How do I report a bug in InDesign to Adobe?

[ZeroLJ]

I have had a major glitch with InDesign, and I want to report it to Adobe, but I don't know how to. Does anyone know how to report to Adobe?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Are you sure it's Adobe's fault? 

Can you describe the problem? 

[ZeroLJ]

Yes, I'm sure its an Adobe bug. I've been using InDesign since its very first version (and Quark Xpress before that, for many years) and this is the first time that this issue has ever happened.

I have recently sent a peice of artwork to print, saved as a press-ready pdf. My client got the job printed BUT three text boxes were missing the last line of the text. The missing text was visible right the way through the amends stages until I created the final artwork file, at which point three text boxes (out of a total of about 60 boxes) had shrunk fractionally in height and hiddent the last line of text.

Point one - These were not altered in any way before the PDF was created. I used the same file as before for artwork, and just changed its name.

Point two - The PDF flight check should have flagged up over-set text but it did not.

My only suspicion is the InDesign did an auto-update between version 7 of my amends and the final artwork version, and this version altered the text boxes slightly (we are talking fractions here— I literally touched the text boxes in question, and the text re-appeared), BUT even if it did shrink the text box, it still didn't flag the 'over-set text' issue up at PDF stage.

I alone have worked on every stage of this document, so its not necessarily a font issue, as I only have one cut of the font, so I can only assume its happend due to a software update. Unless you can think of any other reason that this might have happened?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

So you have overset TFs - but preflight is not showing errors? 

I'm sorry to say, but you should ALWAYS check PDF before sending to printer... You can't just trust, that WYS(indd)IWYG(pdf) ... 

[ZeroLJ]

Yes, I know that!

but the INDD file was showing the text until the very last version, when the text boxes change size (without my knowledge) and with an auto-update in between. This document was an events guide, and I got two other people to check it, neither of whom saw that these text boes had CHANGED SIZE and lost the last line of text, as they had checked the job at the pre-AW stage and approved it ready for print.

All I'm trying to do is flag up to Adobe that two of its link-applications went a bit hooky between the link. InDesign lost text visibility, AND THEN Acrobat did not warn of this missing text as part of its automatic messaging for "over-set text". If we have to read every passage of text EVERY time between project stages, then we would be out of business. The time needed to do this would be too much for us to keep going as a design agency!

The software has to take some responsibility for these glitches or else why ever do updates that are supposed to streamline the whole process and make it easier to create print documents using Adobe software?

I think your reply is crass, and as a loyal Adobe user - I've used Photoshop since version one in 1990-1 (and before that I was an Aldus Beta-tester for Freehand),  I think you are trying too hard to make excuses for the software, rather than take on board someone who is simply flagging up an issue in the hope that Adobe will make sure it doesn't happen again.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Yes, it's possible, that recent update(s) changed some math - but, unfortunately, it's still your responsibility to check PDF before sending it for printing. 

I'm not sure how Acrobat can check for overset text - when it's not there in the first place? This kind of preflight should be done in the InDesign? 

Yes, I would be pretty mad myself if it would've happened to me - but it would still be my fault for not checking PDF... 

So no, I'm not making excuses for the software. 

Won't comment on holding my breath about how fast - if it all - it would be fixed - as you'll hear from Adobe the same reply - you are responsible for checking PDFs before sending for printing. 

[Willi Adelberger]

Not Acrobat should show text overflow, InDesign should do it in its Preflight Panel. Did InDesign not show any errors?

[ZeroLJ]

Hi Willi, Nope I got no warning messages at all. I would have expected to get the usual "over-set text" warning, but nope, no warnings at all. My job went to print with 3 text boxes having shrunk by a fraction hiding the last line of text. My client is not very happy!!! (She checked the previous pdf and approved that, and then the next version had these issues).

[rob day]

Point two - The PDF flight check should have flagged up over-set text but it did not.

Also, do you run InDesign preflight checks? I could be wrong but I don’t think Acrobat’s Preflight is capable of finding overset text because it doesn’t exist in the PDF, and without an InDesign preflight an Overset icon may or may not show:

[BobLevine · Accepted solution]

Adobe InDesign (uservoice.com)

[ZeroLJ]

Thank you!

I have posted my issue to Adobe.

[Peter Spier]

It's not clear to me from this discussion so far if the text that failed to print was visible in the PDF...

[ZeroLJ]

no the text was hidden by the text box which had shrunk between InDesign updates.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I don't think you can call it "hidden" but rather "missing"? 

[ZeroLJ]

No.

The text was still present in the text box, it just wasn't visible. There was nothing "missing" about it.

Are you just trying to annoy me? Because you are doing a great job at that.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Sorry, not trying to annoy you. 

I'm not talking about InDesign - I'm referring to PDF - if the text wasn't exported from InDesign - it can't be hidden in the PDF? 

[ZeroLJ]

No what I meant was that in InDesign as you are exporting your file to a Press-Ready PDF (File> Adobe PDF Presets> Press Quality) before it makes the PDF, it pre-flights the file and USUALLY warns you that you have "over-set text on page xx". When I made this artwork file, I got no warning - I wouldn't have carried on making the pdf if it HAD warned me first!

[rob day]

Hi @ZeroLJ , Is the bug reproducible? Do you have a file created in a previous version where the text frames resize themselves when the file is opened into the latest version?

[ZeroLJ]

Unfortunately I can't reproduce it as I have overwritten the artwork file (that had the problem) as I needed to resupply the artwork for a re-print, so it was updated last Tuesday (after the last InDesign update to 18.5). I have the previous INDD file from before the issue arose, and it views perfectly, BUT I can't replicate the issue as both items, the InDesign app has been updated from 18.4 to 18.5 and the INDD artwork file are newer versions than at the time of the problem.

[rob day]

Unfortunately I can't reproduce it

To file a bug report you’ll need to list the steps to reproduce the bug:

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs

Do you run incremental backups (e.g. Time Machine, Retrospect, Dropbox Sync’ing) that would let you get back to the good copy before the upgrade conversion?

[ZeroLJ]

No, unfortunately we use Get Backup to do our daily back ups and it overwrites the files every evening, until they are finished, when they get dropped down on to Blu-Ray for a perminent archive.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

If you don't keep daily backups for a week or until project is finished - and always overwrite previous day - it's not a very good backup strategy ... 

[BobLevine]

That is not my definition of a backup. I use Dropbox and OneDrive and both keep ever version of a file for 30 days so you can easily roll back. Dropbox even has a plan to keep unlimited versions.

[leo.r]

@ZeroLJ : I did see an issue that sounds nearly exactly like what you describe:

After manipulating a document (replacing some links in this case), the last line of text in two text frames got hidden. There was no indication of overset text. The dimensions of the text frames did NOT change. These text frames were not affected by the link replacement operations in any way.

Increasing the text frame height slightly revealed the hidden text.

It could not be reproduced and only happened once.

Sounds like one of those elusive bugs that are nearly impossible to catch - and therefore hard to fix.

[ZeroLJ]

Thank you, Leo!

You've confirmed that I'm not going mad and you've re-ignited my faith in humanity.

All I originally asked was "how do I report a bug in InDesign" and what I got back was a lecture in how to do a job I have done diligently for 33 years now, by a load of Adobe trolls (above) telling me that I'm running my (successful) design company incorrectly and have been for the last 25 years!

Its all well and good lecturing in the negative when you don't know anything of the background facts, or situations.