InDesign 20.3.1 – Extremely Slow PDF Export After Update

[MarilynR2]

After the 20.3.1 update, exporting a file to a PDF from InDesign is painful. Ridiculously slow even when the document is fairly light weight, everything is linked properly etc...never mind when it's a larger, multipage document. It is so incredibly frustrating. 

So far, I have tried:

Restarting multiple times just to make sure it wasn't just these few documents that had the issue

Trashing the preferences twice now

Complete reinstall

Turning off the live pre flight

Turning off the GPU

None have worked. 

I am using Extensis Connect as a font manager, mostly because I have yet to find an alternative where the auto activation works as well as theirs does. If I found something else, I'd probably switch as it can be laggy sometime but I've used it in conjunction with InDesign for years and years and have NEVER had an issue like this before. 

Is anyone else having this issue? If so and you resolved it, how? Taking any and all suggestions. I've never had to roll back to a previous version but would definitely consider it (provided I'm not going to have to resave everything)

<Title renamed by MOD>

[rob day]

Hi @MarilynR2 , Does it happen if you create a new document with text only—no links?

[MarilynR2]

Yes. I did try that also early on to see if it was a font issue. It also happens if I create a new document with just an image, and even if I create a completely BLANK document with no images or text at all on it. 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

What happens if disable Extensis and any other plugins? Use the Document Fonts folder if you don't want to add the fonts to your system.

Since you mentioned the GPU, I'm assuming you are on a Mac. Can you give some details about your system: OS version, RAM, processor, drive space, etc.?

(I tested some documents on my Windows system and saw no delay.)

[MarilynR2]

Oh, yes...sorry - forgot to mention that I am on a Mac. 

I tried disabling Extensis and it still did the same thing. I don't believe I have any other plug ins installed but I'll check. 

System is a Mac Studio with an M2 Max chip, 32 GB of memory. 500 GB SSD HD (with 60 GB free at the moment) Running Sequoia 15.0.

Everything was working perfectly fine and was pretty fast to export files - the ONLY thing that changed was updating to 20.3.1. 

[leo.r]

Running Sequoia 15.0.

By @MarilynR2

In addition to other suggestions, also update your Sequoia (even if it's unlikely to affect your particular issue).

[MarilynR2]

Oh, and also forgot to mention...this kind of lag is not happening with any other applications. Just InDesign. The rest of the suite is running just fine. 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Try uninstalling and downgrade to the prior update 20.3 with the Creative Cloud app.

See if it goes back to normal.

[MarilynR2]

I'll try that. Possibly dumb question - since this is not a "full" version back - there won't be issues with opening files I've saved since the update, correct? I feel like I should know this answer but despite having used InDesign every single day since 2003...I've never had to roll back a version. 

Thank you!!

[BobLevine]

Quick clarification on Dave's post. You do not have to uninstall to roll back. I just did it myself a few weeks ago and it's as simple as choosing the earlier version in the CC desktop app.

And to answer your question, no, there shouldn't be any issues opening any files.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

@BobLevine Bob, quick question on your clarificiation... 

If you roll back to an incremental update (not a prior version) without uninstalling, do you end up with two versions installed or does the older update replace the newer one?

(I could try it but I'm having my morning coffee and feeling lazy...)

[BobLevine]

No, you won't have two versions. It works the same way as upgrading. It just downgrades the version. Takes a minute or so and you're done.

[Dirk Becker]

I hope downgrading solved the immediate issue. If 20.3 won't do, try something earlier such as 20.2 . Documents are supposed to be compatible as long you stick to version 20.x.

If the problem persists, I'd first try whether disabling background export still works. This is not expected to solve the problem, just a preparation for the next step. You can undo it later on.

Use the Activity Monitor to see what's going on. Read that discussion, follow the steps, post a few matching screen shots. Over there it turned out font related. You also mentioned a font manager. Could be a similar cause, could be anything else. We can only tell from looking at the activity report.

[Dirk Becker]

Please also look at the recent discussion which suggested Extensis tweaks.

[MarilynR2]

Hi - sorry it took me a few days - I tried the disabling background export option - that unfortunately didn't change anything. I did go into the Activity Monitor etc to check but I'm not quite sure what I'm looking at to be honest LOL 

I'm attaching the screenshot of the monitor and the text file from the sample process - not sure if that helps? 

Thank you for taking a look either way - I appreciate it!! 

[leo.r]

By @MarilynR2

First, update to the latest version of Sequoia - will it make a difference?

In Activity Monitor, you need the Memory tab.

[Dirk Becker]

As I wrote, disabling background export was only suggested to make the report more readable (LOL), not to solve the issue.

Anyway, that Sample text rather than image is even better than the screenshots in the other message thread.

We're seeing 2058 samples (snapshots of execution) across many individual "threads" (the leftmost levels) – basically CPU cores running different programs in parallel. If the number decreases following the indents, there is some activity eating time. 1996 Application run is the main loop pretending to do nothing, follow the line down to the 60 samples to see one small activity – see 2) below. That big bunch of low numbers in between is about timers (rather than threads) and their activity counted into the "do nothing".

1. In the watched time slice, InDesign top/main thread "Thread_11656849" is mostly waiting for a message from another thread (the 1958 out of 2058 samples descending to mac_msg2_trap

That's your idle UI, remember your front application is Activity Monitor.

Also your export would take place here with backgrounding disabled, but anyway.

2a. There is a font manager involved: Below the 60 mentioned above, SuitcaseIdleTask further down has 30 samples talking to another process, plus some more looking at preferences.

2b. Extensis SuitcasePanel (ExtensisFontManagementID2025 from line 80) is also seeing some activity, mentioned above as "timer".

2c. Another idletask starting on line 275. Links check file timestamps for changes (the "stat" and "fstat")?

3. Ignore all threads that only show the max. 2058 samples, they are stuck

4. At least something is going on in BridgeTalk - a script talking to another app in the creative suite

Could this be related to one of multiple CEP panels further down?

5. Thread_11658153: TypeQuest in Character Panel, preparing to update some font related UI?

6. Section "Total number …" straight below all those thread related libtypekitC4Release stands out, again font related.

7. AdobePDFL in the same section expected for the pending export.

So most of it is waiting for others to do their work, those CEP and Bridgetalk indicate external communications (opaque to us) and of course waiting for something external would block without showing more details, as for sure also the Suitecase task waiting for its related process. Maybe that Suitecase panel is using CEP+Bridgetalk?

Let's cut it short, I already mentioned the other forum thread about Extensis tweaks.

That is, if you ever get into the same troubles after your successful reinstall.

Cheers

@leo.r not sure what you expect from the memory tab?

[leo.r]

@leo.r not sure what you expect from the memory tab?

By @Dirk Becker

If there's any excessive memory or CPU usage, the user can see it in the Memory tab. OP posted a screenshot of the Energy tab, which doesn't present any relevant info in this case. That's what I meant.

[Eugene Tyson · Accepted solution]

One other option - regarding reinstalling 

Reinstalling rarely fixes everything - you can do a complete reinstall using the
Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

[MarilynR2]

This seems to have resolved the issue! Finally! Thank you so much for this suggestion!!! 

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @MarilynR2,

Thanks again for all the info you've shared so far. I'd recommend giving the suggestions from the experts above a try, to see if that improves the performance.

In addition to that, could you also try booting your Mac in Safe Mode and testing the export process there? It helps check for any system-level conflicts. Reference: Start up your Mac in Safe Mode.

Also, try creating and testing the file in a new local admin user account to see if the issue might be related to something specific in your current user profile. Reference: Set up users, guests, and groups on your Mac.

Let us know how it goes.

Looking forward to hearing from you. 

Abhishek