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Answered

"Failed to Export PDF"

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
June 12, 2018
32 replies
101448 views

Working on a file in InDesign (13.1) and when I try to print it fails, and when I try to export it as a pdf it says "Failed to Export to pdf" with no explanation. I tried turning off downsampling, but that didn't help. Even deleted all of the photos to test doing it that way, but still no luck.

It seems to be a problem with this particular file, not with memory, because when I tested the issue by opening a different, much larger and more complex file, it exported just fine.

Tried packaging it as well, and also got the failed to create pdf error, which seems to make it not package the file, either.

Appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.

Correct answer Derek Cross

Try removing any document corruption by saving it as an IDML document, renaming it and reopening it and exporting as a PDF/X-4.

Show previous replies

kate-richterova

Participant

Hello,
I had the same issue, so I exported the pdf section by section, found the issue, corrected it and everything worked just fine. Maybe it would be nice if InDesign could point out the issue for me during the export (at least the page). I can imagine that if you have a large pdf with hundreds of pages it can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Not to mention that I had no idea whether it was my problem or a problem within InDesign.

Derek Cross

Community Expert

This is a user-to-user support forum. If you have a suggestion for Adobe, post it at: Adobe InDesign Feedback

Z

zacrizy

Inspiring

This happened to me recently and I was able to figure out which page was giving me issues by exporting each page individually and seeing which one didn't export.

The culprit was a linked PDF that was causing issues for some reason. Converted the PDF to a JPG and relinked it and that worked.

Hope that helps!!

R

russelraypc@aol.com

Participating Frequently

I had already done that. All 356 pages exported properly individually, but I can't give 356 individual pages to the author/printer. I also tried using Adobe Acrobat Pro to combine all 356 pages into one file. That also failed.

L

Laubender

Community Expert

russelraypc@aol.com wrote
…I also tried using Adobe Acrobat Pro to combine all 356 pages into one file. That also failed.

Hi russelraypc@aol.com ,

any idea why? Is there an error message with Acrobat Pro DC ?

Regards,
Uwe

A

antoineg15916242

Participating Frequently

Since no solution was provided, I will provide the solution is found.

I tried exporting 2 pages at a time until i get the "failed to export" message. I then converted the PDF image in the page that wasn't exporting to jpeg. Then i was able to do the entire document once those specific pages were converted to JPEG.

With that said, what can explain that some pdf images in my document are making the export fail and others don't?

Derek Cross

Community Expert

Third time of asking: Is the PDF issue occurring with all documents or just with this one?

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antoineg15916242

Participating Frequently

I already answered Derek.

It happens with all my documents that have multiple pages. I never ahve issues with single pages export.

A

antoineg15916242

Participating Frequently

Every single time i try to do export to PDF, i have the same "failed to export to pdf" error message.

EVERY single pdf i am trying to make. My only work around is to print in PDF every page at a time...

I have been looking for some solution for quite a while now and none are either working or fixing my issue.

I need help because this is getting frutrating.. i'm even debating going back to Corel because Indesign always fail to make PDF.

Edit : i just did a print to PDF and it worked.. What is happening with indesign?

This program is expensive and it is not working as intended. Can we have some explanation please?

Derek Cross

Community Expert

Which (exact) version of InDesign and OS do you have?

Print to InDesign is not a recommended workflow, are you using the InDesign Acrobat PDF Presets?

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antoineg15916242

Participating Frequently

Hi, thanks for the reply.

My version is 14.0.2 X64 and my OS is windows 10.

I also know that print to PDF is not the right way to do it. But it must be done and i can't waste hours looking for a fix.

And yes i am using indesign preset.

My document has 83 pages. With several pdf added to the document.

A

annc65467043

Participant

I was having this issue tonight trying to export a 11 page indesign file as a high quality pdf. Tried to save from an imdl file and it didn't work. Ended up individually exporting each page to find the problem. My issue was that one of my linked elements is a pdf. So I exported the linked pdf as a png and relinked the element.

I was then able to export the entire file without Indesign CC 2019 crashing on me. Hope this helps someone!

C

Christin-S66

Participant

I have created many documents using InDesign, and this issue has only come in my latest work, which is only a 2 page menu - but with a lot of detail and hours put into it. I am getting this same error now as OP and have no idea how to fix it. The IDML strategy does not work for me as it cannot re-open in 2019 cc. This is extremely frustrating and I am shocked this issue continues months after it was report.

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Hi see these steps in the FAQ

File Crashing on Output - printing/PDF/other

C

cadoughe

Participant

Hi Eugene; thanks for linking this. I'd already tried many of those steps, but they did give me an idea, which worked. [!!!]

For anyone else, in case this helps:

I had narrowed down within my 226 pages an 8-page span that was throwing an error.
I created a new document that consisted only of those 8 pages, first by way of making a new INDD and deleting all but those, then by way of literally copying and pasting into completely new pages. The latter exported perfectly! The former crashed, even when all the content was moved to the PB. So there was something in the metadata baggage of those 8 that I couldn't see. [As an aside, I thought it might be the master, but literally 200+ other pages in this doc were also using that master, so....who knows. I'm gonna vote for poltergeist.]
I ended up deleting those 8 from the original document, then inserting 8 fresh pages and copying and pasting my content in. And it worked. Whew.

I now have a fresh 226-page pdf that looks like the most perfect thing I've ever seen....but that might be my relief talking. Hopefully if this comes up for anyone else, this method can help!

kelliec61969790

Participant

Thank you for sharing your process. I've been working on this problem for hours and your process helped me narrow down the problematic files to a couple of pages and find the corrupted files. Fortunately I was able to just delete those files and I didn't have to delete the pages and reinsert the newly constructed pages.

MUCH APPRECIATED!!!

C

cadoughe

Participant

Hi all,

I'm currently running into the same problem, and it's driving me a little crazy. I have a 220+ page document with a huge amount of images and text that's throwing this error. I've tried disabling downsampling, re-saving as an IDML and reopening, merging layers, saving as an interactive pdf, removing it from the cloud, and incrementally renaming it, all without luck.

The "divide and conquer" method is really daunting, considering how long this is, and I think I've pinpointed the pages that are throwing an error [as luck would have it, they're in the first quarter of the document], BUT......I can't tell what's wrong with them. Neither of the pages of this spread have anything on them that's out of the ordinary or throwing an error. Is there some sort of diagnosing utility I can access to figure out what I need to change? I'm on a deadline and am getting a little desperate.

I'm on CC 2019 [version 14], OS High Sierra, working with an 87.2 MB file. Any guidance I can get would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Caroline

linda jayne clark

Participant

thx! I needed that quickly!!!

lovec54092160

Participant

Can somebody from ADOBE respond to this question? Do something! Fix your freaking app.

I am still having the same issues and still cant find the solution.

Derek Cross

Community Expert

State your InDesign version and OS and what the issue is – we're not mind readers.

And don't be rude!

lovec54092160

Participant

Hi Derek,

I apologies. I am so frustrated. I've been dealing with this problem since last year when I first started this book project. I had to give the raw files to the printer last year because I couldn't make it work and don't have time to fix it myself, and now, the second book is almost done and this is now becoming an issue again. I tried everything I read from the google, watched youtube, it's working at first and then after another trial, it is failing again.

Hopefully, this will be fixed. Thanks!

Regards,

Love

J

justinb10301944

Participating Frequently

I having the same problem - I can't export to PDF, it just fails every time. Appears to be just this document, and it was working a day or two ago. InDesign has been crashing a lot lately.