PDF from Indesign failing on iOS devices

[nealbridgens]

Having a real crisis working this one out. I've been making very similar PDF's for years, suddenly with the same basic setting my PDFs are failing on the client's iPad.

When opened in iOS (my phone too) the PDF shows the first page, then flashes a number of times (possibly the number of pages) and then shows the generic grey PDF screen (filename, PDF/***, filesize).

When I use Acrobat to analyze the file I see "Key Missing though required by other Key".

All my attempts to track down what's causing the error lead to frustration.  I think I need someone who knows what these errors mean to weigh in. I can't really find anything informative online.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can provide any insights. I'm baffled.

P.S. Everything up to date, MacBook Pro M3, Sonoma 14.4.1, Indesign 19.4.0.63.  Id send the offending PDF settings, but I've been playing with them and of course, indesgin doesn't allow for easy saving of PDF settings, just the old default to the last used settings (side whine: how about keeping them with the file Adobe, last setting used for the file rather than the application).

[S. S]

Hi @nealbridgens,

Hope you are doing well. Sorry for your experience with Acrobat Reader Mobile.

From the screenshot of PreFlight, it looks like the Last Modified field for PieceInfo field is missing from the XMP MEtadata of the PDF file.

Meanwhile, you can edit the Metadata of the file using Acrobat on dekstop.

Steps mentioned here: 

• Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro (you need the Pro version to edit metadata).
• Go to File > Properties.
• In the Description tab, check if the /PieceInfo and /LastModified fields are present and properly filled.

Hope this helps.

If not, please share a sample file with us to test the issue inhouse.

-Souvik