Embedded excel graphs distort when exported to pdf

[kevins]

Hi,

I'm working with a colleague on creating data sheets in InDesign.

He has copied a previous data sheet which I have made, and has embedded new graphs into the doc, however the pdf export is distorted. See screen shot. The lines from the graph are coming out of the box!! (the second image shows how it should look.)

We tried the following:

Making data sheet from scratch and exporting from my machine - ok

Making data sheet from scratch and exporting from his machine - distorted

Exporting colleagues data sheet to .pdf from my machine - distorted

Exporting colleagues data sheet to .png from my machine - ok

Can anyone help me understand why this is happening. I've been making these data sheets for a number of years and this has never happened before.

Screenshots attached.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rachel

[Laubender]

Hi Rachel,

workaround 1:

Open the Excel files on your machine and save the graphs as PDF from your Excel.

Workaround 2: If you have Adobe Illustrator installed I'd try to open the PDF from Excel in Illustrator, do some changes if necessary and save as PDF/X-4 to place that PDF in InDesign.

I guess the issue lies in a difference from your Excel version and the one on the other machine.

It's no InDesign issue, I guess. Ok. You could test this: Open a faulty version of the PDF in Acrobat Pro or Adobe Reader and see if you see the same issues.

What's your version of InDesign?

What's your operating system?

What's your exact version of Excel?

What's the exact version of Excel that is writing the faulty PDFs?

Are both of you on the same operating system?

Regards,
Uwe

[kevins]

Hi Uwe,

Thanks for your reply. I'll just try those things and check those details.

Kind regards,

Rachel

[rob day]

What PDF preset are you using out of InDesign? Does it happen with both PDF/X-4 and PDF/X-1a (flattened transparency)?

[kevins]

HI Rob,

I'm using High Quality Print preset. I tried the others and they are also producing the same...

Thanks,

Rachel

[G_Hoffmann]

The blue (0C), orange (10C) and the blue (60C) curves are drawn with

clipping rectangle. For the other curves the clipping path is not active

(the curves themselves are not distorted). This says, that the sequence

of drawing had been not as usual (clipping path for the curves, no clipping

path for the diagram axes and numbers).

It might help to draw all curves one after the other newly as a set instead

of patching an existing diagram.

Live transparency is not involved, it's just PostScript on/off transparency,

which is handled perfectly by any PDF mode.

Best regards  --Gernot Hoffmann

[kevins]

Hi Gernot,

Its behaving really strangely. The graphs are generated in Excel, which we always use, we copy and paste into Indesign then size the content to fit proportionally.

We can both export to .png ok so that makes me think that its the .pdf export where the problem is starting...

Thanks,

Rachel

[G_Hoffmann]

Rachel,

let me explain my suggestion better: I would  draw in Excel the graphic entirely new or start

with an empty diagram without curves. Then save this AS by filename and place the saved

file in InDesign, instead of using copy and paste.

The basic idea is, that patching an existing diagram might confuse the sequence of clipping

path application and drawing.

Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann