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PDF created with Illustrator is showing hidden layers. Sometimes.

Community Beginner ,
Apr 06, 2017 Apr 06, 2017

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I admit I am an Illustrator noob. I'd like to understand what is happening here, and avoid it if I can. I created a PDF from an illustration, after hiding a couple of layers. I thought that the PDF would only have the layers that were visible, and when I open it in all the various readers I have on my PC, that was the case. Recently, though, a friend printed it from his Mac (I'm not sure which app), and ALL the layers printed on top of one another. How can I prevent that extra information from being in the PDF in the first place? TIA!

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correct answers 2 Correct answers

Community Beginner , Apr 12, 2017 Apr 12, 2017

My friend was finally able to get back to me after I sent an experiment file with "Create Acrobat layers" UNchecked. I also unchecked keeping it editable, though that probably has nothing to do with anything, but when a very busy friend was helping with an experiment I only wanted to take one shot. It worked! I'd be curious to see whether it works for you if you only uncheck creating the layers.

Thanks everyone for your help!

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Explorer , Aug 10, 2022 Aug 10, 2022

After saving as PDF, hidden layers suddenly started showing up when printed. The only way I was able to stop that from happening was to delete the hidden layer in illustrator prior to saving to PDF. This issue just started showing up for some reason. I have saved many PDF files for print and never had a problem. Hope this helps someone..

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Explorer ,
Apr 06, 2017 Apr 06, 2017

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Hi Tia,

To really answer your question, I may be necessary to know which app your friend printed your PDF in. To get a better sense of what is going on, can you tell me if there hidden layers are on your artboard? Also does the same thing happen when you export the project as a png?

-Megan

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Explorer ,
Apr 06, 2017 Apr 06, 2017

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Another suggestion I have is making sure these options are clicked when you export the PDF.Screen Shot 2017-04-06 at 12.42.12 PM.png

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 06, 2017 Apr 06, 2017

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Yes, there are hidden layers. Those are what I don't want in the PDF. I don't know which app he used, and he is too busy at work to help me figure this out, but it really shouldn't matter (although it would be admittedly nice to test out). I'm wondering if unchecking the "preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" and unchecking "create Acrobat Layers from Top-Level Layers" in the dialog you show might work?

Do you know why the data was getting into my PDF, regardless of which app was used to print it?

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Explorer ,
Apr 06, 2017 Apr 06, 2017

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Hi Caresrg,

Is there a reason you are keeping the hidden layers in the AI document? If there is, that is completely fine. Would you mind taking a screenshot of what the PDF panel looks like when you do Save As>PDF>then a panel should appear? The screenshot I provided above is what your panel should look like with those elements clicked.

The reason I asked about the software he used is because the automatic PDF reader on a Mac is Preview and I have found in the last few months that Preview reacts badly with PDFs versus when I open them and print them from Adobe Acrobat.

-Megan

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Explorer ,
Apr 06, 2017 Apr 06, 2017

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Also I just hide some layers in one of my documents, exported as a PDF and printed and the layers were still hidden. So have you also tried copying the layers and moving them into a new document and trying to export. There may be a bug with the specific AI file.

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Community Expert ,
Apr 06, 2017 Apr 06, 2017

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If you don't want to see the hidden layers in your pdf, delete them.

Acrobat will hide the layers that are supposed to be hidden, but they are still there and can be turned on.

Other PDF viewers, like Preview on the Mac, will ignore that and show the hidden layers.

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 07, 2017 Apr 07, 2017

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Sorry for the slow reply, folks, I'm visiting my niece at her college this week and working while she's in class. If Preview for Mac prints all layers, I'm sure that's what he's using. I do need to keep the layers in the source doc; we use different versions sometimes. Below is a screenshot with all the layers showing, and below that are the settings I used (with only the desired layer showing, of course), but I'm wondering if unchecking the Create Acrobat Layers would help.

Capture2.JPGCapture.JPG

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Explorer ,
Apr 07, 2017 Apr 07, 2017

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Hi Caresrg,

I would try exporting it by unclicking "create acrobat layers from top-level layers" as you said. I completely understand the need to keep hidden layers, but it is definitely a strange occurrence that this is happening. I played a lot with hidden layers yesterday in Illustrator and I still could not get the hidden layers to appear. If this keeps happening you could take the Illustrator file and open it in InDesign and export it from there. I know that is a very backwards way of handling the issue, but I have seen other people have success with that. Let me know what happens.

-Megan

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Community Expert ,
Apr 07, 2017 Apr 07, 2017

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I would save various versions.

Your AI source doc, containing all layers.

And versions where the hidden layers are deleted and saved as PDF.

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 12, 2017 Apr 12, 2017

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This seems to only happen when the file is viewed in Apple's Preview app and nowhere else. Saving various versions is not really an efficient solution, and deleting layers you don't want to be published makes no sense if they are integral to your file in some way. I've only been able to identify the program this issue appears in. When time permits I'll  try a variety of settings to see what works (or doesn't). I don't think "Create Acrobat Layers For Top Level_Layers" works in this case when Apple's Preview sees the hidden layer(s) which is also at the very top of the layer stack.

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 12, 2017 Apr 12, 2017

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My friend was finally able to get back to me after I sent an experiment file with "Create Acrobat layers" UNchecked. I also unchecked keeping it editable, though that probably has nothing to do with anything, but when a very busy friend was helping with an experiment I only wanted to take one shot. It worked! I'd be curious to see whether it works for you if you only uncheck creating the layers.

Thanks everyone for your help!

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Explorer ,
Aug 10, 2022 Aug 10, 2022

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After saving as PDF, hidden layers suddenly started showing up when printed. The only way I was able to stop that from happening was to delete the hidden layer in illustrator prior to saving to PDF. This issue just started showing up for some reason. I have saved many PDF files for print and never had a problem. Hope this helps someone..

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Explorer ,
May 08, 2017 May 08, 2017

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Have you figured out a resolution?  I'm having this same problem.  I cannot get .AI's non-print layers to show in Apple Finder's Preview.  Or, any print layer below the top layer.  It only shows the top layer.  I have a ticket with Apple and their engineering team review.  They said it's a problem with Adobe Illustrator itself - and not Apple.

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Community Beginner ,
May 08, 2017 May 08, 2017

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Yours actually sounds like the opposite of mine. So when you create the PDF, try making sure "Create Acrobat Layers" is checked. That's all I've got; I'm a noob.

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Explorer ,
May 08, 2017 May 08, 2017

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Yup - I'm using Illustrator to create the PDF - when "Create Acrobat Layers" is checked (or UNchecked for that matter) - it still won't show those layers underneath in Apple's Preview (or Finder's Preview).

But, even when I'm not creating a PDF - I'm creating a .AI file, there's no option that says "create Acrobat Layers".

How can we get Adobe to look in on this bug for us mac users?

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Community Expert ,
May 08, 2017 May 08, 2017

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autumnf81148833  schrieb

Yup - I'm using Illustrator to create the PDF - when "Create Acrobat Layers" is checked (or UNchecked for that matter) - it still won't show those layers underneath in Apple's Preview (or Finder's Preview).

But, even when I'm not creating a PDF - I'm creating a .AI file, there's no option that says "create Acrobat Layers".

How can we get Adobe to look in on this bug for us mac users?

This is not a bug. It's just you using an inappropriate viewer application. Apple needs to fix their app to not view hidden layers.

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Explorer ,
May 08, 2017 May 08, 2017

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I wish that was true - I took this issue all the way to Apple's Engineering team (via support ticket) and they said it's Adobe that is causing the issue with Apple's Preview program (and the preview in Apple's Finder).  They said that that Adobe Illustrator is incomptable with the latest Mac Sierra 10.12.4 update. 

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New Here ,
May 10, 2017 May 10, 2017

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EAGERLY AWAITING

A RESOLUTION ON THIS.

(in the meantime we are creating duplicate documents - totally removing layers (that are later needed).

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Community Expert ,
May 10, 2017 May 10, 2017

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You actually can control that with Print Layers option , then use the Done button and save your .ai, then you .pdf.. Though the wording say "Print" this applies to the creation of PDFs also. So for example choose "Visible Layers" and only the visible layers will show in the pdf.

Screen Shot 2017-05-10 at 5.19.57 PM.png

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Explorer ,
May 10, 2017 May 10, 2017

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Looks like a work-around for PDF.  I just want the .AI "non print" layers to show up.  Or, any layer below that to be honest in .AI files.

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Community Expert ,
May 10, 2017 May 10, 2017

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Hi Autumn,

If you want the non-print layers to show up then visible layers will do that, if the layers are hidden then do All layers, and even the hidden ones will show,

We  avoid using apple preview for pdf review as there are too many issues. We have our clients  download the free acrobat reader, as  apple preview is a laymans tool with the problem mentioned and:

  • overprints do not show
  • people cannot save  data when completing forms, and the javascript to email completed form back to us does not work.

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Explorer ,
May 11, 2017 May 11, 2017

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Thanks for the tip!  PDF won't work for us - we have to us the .AI extension, with all non-print layers visible in Apple's Preview Finder for our workflow.  I have another topic on this posted in the forums for .AI, but this PDF Layer thing seems almost identicle to the issue I was experiencing with .AI files; .AI files in Mac Preview will not show layers (both print and non-print)

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Explorer ,
May 11, 2017 May 11, 2017

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FYI - We did the Print Settings on the .AI, but clicked "Done" instead of print - it didn't resolve the issue but instead now our "non-print" layers are now "printing" when we go to engrave them.  So - that workaround deff. does not work.

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Community Expert ,
May 11, 2017 May 11, 2017

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Yes that is what  is supposed to happen, as that setting is both for PDF and PRINT. Use acrobat and not apple preview and you will see how this works.

Try using quick look  buy selecting a file and hitting the space bar, than might be a better option for you then apple preview.

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