Problems making a PDF from Indesign CS5

Report · Jun 01, 2010

Hi friends. I have recently switched to CS5 and I find that I usually need to close the program and then reopen it before I can make a PDF. It says it is working in the background but all it does is spin without creating the PDF. Anyone else having this problem?

TED

Report · Mar 05, 2011

I've had ALL of the problems listed in this thread! And I've tried all of the tricks! Recently I took a CS5 created file and tried making the infamous PDF. I tried CS5, CS4 & CS3 and the program was literally shut-down each time. Finally in desperation, I thought to try the "old-fashion" fix that we used to do. Print the file to a PS file. Then use distiller to make the PDF file. Guess what - CS5 has no option to print to file! Well that was frustrating! Then I looked at my list of printers and interestingly I had a print driver for ADOBE PDF. I printed to that and low-and-behold it created a PDF for me! It didn't give me any options for the PDF, but I can go into the PDF properties and pretty much fix anything I need to do! Hope this helps others. I don't look at this as a fix for the CS5 software. It needs to be figured out, but I'll use this in the mean time. I will also be looking around for other software that can do the book typesetting for me without all of these issues - one that truly handles files that have hundreds of pages, makes creating a TOC a breeze and actually does an accurate and complete Index. Does anyone have any recommendations? - Sue

Report · Mar 06, 2011

Hi Everyone

Well, as annoying as this pdf problem is, the solution is as annoying. Yes there is a solution, the only trouble is, I have no idea what it is. All I know is after one of the updates (a few months back) the problem simply went away. Now I have no problems making PDF in CS5 in the background. It doesn't freeze. Thanks for fixing it, whatever it did) but obviously there are still a lot of people suffering with the same problem. I wish I could share my secret with everyone who tried to help, but the truth is, I have no clue. I am happy, that it is fixed.

TED

Report · Mar 06, 2011

To my knowledge, there has been no update or further information since a forum user supplied a problematic file earlier in this thread?

Report · Mar 06, 2011

The 7.0.3 update addresses what Matthew was able to identify as a primary/common cause of trouble. Obviously there are still some other issues, but anyone who has NOT installed 7.0.3 should do so.

Report · Mar 06, 2011

I've installed 7.0.3 but still have erratic crashes exporting PDFs in the background. Running a foreground script to bypass the background task is the only workaround. The same applies for other background tasks, such as exporting idml documents or jpegs. No solution from Adobe support - this is after repeated fresh installs of InDesign.

Report · Mar 07, 2011

That is correct. I have received no solution. Matthew was not able to reproduce the issue.

It's Monday, and I am back to crashing on every second PDF.

I have found a solution that seems to work:

If I save the document after printing it, and close it, then open it again, and make the PDF first thing after opening it, it seems to work without crashing. And the first PDF after opening InDesign (either as the first time open for the day, or directly after a crash), also seems to work, no matter what order. But if I open a document, print it, and then make a PDF, it will hang, on any document after the first one.

Incidentally, I have not had any trouble at all exporting PDFs out of Quark (again, that is a foreground task). Don't get me wrong; I have no desire to go back to Quark, but we do still have to work with Quark files on occasion.

So, I cast my vote again for the the option to turn off background PDFing in preferences.

Report · Mar 16, 2011

All,

For failures that only occur when exporting with the default Print PDF path, the recommendation is that you submit your document to me to enable us to reproduce the issue and find the root cause and solve it. Until all root causes are resolved, use the solutions documented in the following KB doc, or utilize the forementioned script to force PDF export into the foreground:

http://go.adobe.com/kb/ts_cpsid_87876_en-us

Sincerely,

Matthew

Report · Mar 17, 2011

Hi Matthew -

Could you let me know what e-mail address or private method I can use to send you a link to download a document that is giving me consistent trouble? It is a somewhat proprietary document for a client and I'd rather not post the link in this forum.

I've tried disabling preflight, and also did this, which was recommended to me previous by Adobe support, to no avail:

1. Delete the "Datastore" folder located here:

2. HD / Library / Application Support/ Adobe / SING / Mark II / Datastore

3. Relaunch InDesign and test.

I have an open case number for this issue with Adobe support - it's 181910243. Using the script for exporting a pdf in the foreground is the only method that works for me. Attempting to export an idml of the same document also crashes InDesign, though a homemade Applescript which forces the export in the foreground works:

set this_file to choose file

tell application "Finder" to set file_name to (name of this_file)

set posix_this_file to POSIX path of this_file

set file_name to ReplaceText(file_name, ".indd", ".idml") of me

-- display dialog file_name

tell application "Adobe InDesign CS5"

open this_file

tell active document

export format InDesign markup to choose file name with prompt "Save IDML Where?" default name file_name default location posix_this_file

end tell

on ReplaceText(theString, fString, rString)

set current_Delimiters to text item delimiters of AppleScript

set AppleScript's text item delimiters to fString

set sList to every text item of theString

set AppleScript's text item delimiters to rString

set newString to sList as string

set AppleScript's text item delimiters to current_Delimiters

return newString

end ReplaceText

thank you -

Josh

Report · Mar 17, 2011

@Josh,

To send me private information, click on my name under my avatar, then on the right side of the page you'll see a link that says "Send Private Message".

Cheers!

Matthew

Report · Mar 21, 2011

Hey All,

I tried to read the whole thread and it's a hard job 🙂

The problem I've been experiencing is a bit different than discussed here but I think it is related though for me it is inherited since CS4.

What I actually need is PDFs with working bookmarks and cross references. One of the reasons to upgrade was the hope that in CS5 if would be better done and more convenient to use, which is unfortunately not exactly the case.

The problem exporting PDF for me is that _some_ of my files do the export up to the very end when pdf should be optimised for web and then pop up the "Cannot generate PDF" error box with no more explanation. I know that optimisation option is what can be switched off to complete pdf creation. That pdf would then open up in acrobat with the TOC page empty and error saying that the page is corrupted.

In my case I found a workaround - recreated the TOC styles, deleted the pages with the old TOC, inserted new pages and generated a new TOC. This helped for the file with reproducible issue.Maybe it helps someone else.

I had an adobe case 0182009446 open for TWO months and twice got a suggestion to _print_ to pdf instead of real export which cannot be a fix for me. So I closed (forced quit) the issue which the support team considered as "resolved".

A file is uploaded to that issue which reproduces the problem on my Win7 64-bit with all updates and ID 7.0.3. Support team stated that they have reproduced the issue as well and suggested to _print_.

Matthew, please take a look at the issue if you're interested and it might help you a bit.

However I have more files from CS4 that from time to time generate the same export problem. Unfortunately I have no CS4 any more and cannot export them in inx as advised here. Creating virgin templates in CS5 and copy/paste into them is a nightmare, though this is the only thing that _might_ help. At least from me it worked for a couple of files already.

I'd love to have a fix either on the ID side or telling me, what is wrong with my masters or styles or whatever can be wrong with the files that i'm creating out of my template, which is consistent for all my documents (technical references and user manuals).

Thanks!

Report · Mar 21, 2011

I really recommend you start a new topic. This one is beat to death, I'm afraid.

In CS5 IDML replaces INX. So where you would have exported to INX in CS4, please export to IDML in CS5.

Report · Mar 23, 2011

For those of you who are successfully able to export to PDF using the script or Booked document to prevent the background, threaded export, please consider this...

After not being able to reproduce a crash with some of the files I've been provided, I worked with a customer to get a crash log from his background PDF export failure. The crash log appeared to indicate an impact from the Extensis font auto-activation plug-in. If you are using any of the Extensis tools in conjunction with InDesign CS5, and are experience failures to export to PDF in the background, please disable the Extensis toolset, restart InDesign, then try to export again and see if the export is successfull. Please report results here, including the exact Extensis product ~~and version.~~

Sincerley,

Matthew

Report · Mar 23, 2011

I loaded the CS5 suite as a clean install on a new computer (Win7, 64 bit) and also installed Extensis Suitcase Fusion 3 (showing version 14.0.5.93). This installed auto activation plugins in several of the CS5 applications, including Indesign. At that point there was very little on the computer: CS5, Suitcase, Office 2010.

Despite assurances from Extensis that the application was 'good', the plugins caused *all* my CS5 applications to crash - actually, they refused to start up - apart from Photoshop 64 bit (the 32 bit installation also failed). Removal of the plugins from all CS5 applications enabled them to start and run properly (ignoring the fact that bits of Indesign don't work as they should, which is the subject of this thread).

In my case, these plugins caused a failure in the software, as opposed to a crash once the software was running. None are now installed, though Suitcase (other than this factor) appears to run correctly.

Chris

Report · Mar 23, 2011

There were known issues with the original release of Suitcase Fusion 3 on 64 bit Windows. I ran into it myself.

I'm running the same version as you on 64 bit Win 7 Ultimate with no issues at all. The only difference is that I have Office 2007 but I can't see how that would make any difference.

Bob

Report · Mar 24, 2011

Mine was a recent installation - this is the only version of Suitcase that I have installed (from a download rather than an older disk), with no updates.

Report · Mar 24, 2011

We use the Universal Type Server 2.1.1 (23).

However, on every Mac in our shop, where people have been having this problem, the moment I disable the flightcheck in InDesign, they have no more problems exporting PDFs. This has been a consistent fix for this.

Obviously, we don't want to be running forever without a preflight being done, but we also don't want to take our shop back to the dark ages of pre-font server.

If I get a moment's breathing room, I will try running this test for you, and see what happens, though, in the interest of providing a solution for all.

Report · Mar 24, 2011

Another note for self help. If you are getting a crash when exporting to PDF, open the crash log and look for Extensis and see if it has any function calls on the thread that crashed.

Matthew

Report · Apr 04, 2011

Sorry, tornados here today have kind of eat up a lot of my time, so, I haven't had a chance to try this yet, but it's Monday and we are back to every second InDesign file locking on save, even with Preflight turned off. And again, there is NO crash dialogue.

Report · Apr 04, 2011

Finder: Application > Utilities > Activity Monitor

Find InDesign. 100% or CPU%

Sample Process.

Report · Apr 05, 2011

Sorry. What?

Report · Apr 05, 2011

He wants you to check if ID is using up all your RAM. If you open it up (it'll be the top app in your utilities folder) and scroll down to ID you should see a number like 2.8 or 5.3 under % of CPU column. Should be a small number. If you're seeing something like 20% or 80% or some really large #, there is a problem somewhere. If you select ID, then hit Sample Process you'll get a readout you can paste here. I have no idea what the info means but someone will.

Report · Apr 05, 2011

Oh, thanks for the explanation.

It shows that InDesign is only using 9.3% of my 10GB of RAM.

Report · Apr 05, 2011

Sorry. What?

I meant "100% CPU or 0% CPU."

No, the amount of RAM isn't really that interesting. The amount of

processor time is. Is InDesign working really hard trying to do

something over and over? Or is it sitting there waiting for another

component to do something?

But most importantly:

"Press the Sample Process" button.

That was really the most critical part. It will tell you what

InDesign is doing. Without that, everyone is just guessing in the

dark. (Which is silly).

Good to see you got an actual crash report though.

Nothing in it really jumps out at me -- it looks like perhaps

the layout is just corrupt. But I'm not an Adobe Developer, so my

analysis is limited.

Confirm again that you trashed your preferences and saved the file

as IDML and re-opened the IDML file?

by the way: It's not a good idea to paste these hundreds of lines onto

the forum -- it makes the threads nearly impossible to read. If you're

not sure what's relevant (usually for crashes it's just the Thread 0

part), please use pastebin.com or a similar service.

Report · Apr 05, 2011

Okay, well I will give it a shot again, later, and I'll also try the thing for posting the crash log in a more tidy manner.

Meanwhile, I'm on someone else's dime here, so I've actually got to get some work done today, too. LOL

I did not go so far as going to an IDML file. But I did completely remove Universal Type Server Plug-In components, and rebooted the computer, to make sure that InDesign was not "hanging onto anything".

I would have to totally rule out the assumption of a corrupt layout. Up until this week, it was crashing on every second document opened after an InDesign restart. Today, it was crashing on every document that I tried to save after creating a PDF.

Report · Apr 05, 2011

If you have an existing layout that you're working on that crashes,

take the 5 seconds save it as IDML and re-open it. It'll be faster

than the crash recovery would be, and you'll have the strong assurance

that you've removed corruption, at least to the best degree we know

how to do.

It sounds like there's something else going on here, though.

Are your documents starting clean and fresh, or are you using an

existing template?