Affinity and whatever the file naming procedure, actively filling in metadata is the only right way. You must always consider the situation that the customer renames the transferred pdf file (for example, according to their document management convention to "Document from Marghu, version 1"), then the "file name" will not correspond to the "document name" at all.

[Marghu]

30 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

If you are sending a document to a customer, I assume that you will "fill in" all metadata items, such as document title, author, document description, etc. Leaving this to an application that does not do it correctly due to your inappropriate procedure (renaming the file outside the application) is unprofessional.

By the way, I once wrote on the forum that automatically inserting the file name as the document name is not correct - the name should remain empty/undefined until the user enters it. Automatic filling of an undefined document name, which is unfortunately not implemented correctly (the used file name should be respected at all times, not just during the first setup), then brings these undesirable consequences.

I have been working as graphic designer for 15 years and I never needed of modifiyng metadata, my types of clients see only the file and its title. However it's my choice if to use metadata or not, but any way the program should still offers easier way to change the file's name or even change metadata. 

[zeeloop]

Hi Marghu

Same here. This new bug is in Publisher too. Open the PDF in Acrobat go to > Properties > Description, there you can see that file name and title differ from each other.

Cheers

[Hangman]

7 minutes ago, zeeloop said:

Same here. This new bug is in Publisher too. Open the PDF in Acrobat go to > Properties > Description, there you can see that file name and title differ from each other.

They will differ if the Document Title in Publisher (shown in the Fields panel) differs from the Filename in Publisher... The Document Title is used, which is given when the file is initially and subsequently saved...

In Acrobat, you have the option to 'Always use filename as document title' which you can check under Acrobat's Document Preferences...

[zeeloop]

Hi Hangman

Yes, you can change or delete the title field in Acrobat. The question is, was there an Affinity version in the past which automatically filled in the title field? Most of my Affinity documents do have an entry in that field although I'm sure I never typed in anything manually. 

[Hangman]

Hi @zeeloop,

As far as I'm aware, the Document Title is always entered automatically when the file is saved.

1. Create a new Publisher file and show the Fields panel
2. Save the file, and the Document Title in the Fields panel is automatically populated with the filename you give your file
3. Make an edit to the file and save it using a new name
4. The Document Info Title is updated to reflect the new filename
5. Export the file using a different name, and the Document Info Title is still used as the display name in Acrobat Reader rather than the filename given
6. Check 'Always use filename as document title' under the Acrobat Reader Preferences, and the display name will appear as the filename name given on export

[zeeloop]

Hi Hangman

The Steps 3/4 work as you say, but as soon as you change the file's name outside of Publisher like in Mac's Finder, the title field stops updating, even if you do another «save as» from within Publisher (at least in Affinity Publisher 2 2.6.2 under Mac OS Sequoia 15.4). 

Step 6 doesn't make sense as it only works for yourself but not for other people viewing the PDF on their system.

No problem with Adobe InDesign as it doesn't automatically fill in the title field.

[Hangman]

Hi @zeeloop,

47 minutes ago, zeeloop said:

The Steps 3/4 work as you say, but as soon as you change the file's name outside of Publisher like in Mac's Finder, the title field stops updating, even if you do another «save as» from within Publisher (at least in Affinity Publisher 2 2.6.2 under Mac OS Sequoia 15.4). 

The only way I know to avoid that is to delete the Document Title in Publisher... that will avoid the need to check 'Always use filename as document title' under the Acrobat Reader Preferences, and it will then honour any change of filename in the macOS Finder...

[Pšenda]

5 hours ago, zeeloop said:

No problem with Adobe InDesign as it doesn't automatically fill in the title field.

Auto-filling the "Document Title" based on the file name, which is not/may not be consistent with the file name, is a bad decision.

On 4/10/2025 at 10:37 AM, Pšenda said:

By the way, I once wrote on the forum that automatically inserting the file name as the document name is not correct - the name should remain empty/undefined until the user enters it.

The correct procedure for preparing a PDF document is to create the document (or use template with metadata), enter metadata (Document Name, Author, Document Description - it's a shame that the author is not part of the template), and then save it - where the file name itself is irrelevant in relation to the Document Name.

[zeeloop]

The bug should be removed as soon as possible throughout the apps.