Incorrect output when Exporting as a PDF - Illustrator 28.6

[Patrick5C22]

I'm quite new to Illustrator so forgive my ignorance. 

I'm trying to upload a poster for printing but when I save the file as anything other than a png, the vectors disappear. 

I've tried rasterizing these vectors but they end up becoming faded as if I've turned down the opacity (which I haven't btw). 

Please can you make some suggestions as to things I should try. Thank you. 

[Anubhav M]

Hello @patrick5C22,

Thanks for reaching out. Would you mind sharing more details, like the version of OS/Illustrator, details of your workflow, and a public link to a sample AI and PDF/JPEG files after uploading them to Dropbox/Google Drive/etc., so we can better assist you?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Patrick5C22]

Hi Anubhav

Thank you for responding so quickly. I'm using Illustrator v 28.6. I'm creating a wallchart for a fantasy cycling game and I'm at the stage where I'm going to get it printed in bulk from a company called Solopress. They accept multiple file types (jpeg, pdf, EPS, TIFF) but whenever I export / save from Illustrator into one of these the vectors (colourful boxes) disappear. Strangely enough, saving as a PNG preserves them but this isn't a supported file type for printing. 

I've tried rasterizing the vectors but they become faded when I do so. I've tried exporting each box as a jpeg and adding them back into the artwork but they're pixilated. A link to the Google drive is below. 

Illustrator files - Google Drive

[Anubhav M]

Hello @patrick5C22,

Thanks for sharing the details. It seems the Google Drive link is protected. Would you mind resharing the files after changing the link to the public so we can download the files to check on our end?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Patrick5C22]

I've allowed access to the link, try this one:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1t2mizILjQ7Iakt7L3cQwiw0uM-W_vvU6?usp=drive_link

[Bobby Henderson]

I downloaded the "Wallchart with vector problem.AI" file. Something really strange is going on with the 12 rider list elements. They stay in color preview mode regardless if I check outline view. Those same elements disappear when saving a copy of the file in PDF. If I copy those elements into a new Illustrator document they behave properly.

[Patrick5C22]

Is there a reason they would stay in color preview mode? Just wondering for when I do more of these in the future.

[Bobby Henderson]

That's something I can't recall ever seeing before. It makes me wonder if something in the file was corrupt. The individial elements on their own were fine, but they just wouldn't shift to outline view when I clicked Ctrl+Y. I'll usually check outline view as a first step to see if something is vector-based or not. Were those elements imported from another design application or created within Illustrator?

[Bobby Henderson]

Was the original artwork created in Adobe Illustrator? Are the original elements vector based?

The PNG format is a pixel-based image format. PNG does not support vector-based elements. It typically defines images in RGB color space. PNG is not an ideal format for print work. JPEG is another pixel-based image format. JPEG can support RGB and CMYK color modes, but it doesn't support print-able vector artwork. It's possible to save a copy of a Photoshop layout that has vector work paths in JPEG format and still preserve those paths in the JPEG file. But those kinds of vector paths are not print-able. They're just paths to use to turn into selections and other stuff.

If the poster design is going to be printed the design should have colors that are within the limits of CMYK color space. If the print company has special printers that use extra inks (such as light cyan and light magenta) the color intensity can be pushed a little farther.

PDF is usually the best format to use for print purposes. PDF will preserve any vector based objects in the design. PDF has native support for transparency effects. PDF files saved by Adobe Illustrator can have Illustrator data appended to them. Many print shops will use RIP applications that include Adobe certified PDF print engines. They'll be able to handle unique effects from Illustrator, such as gradients on line strokes and free-form gradients.

[Patrick5C22]

Hi Bobby

Yes, everything was made in Illustrator (excpect 2 flags). PDF seems the ideal format but I just need to find a way to preserve them when I save the file as a PDF because at the moment the vectors disappear. 

[Anubhav M]

Hello @patrick5C22,

Thanks for your patience. Would you mind copying all elements from this document to a new AI file and then exporting as a PDF to check if it helps?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Patrick5C22 · Accepted solution]

It worked! I've even uploaded it to the printer and it looks great. 

You've made my day Anubhav, thank you so much 🙂

What made you think that would work?

[Bobby Henderson]

Vector art elements created from scratch in Illustrator should not disappear when saved in PDF. Any elements that are placed into Illustrator will remain in their own native states. For instance, if you place a JPEG image inside an Illustrator document the JPEG image will still just be a pixel-based image. Illustrator won't turn it into vector-based artwork. Were the 2 flags vector-based elements originally? If they were JPEG or PNG images they would remain as such even if they're saved inside an Illustrator AI file.