PDF missing images/pages when uploaded... HELP!

[Chantal]

So I've searched and searched all the forums and I haven't found the same issue I'm facing.

I have InDesign2018 and am exporting a file... no matter the setting... whether it's High Quality with no compression.. or Press... Small... whatever...

When I view the file.. all is well... when I send it to others... sometimes they are missing images or even whole pages... just blank.

When I upload it to box... issuu... or on our website directly... same thing. Images or pages are now blank. The missing items seem to be different each time and depending on who's viewing it.... WHAT THE?!

I honestly have no idea where to start.

How can I fix this?!

[Derek Cross]

Is the Preflight green?

[Chantal]

Yeah there's no errors to my file. Everything linked.

[Derek Cross]

Is this just one file or several/all of them?

.

[Chantal]

I seem to be having the issue with all my files. Whether it's small files with just a few pages... to huge documents.

16 page magazine (large file), exported to PDF format for print, saved-as to a smaller format to send a proof by email. 1 whole page missing.

16 page product announcement (much smaller file), exported High quality with no compression, press, small, etc... uploaded to an online source (box, dropbox, issuu, website). Images missing.

[Willi Adelberger]

What program do they use to open and view your PDFs? Acrobat or something else?

[Chantal]

I use Acrobat. When I view it myself, no trouble. It's when I'm providing the file to someone else (via email) or when I upload it somewhere (online, website, etc)

[Willi Adelberger]

Yes, I understood it, but you did not answer my question: What program do THEY use, those who have a problem?

[Chantal]

Not sure. Too many people to ask.

But the viewers on Dropbox, Box Issuu, and viewing it on the website does the same error. It doesn't display the file in their program but in the browser directly with the same issue.

[Chantal]

How I view it: ACROBAT

How they view it: FILE VIEWER IN BOX.COM

[Derek Cross]

Have you tried using the InDesign PDF preset PDF/X-4?

[Chantal]

I just tested it... and it's the same thing. I'm still experiencing issues. One of the images is just straight black instead of being missing.

[Derek Cross]

Have you experimented with the changing the order of the Layers in InDesign (or maybe flattening those two images in Photoshop)?

[Chantal]

Still having the same issues. Could my file be corrupted somehow? I wonder if the file is damaged beyond repair.

[Derek Cross]

Save it as an IDML and see if that removes any corruption.

[Willi Adelberger]

Only Acrobat is capable to display all PDFs correctly. You can't expect that any other viewer displays all PDFs correctly. You have to tell all users that they should use Acrobat only.

[Dov Isaacs]

Could you please point us to one of these files so we can look at it directly both in Acrobat and in other viewers and perhaps be able to definitively advise you as to whether the issue is problematic InDesign content, problematic PDF, or possibly non-Adobe PDF viewer issues.

          - Dov

[Chantal]

Here is the file in box: April2018_PA.pdf - Box

When I first click on it.. I see the photo the way "it should look" and once it's done loading... I notice the background is missing. This is the 3rd version I've uploaded. This version doesn't seem to be missing any photos whereas V1&V2 were.

[Dov Isaacs · Accepted solution]

I have found some peculiar things in this PDF file although it displays without a problem on all my systems with Acrobat DC.

(1)     Based on the generated PDF, it would appear that you set the transparency blend space to Document RGB. That's somewhat dangerous. In the InDesign document check to make sure that Edit=>Transparency Blend Space=>Document CMYK on all pages.

(2)     All content is RGB including what should be ostensibly black text. You are doing no one a favor by using R=G=B=0 “black.” It looks like the text and maybe other elements were originally CMYK and that the black text was set to overprint. Then, either the text was converted to an RGB R=G=B=0 “black” or alternatively, you exported PDF forcing conversion of everything to RGB. If so, what were you trying to accomplish?

What may be going on is that whatever is having problems rendering the PDF is getting messed up with the extra transparency groups (and especially in RGB) as well as RGB content claiming to be overprinting (overprinting is only supported for DeviceCMYK).

Exactly how was this document created? Color spaces of content? Conversions? Exact PDF export settings?

          - Dov

[Chantal]

1) I've checked and all pages are Document CMYK so I'm not sure how the blend space shows up that way

2) This is definitely unintentional. I want to print the document in its best possible quality so I want to make sure I have everything right. I might need to inspect each piece more carefully. A lot of these images are 7+ years old and are in RGB. From another search.. I read that I'm ok as long as I print PDF/X-4 with Convert to Destination (Preserve Numbers) in the output?

Just wondering if I can salvage this or if I should start over and have the photos converted to CMYK before placing them in the document?

[Dov Isaacs]

Your should not need to start over!

Export PDF/X-4 but you don't need to convert anything in terms of color. See if that works. The RGB images are not the problem. The settings you used for PDF export are likely the problem, probably converting everything that was originally in CMYK to RGB.

          - Dov

[Chantal]

So I tried the way I mentioned. here: April2018_PA.pdf - Box

I redid the first page to have one less thing to worry about and all images seem to be there.

I was using the printing presets within InDesign before to make the PDF (High Quality, Press, Small) without changing anything in the settings.

[hammer0909]

I know I'm just reiterating what others have said, but your file contains live transparency which is probably what's preventing the file from previewing correctly using methods other than acrobat. When I click on your link above, the text appears in the box.com preview briefly and then disappears. As a test, I flattened your PDF file and uploaded it to my box.com account and it previews correctly albeit with a few minor artifacts. Check it out here April2018_PA_flat.pdf - Box

[Laubender]

Hi Chad,

if you are flattening transparency there could be some objects that are overprinting.
And if that's the case some browsers or Preview app on older Mac OS X systems will not show the PDF as it should be.

The only means I know of to show a PDF in all browsers or all viewers equally* is to use:

Transparency Blend Space RGB

PDF Export:

1. Compatibility: Acrobat 4 (PDF 1.3) ( That also requires transparency flattening! )

2. Convert to Target Profile

3. Target Profile: sRGB

4. Simulate Overprint

*Of course that's not a way to produce a PDF for print production!

Regards,
Uwe

[hammer0909]

Good point Uwe! I was just trying to diagnose the problem. I could see that text appear briefly and disappear which is why flattening the PDF came to mind. As you've pointed out, I'd much rather output the PDF using your settings but I didn't have the source file 😉 As you show, your method will produce better results I'm sure but still requires flattening 😉 Thanks for the info!