Hiding "Generating PDF" Progress Bar

[wuts23143389]

Hi, when I'm exporting a large pdf file it can takes some time, is there a way to minimize the dialog box instead of just dragging it in corner? When I switch to another application (on Mac), the dialog box persists throughout and cannot be hide. As you see when I switch to google drive on Safari, the dialog box persists.

[BobLevine]

This is the InDesign forum. Check in the Acrobat forum.

[wuts23143389]

Hi Bob, I'm exporting using InDesign.

[BobLevine]

I was looking at the background there. Looked like a combine files in Acrobat.

Are you exporting a book?

[wuts23143389]

Hi Bob, I was exporting from InDesign CC 2019 as Adobe PDF (Interactive). The file is quite big so it took 20 mins+ to export. I was just wondering if there's a way to minimize the "Generating PDF" dialog window while switching to another application.

For example, as I'm typing this out on Safari, the dialog window still persists.

[BobLevine · Accepted solution]

I never use interactive PDF and forgot that it’s not a background task.

AFAIK, there’s no way to force it to be one, either. I just tried it here and while you can’t minimize it, it doesn’t steal focus so I can switch applications and not be bothered by it.

That said, what is in that file that’s taking that long?

[wuts23143389]

Hi Bob thank you for confirming.

It's a yearbook file (224 pages) containing a lot of images.

[AnneMarie Concepcion]

which version of InDesign?

[wuts23143389]

Hi AnneMarie,

It's 14.0.2. InDesign CC 2019 on Mac

[Owen Linzmayer]

I, too, am constantly bothered by the Generating PDF dialog box for two reasons:

First, it doesn't play well with my dual-screen setup. If I have InDesign on one monitor, the dialog box often shows up on the othe rmonitor, blocking whatever applications or windows I am working on outside of InDesign. Then I must manually drag it over to the InDesign monitor to get it out of the way. Come on Adobe! Many users have multiple monitors. Your apps should remember the locations of all dialog boxes, windows, and panels and not arbitrarily show up in random places.

Second, and more importantly, there is NO reason for this dialog box to appear at all.

If I select multiple files in an InDesign book panel, then choose Export Book to PDF, the dialog box appears for the duration of the export.

But if I simply open a file and chose File > Export, the export happens as a background task as it should, allowing me to continue working on other files in InDesign.

Why isn't background exporting the default? At the very least, please make it an Adobe PDF Preset option? 

BTW, I'm using the latest version of InDesign (18.5), but this problem has always been present in all versions over the past decade.

[Laubender]

Hi @Owen Linzmayer , you asked:

"Why isn't background exporting the default?"

It is the default. For export with InDesign documents.

But using an backround task to export is not available with the InDesign Book panel.

The InDesign book functions were never updated in this regard.

That would be a feature request e.g. you can do at InDesign UserVoice.

The right category could be "Long Document Features":

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests?category_id=209233

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Owen Linzmayer]

You're splitting hairs when defending the different treatment of exporting an individual document versus a book.

I would wage erverything I own that most users don't distinguish between documents and books, but rather view both as integral parts of InDesign. 

I've already sent in a feature request, but don't hold out much hope as I've never gotten a positive response from Adobe to a past request, nor ever seen one actually implemented. 

It's really maddening because this stupid Generating PDF dialog box is constantly popping up on top of work I'm trying to perform in other applications, forching me to waste time repositioning the dialog box. This happens dozens of times a day.

[BobLevine]

Anyone who understands this application will always distinguish between a book and a document. Secondly, I don't see anywhere that anyone is defending the difference.

If you're not prepared to get an answer you don't like then I strongly suggest you don't ask the question

[Owen Linzmayer]

I asked the question to find a solution to an annoying, recurring problem.

Mere users such as myself undertand exporting to be exporting, regardless of it's an individual document or a book.

[Laubender]

Hi @Owen Linzmayer ,

let's go into the history of InDesign. Up to InDesign CS4 which is version 6, InDesign was only able to export in the "foreground" blocking the user until the task of export was finished. With the next major version 7, for document export the background task was introduced. But the book functionality with export was never expanded to that feature. That's simply it. I do not defend anything. Thus my hint to the feature request section of InDesign UserVoice.

FWIW: One still can switch the export to the old "foreground" mode with document export.

See my reply from April 2021:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/can-t-save-as-pdf-because-of-the-background-task...

Sometimes this comes handy when the background task gets stuck and one tries to find out on what page that happens.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Owen Linzmayer]

Thanks for the historical background regarding the exporting functionality. 

It's nice to know why this problem persists, but it doesn't help avoid it.

As mentioned, I've already submitted a feature request, so I'll begin holding my breath awaiting a response from Adobe.

[BobLevine]

Stop attacking the messengers! We're volunteers, not Adobe employees.

[Laubender]

@Owen Linzmayer said: "… As mentioned, I've already submitted a feature request …"

Please give us the URL for this feature request so that people reading your reply here can easily vote for changing the behavior of the InDesign book features.

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )