Saving Ai With Create PDF Compatible File Checked Not Working

[Chris Panny]

Windows 10 64 bit - Ai CC 2019

I'm having an odd problem with an Ai file. I save it with the Create PDF Compatible File checked . However when I save the file again to make a High Quality Print PDF, the pdf only displays text that says the file was saved without PDF content. Below is the text message I see when I open the PDF in Acrobat DC: The screenshot is how the Ai file is being save. The file was originally created in an older version of Ai - probably CS 5 or 5.5. I did some work on it today and then saved it to the current Ai version. It's all vector - no pixel-based imagery. I've also tried saving it to an older version - CS 6 and repeated the same steps, but I still get the same issue.

If anyone needs to see the actual PDF or Ai file, let me know and I'll share a folder out with it.

This is an Adobe® Illustrator® File that was saved without PDF Content. To Place or open this  le in other applications, it should be re-saved from Adobe Illustrator with the "Create PDF Compatible File" option turned on. This option is in the Illustrator Native Format Options dialog box, which appears when saving an Adobe Illustrator  le using the Save As command.

[Chris Panny]

I have some additional information to add to this. I just tried creating a new Ai print file and created some guides. I saved it as a current version Ai file and then again as a High Quality PDF and the PDF is still displaying the same text as I indicated in the original post. It's making me think there's a bug with this version of Ai. Has anyone experienced this?

[Chris Panny · Accepted solution]

I just got off the phone with Adobe Ai support and the culprit oddly enough was my Avast VPN app. During the phone call, he asked me to disable the VPN and alas, the PDF saved and displayed as it should! I would never have guessed this to be an issue, since it never was in the past. So, for those who encounter this problem and have a VPN turned on, try disabling it to see if this corrects the issue.

[Koen-Schrauwen]

I encountered the same problem after the latest Illustrator update. I'm on a iMac with Illustrator 26.0.3. When I try saving files with the "Create PDF compatible file" option on, Illustrator gives an error and the file doesn't save. This is even the case with a brand new / empty file.

Please Adobe, fix this.

Kind regards, Koen Schrauwen

The Netherlands

[Chris Panny]

I'm on a mac here (cross platform) with the same version, but I don't get this error. Do you get the error if you don't tick the Create PDF Compatible File? Where are you trying to save the file?

[Ton Frederiks]

See: https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/create-pdf-compatible-file-checked-not-workin...