Table header disappear when exporting to pdf

[belisir]

Hello Adobe Community I'm using Indesign and have created a table, the upper cells row I have done as Header and introduced an image in each cell. The header repeats in each single page after and this is fine. The problem appears when exporting in pdf where the header appears only on the first page and not on the followings. File was created with CS3 first than converted to the last indesign. Thanks alot for your help. Beppe

[Sunil Yadav]

Can you share IDML of this doc?

Thanks

Sunil

[belisir]

Hi Sunil thanks I did export in IDML but how to load it into the community, I do not see

[Sunil Yadav]

Reply to your original post, then you will get to see option for attachment. Or after replying click on More... and Edit reply, then you will see attachment option.

Best

Sunil

[belisir]

I got this back after uploading Correct the highlighted errors and try again. The attachment's indesign table repeating header issue.idml content type (application/octet-stream) does not match its file extension and has been removed.

[Sunil Yadav]

Thanks Belisir reporting a forum issue on attaching IDML has an error. I will raise this issue in community help, there may be we will find some solution for idml attachment problem atleats.

[vladan saveljic · Accepted solution]

it seems that indesign fails to export to pdf the headers of tables that contain graphic cells.

you could avoid the problem by anchoring images in text cells

you could also submit bug repport here

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

[yusuke.s]

I also tried it, but it seems to happen after InDesign CC2015 (ver 11.x).

I think this must be a bug.

At least my verification did not happen in CC2014 (ver 10.x)

Why don't you try it there if possible?

[Falcosoftware]

This is still a bug in InDesign 16.1

Please fix it!

[Laubender]

Hi bellsir,

I tried this with my own table, my own image and with a new InDesign 2021 document on Windows 10.

See no issues with PDF export to e.g. PDF/X-4. All the images are there. Also in the repeated table header rows.

You can download my test documents from my Dropbox account:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gtaoszuuv5lx3wx/TableHeaderWithGraphicCell-2021.zip?dl=1

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Laubender]

Hi belisir,

thanks for providing a sample document from InDesign CC 2019 version 14.0.3.433.
I did a test where I exchanged the missing images in the table header that consists of graphic cells with some of my own images on page 2. Exported to PDF/X-4.

And yes, I can confirm, that the table header images of the table with the 125 body table rows were not repeated through PDF export on pages 3 to 7 even if the layout is showing them! That's a severe bug.

Also exported to IDML, opened in InDesign 2021 version 16.3.0.24 on Windows 10 and had the same results.

Later I will try to create the table from scratch to see if the issue still exists in a new document with 16.3.0.24. Could be that your sample document is damaged because it started its life with InDesign CS3, was saved with CS4 and InDesign CC 2015 and finally worked on with InDesign CC 2019.

NOTE TO MYSELF:

In April 2021 I tried this with a table from scratch with InDesign 2021. There was no issue.

But it could well be, that the issue is only showing with more header rows and a more complex table.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( ACP )

[Laubender]

Here the bug report that a "Anonymous" did in October 29, 2020 with a link to this discussion here:

Table graphic cell header disappear when exporting to pdf
Anonymous, October 29, 2020
https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs/suggestions/41778574-table-graphic-...

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Alexandra28218520yxj1]

I want to add my addition to this post that as of today in Indesign 19.0.1 this issue is still persistent. I have images in a graphic cell in my header that won't export to pdf for the second page. I"ve tried exporting for 'Smaller File size', and 'High Quality Print' and neither have worked.

[Rishabh_Tiwari]

Hi @Alexandra28218520yxj1,

Sorry to hear about the trouble. Can you confirm if this is happening with a specific file or multiple files? Please also share the version of the Operating system.

Thanks

Rishabh

[smcdonough01]

I'm having this problem with InDesign 19.01. OS Monterey 12.7.2.  it happens with multiple files, but only when the table spills over to a second page.  The first time the header appears with images, it prints correctly.  But if the table overflows on to a second page along with the header, the images disappear. This problem has been persistent.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your patience. Could you please confirm whether you are still seeing the table header images disappear when exporting to PDF when using the latest InDesign 20.5? Let me know if the problem persists for you there, so I can validate with the team.

Looking forward to your updates.

Abhishek

[mariajean]

Hi,

Opened the same file discussed in this post from last year and "saved-as" a 20.5 file.

Exported to pdf.

Problem still persists

[Laubender]

Hi @Abhishek Rao ,

my test files are still available and also attached to my post here in this thread.

So you can test as well. See where a valid link to my Dropbox is there and also the attached files from InDesign 2024:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/table-header-disappear-when-exporting-to-pdf/m-p...

I just opened my InDesign-Document from July 2024 as a copy with InDesign 2025 v20.6 (Prerelease), saved it to my desktop and exported to PDF/X-4. The image in the table header on page 2 is still missing!

So the bug is NOT fixed in InDesign 2025.

Screenshot from my German InDesign 2025 on macOS:

Screenshot from Acrobat Pro on the same machine:

To see the bug in the second text frame of the story the text frame must be positioned on a different spread.

When one of the threaded text frames of the table is on the same spread with the start of the table, there the image in the table header is NOT missing. See my post from 2024 here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/table-header-disappear-when-exporting-to-pdf/m-p...

Kind regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Laubender]

Hi @Abhishek Rao ,

also exported my test document to IDML, opened the IDML file as document with InDesign 20.6 (Prerelease) and exported to PDF/X-4. Same result. Image in table header of spread 2 is missing.

Kind regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Laubender and everyone,

Thank you for confirming this and for sharing your detailed observations along with the test files. I'll pass this update to the product team as it will be very helpful in their investigation. I'm already discussing this with them and will share updates in the thread as soon as I have more information.

Appreciate your continued support and testing on this.

Abhishek

[mariajean]

Still happening for me. InDesign 19.3 on Mac OS Monterey 12.7.5 with a repeating third table header of all images.

Looks fine in InDesign but appears blank on pdf. Had to make it a regular, non repeating table row in order to generate an acceptable pdf proof.

[Laubender]

@mariajean said: "… Still happening for me. InDesign 19.3 on Mac OS Monterey 12.7.5 with a repeating third table header of all images."

Hi @mariajean ,

I provided a sample document some years ago with a document where the issue is not there.

Could you test my document on your machine and report the result? The Dropbox link from April 2021 is still valid:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gtaoszuuv5lx3wx/TableHeaderWithGraphicCell-2021.zip?dl=1

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[mariajean]

Thanks for your response Laubender

The InDesign file that you provided created a pdf with no issues.

I was able to duplicate my issue by deleting all tables except for the 2 tables on page 1.  When I moved the table on the right of page 1 to page 2, the images from table on page 2 do not appear on the pdf, see attached.

[BobLevine]

19.3?

19.5 is now live globally. Update and try again.

[Laubender]

FWIW: Well, 19.5.0 seems to be out now also in Germany.

Yesterday I had no access…

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )