Opening a PDF is blank in Illustrator

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
February 19, 2018
4 replies
9981 views

I can open the PDF in Acrobat. I get a preview in my explorer window.

But when I try to open in Illustrator, the Open PDF dialog shows blank thumbnails and the file is blank.

Using Windows 10 and Illustrator 2017

Correct answer troyo28592990

You could create a new Illustrator file and then File > Place the PDF. Don't embed. Instead Object > Flatten transparency.

I think I've figured it out. The PDFs actually originated from Bluebeam Revu. I guess the annotations caused problems for Illustrator's interpreter.

Thanks all. Mystery solved

P

pdschell0369

Participant

i had the same problem and i figured it out. in bluebeam, go to Document > Flatten and save it. In illustrator create a new document, then select File > Place. select your pdf, and uncheck "link" (do not embed) and place it. everything showed up for me and works fine.

Hope this helps

Bluebeam Revu: version 21.3

Adobe Illustrator: 29.3.1

windows 11 x64

G

geoffm53985640

Participant

So did you find a way to get these vectors/graphics to show up in illustrator? I'm having the same issue with .PDF's coming out of bluebeam - I ultimately need to get them into a CAD program but have been trying to use Adobe as a go between. Did anything work for these files for you? Thanks