RH 2019: PDF Output ignoring header/footers?

[johnh87015710]

I need to ouput my content to both HTML and PDF. The HTML one is working great, in that I have the topic title automatically added in the header of the master page, displays and works well in HTML. But when I try to use the same master page in the PDF output, I either get the very first page in the PDF with a header (but no footer) and no other page has either, or there is no header/footer in sight.

How do I get the PDF output to accurately display the topic name at the start of the topic, and to display my footer on every page? I've tried every setting I can find under the PDF output, even messed with some that wouldn't seem likely, but nothing.

[Peter Grainge]

There were some problems in the earlier versions of 2019 so first check that you do have Update 8 applied. See Help > About.

Then see if in Assets > CSS that there is a pdf.css and in Master Pages that there is a Master Page. I would also create a new topic and lift those files from that to your project to ensure you have the latest versions.

Next generate with the PDF Master Page applied without making any changes to it. The appearance will not be what you want but worry about that later. Assuming it generates OK, then edit that master page to your requirements re the header and footer.

See if that helps and then post back.

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@petergrainge

[johnh87015710]

Thank you very much. I have seen others talk about "update 8" before I think, but this just got installed somewhat recently so I assumed I was on the latest, but looks like I was on 6. Unfortunately I have to wait for my IT to update it as I don't know the Adobe ID they used for this machine.... I will definitely try these suggestions though, they sound very promising!

Thank you.

[Peter Grainge]

With 2019 I don't think you need to get IT to install updates, unless company policy prohibits.

Try running the update.

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@petergrainge

[johnh87015710]

Ya I don't think the install itself would be blocked, but in order to start the install, adobe wants me to login with an Adobe ID, and this is on a shared PC, so I don't know what Adobe ID that IT used to install it, and I don't want to associate my own on it (government)

[johnh87015710]

No such luck. Got the app updated and did everything you suggested but I still just get blank headers and footers. Before I was at least sometimes getting the TOC to show one on the first page, but now I don't even get that at all...

[Peter Grainge · Accepted solution]

First let me check you are referring the new UI version of 2019 rather than the Classic version, correct?

The default PDF master page shows the project name and the page numbers. Check you are seeing that in the PDF master page.

In the Layout section of the PDF preset, the pdf master page is selected and the check box below is cleared so that the master page applies to every page of the output, correct?

If so, please try a new simple one topic project to see how that turns out.

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@petergrainge

[johnh87015710]

Thank you very much for all the replies, unfortunately...

Yes, the new UI version of 2019.

I've triple checked all settings and they match what you mentioned. I did try to create a new project, and that did seem to work fine, so I continued moving as much of that over as possible without wiping out my existing content and it still is not applying headers/footers. Creating a new topic in my existing project also does not show the headers/footers. I don't know what is wrong with my project where this doesn't work, when it works fine on a new project.

[Peter Grainge]

You say the new project worked fine but then you are not getting the headers/footers. Which is it?

Are you just looking at what you see in Author mode or in Preview?

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@petergrainge

[johnh87015710]

Sorry, so the new test project worked with headers and footers just fine. But when I try to do the same things in my original project, it still does not display those at all, the most I can get it to do is display a single header on the TOC sometimes (seems inconsistent), but never a footer and no other pages ever have a header.

I am testing by generating the PDF output and opening the PDF to look.

[Peter Grainge]

With backups in place, you can use File Explorer to copy the contents of the Contents folder and various other things to the new project.

If in doubt, send me both. See the Contact page on my site and send the project as instructed there. Do make sure you include a link to this thread and please do not email the project direct. Make sure it's clear which is which.

I'll do it tomorrow.

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@petergrainge

[johnh87015710]

Thank you very much for all the help. Even after copy pasting the content to the new project it still isn't working. I'll just have to poke at it some more, even if I have to I'll recreate it from scratch and copy/paste the content inside the files over. Thank you for offering to take a look but it has confidential info inside it and so am not allowed to send it. I'll just start from scratch, at least now I know a new project will allow it to work. Thanks!

[Peter Grainge]

Another approach would be to create a new project where the master page is working, as you indicated happened earlier. Then copy or import just one topic. Does it then break? If it does remove the content from that topic and see if there is a difference.

At that point what you could have is one topic where it works and one where it doesn't but no content that couldn't be shared.

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@petergrainge