Export from Excel to PDF generates "UnknownNodeType" in tables

[ericn43148140]

We're exporting a simple worksheet from Excel to PDF. In Excel, if we format the data as a table, some of the <TR> are converted to <UnknownNodeType> tags. However, if the data is not converted to a table, the issue does not occur but then we're unable to assign table header cells. For example, we're using the following junk data as a test:

Header 1	Header 2	Header 3	Header 4
Data 1	Data 2	Data 3	Data 4
Data 5	Data 6	Data 7	Data 8
Data 9	Data 10	Data 11	Data 12

This will generate the following (simplified) PDF tag structure:

<Document>

     <Sect>

          <Table>

          <UnknownNodeType>

               <TR>

                    <TH>

                         <p>

                              Header 1

          <UnknownNodeType>

               <TR>

                    <TD>

                         Data 1

We've tried exporting to PDF using Excel's built-in "Save as PDF" feature, and using the "Open" command in Acrobat Pro and both generate the same results. This issue also occurs on a brand new, blank worksheet so it doesn't seem to be related to any particular formatting, macro or other issue specific to the document.

We're not sure what else we can do at this point, and there doesn't seem to be much - if any - information on Google that replicates this problem.

Any insight would be immensely helpful.

Please let me know if you'd need any files for investigation.

Occurs in:

Excel version 1803

Acrobat Pro version 2019.010.20064

[ericn43148140 · Accepted solution]

We were able to find a machine with Windows 7 that had not been updated to Office 365 and the PDF generated correctly, which tells us this issue stems from Excel rather than the distiller.

[AkanchhaS]

Hi Ericn,

Thanks for taking out time and sharing your findings. We appreciate it!

Since you have confirmed that Acrobat version 2019.010.20064 has worked with the previous version of MS Office and given expected result.

Addition: How about checking with the Acrobat's latest version 2010.010.20098? Install the latest patch through DC Release Notes — Release Notes for Acrobat DC Products  and check the converted file format on problematic system.

Thanks,

Akanchha 

[Guest]

I have been experiencing this issue for at least five years. I have the newest version of Excel and the newest version of Adobe Acrobat. The issue occurs when I create a PDF file from an Excel file in which a table is being used. If I convert the Excel file without the table, I cannot get table headers created automatically, which are important for accessibility. The only solutions that I see in Adobe's help threads are to go back to older versions or upgrade to the newest version. This issue has been true for me in every combination of Acrobat and Excel so I don't believe it has anything to do with the versions. I'd love it if Adobe could address this because it affects workflow for thousands of people who need their documents to be accessible. 

[Guest]

Why is this thread marked resolved when it is still happening? See my previous post.