PDF Export Error

Report · Oct 24, 2017

Good morning,

I'm hoping someone knows how to read the error reports generated by InDesign on program crash. I'm trying to narrow down the source of the problem in the file I'm trying to export to PDF from InDesign 2017.

I have done most basic troubleshooting steps (trash prefs, create new file, uninstall and reinstall InDesign, reboot).

Is anyone able to help narrow down the source of the problem by looking at the error code on pastebin?

Thank you!

InDesign Export - Pastebin.com

Report · Oct 24, 2017

I'd suggest you first restore your InDesign preferences. That will often fix the problem. Here's how:

Trash, Replace, Reset, or Restore the application Preferences

Report · Oct 24, 2017

Hi,

Try and upgrade to CC 2018 as it has fixes for seceral issues.

It may help you export to PDF successfully.

-Aman

Report · Oct 24, 2017

Hi Steve and Amaarora,

I did try trashing all preferences, as well as reinstalling without saving any preferences.

I tried the same PDF export using InDesign 2018 and received the same error message. I've also tried saving as a new file, and as an INDX (which wouldn't open after saving).

Thanks.

Report · Oct 24, 2017

INDX? Most likely, you mean interchange format IDML? It's not normal at all if you aren't able to open this. Error message you mentioned, what it says?

Did you try to locate which page actually causes an error on export, and inspect that page more closely? Can you export successfully other pages, excluding that one?

There may be some corruption in indd file itself, or unreadable image placed, or bad font used...

Report · Oct 24, 2017

Hi,

Open the .indd file and use "Save as" to save it as .idml? (Is that what you mean by .indx... or you meant .inx?)

Open the .idml and try to export to PDF. Is this fails too, then there must be some other problem.

Are you able to export other files?

-Aman

Report · Oct 24, 2017

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Yes, idml is what I meant. I am able save it as an .idml file, but the file won't open after saving.

There is one page linked in this document that seems to be causing the problems. When I remove it the document exports fine.

InDesign used to show each linked file being processed as the PDF exports, but now it looks like the background tasks panel doesn't do that? If I could see that I would be able to narrow down the culprit. For now I'm going to try isolating the links to see if one is causing the problem.

I really don't know what the error message means: (the entire report is at the pastebin link above)

Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Exception Codes: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000000
Exception Note: EXC_CORPSE_NOTIFY
Termination Signal: Segmentation fault: 11
Termination Reason: Namespace SIGNAL, Code 0xb
Terminating Process: exc handler [0]

Report · Oct 24, 2017

I don't know either, but it's not a big problem. What's special on that page? Is there a font used only here? Try replacing it.

Further: simply delete all other pages and Save As it as a separate one-page document. Let's work on it.

Try export. Fail? Add new page in the same new doc, cut/paste all content from original page, delete that 'old' page (it's blank now). Try export. Fail? Try removing placed images one-by-one, and exporting every time. If you success at the moment, open that problem image in Photoshop and re-save, place back and try again.

Got the pattern? When you get good-working page, move that page (using Move Pages command from Pages panel menu) to your 'full' document after deleting it's damaged predecessor.

Do I need to mention: "Do backups! Work on copies!"

Report · Oct 24, 2017

It was doing something called Links. That much we can tell from the dump. Do you have any hyperlinks?

Report · Oct 24, 2017

Aha, fine. However, normally it shouldn't be a problem? At least I couldn't recall ever having any export problems because of a live hyperlinks .

Report · Oct 24, 2017

Still, if there's an option to NOT export hyperlinks, try that. If it now works, look closely at each link on the problem page.

Report · Oct 25, 2017

We have no hyperlinks in the file, just linked documents.

However, I've narrowed down some information regarding the export error. FYI, we work off of a network (I know, not "supposed" to).

WITH INDESIGN FILE SAVED ON NETWORK

EXPORT TO PDF: Crashes

PACKAGE w/PDF CREATION: Successfully exports all fonts, links, INDD, IDML. Crashes on the PDF creation.

WITH INDESIGN FILE ONLY (NOT LINKS) SAVED ON DESKTOP

EXPORT TO PDF: Crashes

PACKAGE w/PDF CREATION: Successfully exports all fonts, links, INDD, IDML. Successfully exports PDF file.

I have been able to re-create these results several times. Why would it be able to create a PDF via Package but not via Export-->PDF? Is the PDF process any different using Package?

Thanks!

Report · Oct 25, 2017

Marketing1918 wrote
Is the PDF process any different using Package?

Wouldn't be surprised if so. Just like background exporting to PDF should be identical to foreground exporting, but... it's still not.

Did export crashes always at the same stage? Did you try to localize the culprit page and repair it, as discussed above?

Working over a network isn't a crime at all, at least, in theory. It all depends how stable are your connections, ID is really picky about this. That said, if and when you're facing issues, this should be included in your troubleshooting list. However, indd file I'd definitely keep locally. You can see, too, how saving indd file locally changes the picture.

Where the package is saved? On a network? Locally? Are you able to open your idml, created along a package? Or still not? Can you export successfully from indd file from the package?

I suspect, presumably, you're facing some minor issues with your link(s) along with the minor issues related to a network. When they meet overall mass becomes critical.

Report · Oct 26, 2017

Thanks for all these suggestions!

I actually tried to work with the foreground/background export idea before going file by file through my linked assets. It was just too weird that the file could generate a PDF only in one circumstance--a bad font or link should be bad across the board.

What I found was that there is a way to disable background exports and force InDesign to process the export in the foreground (like it used to way back). I followed the instructions at the link below and exported the file directly from the network file to a folder on the network and it worked perfectly!

Seems like a hiccup in the background export process, at least with longer complex files. Hopefully posting the "solution" here helps someone else.

Background tasks won't cancel/load

Report · Oct 26, 2017

Yup. The troubleshooting list is pretty long. When PDF export fails, there are far more than one reason possible. Almost all of them were mentioned above, and one worked for you. Another day you may need something different: to collect your files locally, replace questionable font or link, re-save your indd doc as idml, combine two of above, whatever... It won't be boring, for sure