Graphics from PDF disappear when placing it into InDesign.

[Advanced Direct Marketing]

I am placing a PDF into InDesign for printing (I am also scaling it up in InDesign). When I place the file some of the text is not visable. What are some of the reasons the text would not be visable when simply placing it? 

[100pk]

Is the preview of the pdf set as 'high resolution'?

if not try setting it as such: might be the solution.

[Steve Werner]

What application created the PDF file? How was it exported? What PDF settings did you use?

[Advanced Direct Marketing]

I don't know how it was created. It is a customer provided file. The text that won't display also won't print. I am familiar with issues regarding text/images not printing but they will usually display in InDesign even if they don't print. These won't display or print. I can only see it accurately in Acrobat but we are wanting to print it from InDesign. I will likey use a work around (like converting the PDF to a TIFF) but I'm not familiar with graphics dropping out when the file is placed.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

It's possible that the program that created the PDF did not embed the fonts. Acrobat would use font substitution to display the fonts.

In Acrobat, go to the File>Properties menu and click on Discription tab on top. About halfway down, what dies it list as the application that created the PDF?

You can export as TIFF from Acrobat but make sure you show it to the client (or compare to a supplied hard copy proof) to make sure the fonts look correct.

[Ashutosh_Mishra]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out. Would you mind sharing some more information like:
1. Version of OS and InDesign.
2. Have you tried converting the file into IDML and then tried to export? If there is only one file having this issue, it could be a file specific situation. Converting to IDML may rectify this.

If this is happening with all the files, you may try resetting preferences. You may follow the steps provided on https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/setting-preferences.html

**Please note that resetting preferences will remove all the custom settings and InDesign will launch with default settings. You can also take a backup of the folders in case you want to. Location is mentioned in the article.

All this information will help us understand the issue and work accordingly.

Looking forward to your response.

Regards,
Ashutosh

[Advanced Direct Marketing]

Thank you for your assistance.

I am running Win7

InDesign CC 14.0.1 x64

This issue is not happening with any other files. Besides this one case everything is working properly. I am communicating with the customer (since it is a file they provided) and I am just trying to pinpoint the issue (If that's even possible). As I mentioned, I am familiar with issues where graphics drop out during printing but I don't think I remember a case where graphics drop out when I simply place the PDF into InDesign. Usually, InDesign will display the file without issues.

[BobLevine]

Doesn't sound like an InDesign issue to me.
Open it in Acrobat and preflight it there.

[Dov Isaacs · Accepted solution]

There is another possibility that has not yet been mentioned in this thread. This may be your problem.

When you place a PDF file into an InDesign document, only the “base PDF content” is placed; “other content” of the PDF file is ignored.

This other content includes any form of annotation including but not limited to forms fields (including protected forms fields that appear to be standard PDF text), stamps, signatures, watermarks, and review markings (highlights, underscores, crossouts, underscores, insertion points, text boxes, arrows, lines, polygons, scribbles, etc.).

To get such PDF content to not be ignored, you must open the PDF file in Acrobat Pro DC (or Acrobat Pro 2017), invoke Acrobat Preflight, choose the Acrobat Pro DC 2015 Profiles and from the PDF Fixups group, select Flatten annotations and forms fields and press Analyze and fix, storing the resultant PDF file as a new PDF file. Place the resultant PDF file into InDesign and missing content due to annotations will appear. (Note that when this fixup is applied in Acrobat, the content that was previously editable as annotations and forms will no longer be editable as such!)

Let us know if this resolves your problem.

               - Dov

[Geоrge]

>> To get such PDF content to not be ignored, you must open the PDF file in Acrobat >> Pro DC (or Acrobat Pro 2017), invoke Acrobat Preflight, choose the Acrobat Pro DC 2015 Profiles and

>> from the PDF Fixups group, select Flatten annotations and forms fields and press Analyze and

>> fix, storing the resultant PDF file as a new PDF file. 

Or if you work on Windows: Do print to Adobe PDF printer this PDF with fileds and other strange things.

[Dov Isaacs]

Absolutely WRONG!

Printing a PDF file from Acrobat to the Adobe PDF PostScript printer instance, otherwise known as “refrying a PDF” is strongly discouraged by Adobe and the vast majority of PDF publishing experts. “Refried PDF” has lost all live transparency and ICC color management, some text may have been converted to raster or at best vector, searchability may be lost, and still some annotations may not make it through properly.

The method of incorporating annotations into the base PDF that I provided in my initial posting is the method supported by Adobe and the only one we will stand behind.

Again, don't refry PDF files!

             - Dov

[Geоrge]

I'm absolutely right! Who's tell you that topic-starter need it all that you say?

He needs to have things (parts of PDF) that not imported to ID from PDF. Time is money.

You don't know why export/import not works, — use it print to Adobe PDF with High Quality print preset if your do works about printing books. Works for epub and interactive PDF is an another story.

I think, Dov that you work on OSX and just envy to users with Windows who's have this feature (joke). 

[Dov Isaacs]

(1)  FYI, most of my work is done on Windows-based systems although I also have and use a MacOS-based system as well. I have nothing to “envy” one way or the other. (And quite frankly, I don't think you know anything about me and my role at Adobe over the last nearly 30 years! Stop guessing! And this is not a joke!)

(2)  You are correct only in that I don't know exactly whether the OP's problem has to do with annotations in the original PDF file although in the vast majority of cases with these symptoms, that is exactly what the problem is. That having been said, the fact is that the only way to find out is to open the PDF file in Acrobat Pro DC and ascertain exactly what the non-printing items are. How long does it take to do that, about 60 seconds or less (including opening the file in Acrobat)? And if all that is necessary is to apply the fix I described, we are talking about 30 seconds additional.  Less than two minutes may totally resolve the problem. On the other hand, “refrying” the PDF file might not resolve the problem either and is very likely to cause other major problems with the final output described in my previous posting on this thread, whether for “printing books” or any other purpose. 

(3)  The Adobe PDF PostScript printer driver instance available in Windows but previously also available on MacOS (until banned by Apple) had one purpose. That purpose was to provide a means of initially creating PDF from applications from which there was no other viable capability of producing PDF but for which there was the capability of printing to the standard system PostScript printer driver. That provided and still provides a reasonable workaround for such applications assuming there is no need for live transparency or ICC color management, neither of which is supported by PostScript-based workflows.

(4) To be very clear, Adobe most strongly disagrees with use of the “refrying PDF” hackery as a solution to problematic PDF files due to the damage / degradation that it can and often does do to an existing PDF file. The primary reason for Adobe including the Preflight feature into Acrobat Pro was to provide easy to use, professional means of quickly and comprehensively analyzing and fixing issues, whether structural or content-related, in PDF files. Use it!

                 - Dov

[Geоrge]

>>  And this is not a joke

Stop the horses.  If you don't have some taste of humor than why we need to see from you aggresive things? We aren't here for that. Merry Xmas and New Year! Cheers!

>>  To be very clear, Adobe most strongly disagrees with use of the “refrying PDF”

To be very clear I and thousands of people don't care what "Adobe" and somebody
think about agree or disagree in this question. If print to Adobe PDF printer trick works then no matter what somebody think that this not so polite in eyes of vendor.   

>> How long does it take to do that, about 60 seconds or less (including opening the file in Acrobat)? 

Are you ask me this? This is not my file. And I never have such problems. And this is my words that topic-starter don't hear it:

>> downloaded files on the service like dropbox/yadisk

Without example file we do here a magic guessing only. 

[Dov Isaacs]

We will agree on one thing. Unless the OP is willing to post the PDF file that has issues when being placed in InDesign, none of us can definitively diagnose the problem.

We will agree to disagree on use of the refry hackery you push as a “solution.” Adobe would not make a big fuss over this unless we saw quite a few situations over the years where refried PDF has caused serious on-press issues.

Since the OP apparently is not interested in providing the problematic PDF file for us to examine, I am closing this thread at this point.

            - Dov

[Advanced Direct Marketing]

I will try this solution. Thank you for your help!

[Geоrge]

The community of local psychics asked to tell that guessing on coffee thick happens better if
- there are screenshots of pdf with the text and other screenshot with the placed pdf into ID where the text was gone (mark this part)
- downloaded files on the service like dropbox/yadisk

[Advanced Direct Marketing]

The top image is the file viewed in Acrobat - the lower image is the file after it is placed in InDesign. There are several versions of this file we are placing into InDesign, each with a different phone number, and it makes it difficult to double check these since the black text drops out. We tend to run into the same issues over and over in dealing with client provided files (as you all well know) and generally they don't present too much difficulty. I've just never had this happen before. When I check for printing errors I've always been able to compare a print to what is on the screen even if the file was placed in InDesign. 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Can't tell for sure, but I'd be willing to bet they are form fields. See Dov Isaacs' reply.

[BobLevine]

I think I'd go with that theory as well.

If the OP can post one of the PDFs it wouldn't take long to find out.

[100pk]

Are you sure all layers in the pdf are set to 'visible' when importing?

I would assume the phone numbers are put in one or more separate layers (one per connection).

When imported in InDesign that particular lyer might have been set to hide.

[rob day]

Can you share the PDF?

[Geоrge]

- there are screenshots of pdf with the text and other screenshot with the placed pdf into ID where the text was gone (mark this part)

Ok, you do first step. I'm agree with others - it look likes PDF-form fields.

- downloaded files on the service like dropbox/yadisk

Вut you don't do 2nd step. Where is you "bugged" PDF? Give the file to local sorcerers and witches. Do not hesitate.