import PDF inside an FM document

[pierret18811376]

Hello,

I am trying to import a PDF inside a FM document (landscape mode because my PDF is also landscape).

But the result : I can see the PDF inside the FM document (File/Import/File), but if I do "File/Save as PDF", I have an error message saying me "PDF generation failed". Why ?

[FrameMaker-dk]

It sounds as if something in the pdf you have imported, is not being properly parsed. Are you saving to pdf using Distiller? If not, I would suggest using Distiller.  Thing is -  you can have almost anything in a PDF, but it is not "almost anything" that is printable or being able to be parsed through FrameMaker.

[pierret18811376]

Hi @FrameMaker-dk 

I have opened my PDF and save it as Postscript. Then I have opened the postscript file in Acrobat distiller, so Acrobat distiller distilled it and save the result in a new PDF.

In Frame maker, if I try to do File/Import/File, and try to import this PDF (made by Acrobat distiller), the result is the same : error window with "PDF génération failed".

[FrameMaker-dk]

Well - you have certainly done what you could in order to make it work. I can't say what's happening, but if this is a "one time thing" I might consider exporting the pdf as svg/image and use no more time on troubleshooting the pdf. I don't know what is in your pdf, but I have recently experienced that FrameMaker has an issue handling big CAD drawings. If this is something you need to do more times, we shall probably start looking in the big box of tricks and figure out what is the cause. 🙂

[pierret18811376]

@FrameMaker-dk 

I have tried to save my PDF as JPEG, then in Frame maker I have made Insert/image, and tried to do File/Save as PDF. Result : same problem : error window with "PDF generation failed".

In order to better understand what is the cause, I put here my PDF file.

[frameexpert]

It likely has to do with the dimensions of the file; it is around 30 x 40 inches. What are the dimensions of the target FrameMaker document?

[Two-fer]

I inserted the file you attached into a frame, then tried 'Print to PDF" and got the same error message. I then opened the file you attached in Acrobat then "re-printed" it using the 'Adobe PDF' virtual printer.  I then inserted the resulting PDF file into FM and was able to successfully create a PDF of the FM file. I have attached the file created by the virtual printer. (It also decreased the file size from 14.5 MB to 2.4 MB.)

[pierret18811376]

Hi @frameexpert , Hi @Two-fer , 

You are right. The target Frame maker document was A4, so the PDF (one page) I put here was with a too big dimension. Thanks to your advises, I have tried to change the dimensions of my original PDF to A4.

1) In Acrobat I used the virtual Printer (Adobe PDF) advised by Two-Fer, so I have a result in A4 with a reduced file size. If I understand well, the virtual printer is using Acrobat distiller to do that.

2) I have found in Acrobat Preflight a tool to resize to A4 :

But the more easy way is to use the virtual printer.

Now, in Frame Maker, first I have created a FM document (by choosing "landscape" mode). Then I clicked inside the FM landscape page, and selected File/Import/file and selected the PDF file (in A4).

Result (see blue arrows) : FM creates a first blank page, and we have the A4 PDF content (one page) on the page 2 of the FM document. But then if I do File/Save as PDF, I have always the error message with "PDF generation failed".

[frameexpert]

One other thing you can try: open the PDF in Acrobat and choose File > Save As Other > Optimized PDF, or File > Save As Other > Reduced Size PDF.

[pierret18811376]

I have tried both (optimized PDF + Reduced size PDF), but the result is the same (error message with "PDF generation failed").

[FrameMaker-dk]

Just a thought... can you make a pdf based on a blank document? I mean - if you do NOT import anything - can you make a pdf?

[pierret18811376]

@FrameMaker-dk 

In FM, I create first an empty FM document (by choosing the landscape mode) and clicked on File/Save as PDF.

Result : same problem (error message with "PDF generation failed") :

[frameexpert]

We have been chasing the wrong culprit lol!

[pierret18811376]

Do you think I need to re-install completely Frame Maker ?

[pierret18811376]

I have just uninstalled and re-installed Frame maker 17.04, and same problem : error message with "PDF generation failed".

[FrameMaker-dk]

Sounds really odd...

Do you have Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Distiller installed as well?

The latest version of FrameMaker is 17.0.4.628. Is that the version  you have?

[pierret18811376]

Hi Bjorn,

Yes, I have Frame Maker 17.04.628 installed, with Adobe Acrobat Pro and Adobe Distiller.

[FrameMaker-dk]

Great. I expect you are running FrameMaker on your c: drive? If so - how much space have you left on the c: drive? I am thinking it might be an issue of not having enough room on your c: drive to perform the pdf generation. Not so plausible, but now I have asked 🙂

[pierret18811376]

I have just seen that on my C drive, I have 37.9 Go left space (this is an SSD)  :

[FrameMaker-dk]

Great - that ought to be enough.

There are several ways of creating a pdf out of FrameMaker. We could try seeing if this is a pdf generation problem or an Adobe pdf generation problem. Windows comes with a Microsoft PDF printer driver. I think you ought to be able to print to Microsoft PDF using the "Print" dialogue in FrameMaker. Please try that and remember to uncheck "Print to PS file" in the print dialogue.

[pierret18811376]

Inside FM, I have changed the printer to "Microsoft Print to PDF", and when I print from FM, Microsoft creates a PDF document with no problem (no error message, and I see the created PDF on my desktop) :

[FrameMaker-dk]

Great! Some things ARE working 🙂

If you change the printer driver to Adobe PDF and do a print to pdf - does it still fail?

When you choose Adobe PDF as a printer driver, there is a configuration option regarding System Fonts. The option is described here in Barb Binders blog_

https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-framemaker-rely-on-system-fonts-only-do-not-use-document...

Try unchecking the "Rely on System Fonts".

[pierret18811376]

Inside FM, I have changed the printer to "Adobe PDF", and when I print, Adobe PDF is creating a PDF file with no problem and I can open it with no problem  :

But, about the PDF file created by "Microsoft Print to PDF", I have just seen that it indicates a size of octets (bytes), and if I try to open it, it opens Acrobat Pro but does not want to open : I have an error message saying me that Acrobat was not able to open it because not supported or damaged:

[FrameMaker-dk]

ok, great. Please let me try to summarise...

1: We can create a blank pdf file using "Print to PDF" and the Adobe PDF printer driver. Did you uncheck "Rely on System Fonts"?

2: We can create a PDF using Microsoft Print to PDF, but Acrobat won't open it. If you right click on the pdf made using Microsoft Print tot PDF, you get some options for opening the pdf file with other programs beside acrobat. Can you open the file in for instance Chrome/Edge/Firefox or import it into FrameMaker or  - if you have Illustrator, open it with Illustrator?

[pierret18811376]

I have done three things :

1) Meanwhile, the TCS support asks me to delete the preferences. 

As, when I uninstalled FM I did not deleted the preferences, I decided to uninstall it again by choosing to "delete preferences" during the uninstall. Then I install it again.

This did not solve my problem.

2) About Adobe PDF printer, I gone directly in the Windows settings where I have unchecked the option "Rely on system fonts" and applied :

3) About the Microsoft PDF printer, I tried to find where to uncheck "Print to PS file"., but I did not found it.

About the results :

1) I am always unable to save as PDF from FM

2) I have tried again from FM to Print to Microsoft PDF, and now it seems to work (the PDF created by Microsoft PDF indicates a normal size, ie not 0 kb like this morning, and I can open it with no problem in Acrobat Pro).

3) From FM, the Print to Adobe PDF is working with no problem.

4) I don't know why, but these days, I had some "blue screen" on my system. I don't know what is the cause.