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M
MdesignAZ
Known Participant
July 25, 2023
Question

An error exists on this page. Acrobat may not display the page correctly.

  • July 25, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 16045 views

I'm seeing this error when I export pdf files from InDesign:
"An error exists on this page. Acrobat may not display the page correctly. Please contact the person who created the PDF document to correct the problem."

 

There is another post about this, but even though it says it was solved it really wasn't. Also, that post is 5 years old so I thought I'd try again. 

 

I looked at the pre-flight panel in InDesign, and it said "No Errors." 

 

InDesign and Acrobat are both the latest versions: 
InDesign: 18.4
Acrobat: 2023.003.20244

macOS: 13.4.1

 

The error message is so vague, I am not sure where to start. "An error exists..." is so Sartre-esque.

 

Everything looks good, there are no missing elements or artifacts. 

 

TIA everyone

 

 

 

    1 reply

    AkanchhaS8194121
    AkanchhaS8194121
    Legend
    July 26, 2023

    Hi TIA

     

    Hope you are doing well.

    We appreciate that you did follow the suggestion given in a similar discussion. Sadly that did not help to figure out whats causing trouble here. 

    The document you are working with, does it contains images in it? Also, was it originally produced from Indesign?

    This could be the result of a corrupt image in the PDF file. Please try the suggestion given here: https://answers.acrobatusers.com/Error-Message-An-error-exists-page-Acrobat-display-page-correctly-Please-contact--q101299.aspx 

    If this doesn't help then share the problematic file with us as we'd like to test the same at our end.

     

    Thanks,

    Akanchha 

    Z
    zedn
    Participant
    February 17, 2024

    just creat outline to the text in Indesign Click on Type > Create Outlines.

    T
    Community Manager
    Tariq AhmadCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    March 6, 2025

    I Think you must change the font to a similar one if there is none similar fonts, just Unlink InDesign Text Boxes and Create Outlines for the text boxes one by one.


    Hi all, 

     

    Sorry for the delayed response.

    Following are some of the known possible causes due to which such issues can occur:

    1. Corrupt or Malformed PDF Structure

    • The PDF file may have incorrect object references or missing elements, causing Acrobat to fail when rendering the page.

    2. Issues with Embedded Fonts or Images

    • Improperly embedded fonts or corrupt images in the PDF can trigger this error.
    • This can occur when a PDF is created from third-party tools that don’t fully comply with the PDF specification.

    3. Flattening or Transparency Issues

    • Some PDFs contain complex transparency layers, especially those created from graphic design software (e.g., Illustrator, InDesign).
    • Acrobat may struggle to display or process these elements correctly.

    4. Generated from Non-Adobe PDF Creators

    • Some third-party applications generate PDFs that do not follow Adobe’s PDF standards, leading to compatibility issues.

    5. Corrupted Annotations or Forms

    • If the PDF contains interactive elements (like forms, annotations, or digital signatures) that are not properly structured, Acrobat may fail to interpret them correctly.

     

    Following are a few suggestions:

     

    1. Run Acrobat’s “Preflight” Tool (For Advanced Users)

    • Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.
    • Go to Tools > Print Production > Preflight.
    • Run “Analyze and Fix” to detect and repair structural issues.

     

    2. Use “Save As” to Optimize the PDF

    • Open the PDF in Acrobat.
    • Click File > Save As.
    • Choose “Reduce File Size” or “Optimize PDF”.
    • Ensure the “Discard Bookmarks” under "Discard Objects" and Clean up > “Discard Invalid Links” options are selected.
    • Save the optimized file.

     

    3. Check Fonts & Images (For Creators of the PDF)

    If you are the creator of the PDF:

    • Ensure all fonts are properly embedded before exporting.
    • Use Adobe tools (InDesign, Illustrator, etc.) to export PDFs using high compatibility settings.
    • Flatten transparency layers before saving.


    ~Tariq

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