Photoshop CS4 PDF Exporting Problem

[sholdzy]

Hey guys,

I've noticed lately that when trying to export a pdf in the new Photoshop CS4 that text does not show up unless it is rasterized. Has anyone else noticed this, or found a solution to it?

Thanks in advance,

Carson

[garricks]

What setting are you using when exporting?

[sholdzy]

I've just been using the default settings, I've tried high quality print and smallest file size, but they both have the same problem.

In the warning section it says:

"The preset specifies that some fonts are not embedded. This application always embeds fonts.
Fonts with protection against embedding and OCF fonts cannot be embedded."

But I'm using Helvetica.. so I wouldn't think that is an issue. I just tried Arial as well, and no luck.

Edit:

And to add on to all that, in the thumbnail you can see the text, but not when it is opened in preview.

[garricks]

:confused:

Huh.

Gimme a couple of minutes, I'll be right back.

[sholdzy]

haha yea, i'm confused too. There isn't a big rush on this at all but it would be nice to figure out eventually. Thanks!

[garricks]

Well, I get the same warning, but the fonts are correctly embedded into the PDF and they render correctly on the screen...

Anybody else?

[joeltoombs]

Hiya.

Am having exactly the same problem - although strangely I've not had the error message.

Have had to flatten the image in order to export to PDF with text intact. It's only Arial what's the problem!

Is there a button somewhere to turn text to vector or something?

Ta if you can help!

[eugenetyson]

Keep the text on layers and don't rasterise

Save with Acrobat 6 or above and preserve the layers

The type should be fine.

[sholdzy]

The only way to have the text show up is if you do rasterize it, that's my point.

[eugenetyson]

I'm not sure that's true - I don't have CS4 so I can't say it for certain.

I just think you're doing it wrong.

Off to get the Trial.

[sholdzy]

Lol if it wasn't true I wouldn't be posting asking for help...
Never had the problem in previous editions so I doubt I'm doing it wrong.

[Gadget]

Those who are having trouble: on a Mac or PC?

[eugenetyson]

Well I'll have the 30 day trial in about 10 minutes.

So it would be interesting to see.

Perhaps you just need to refresh your preferences

Close photoshop - open it again and hold down CTRL (CMD on mac) Alt and Shift and select Yes when asked.

See if it helps.

[sholdzy]

I've done that a few times, but no luck.

I've come to realize that some fonts do show up, but only those that don't have a layer style attached to them. Any suggestions to that?

[eugenetyson]

I just exported a PDF fine there with text in it.

The next questions were going to be "What font?" and "any layer effects?"

Well I did apply some Layer Effects

And they Type still comes out clean and sharp.


What's the native resolution of your photoshop file?

Make sure you are not upscaling the data in the file with the Compression


So when you go File>Save As>PDF

Choose Layers to be ticked

Save


On General

Compatibility Acrobat 6 (PDF 1.5)

Preserve Photoshop Editing Capabilities

(next bit is up to you really)
Compression
Bicubic Downsampling to 300 ppi
for images above 450 ppi

Compression Zip

Image quality 8bit
tick convert 16/bit/channel image to 8 bits/chanell



That's more less it


Text outputs just fine and the text is there, as vector, and the Layer effects are raster, but the text is clean vector edges.

[sholdzy]

I don't want the photoshop editing capabilities turned on because the PDFs are going to clients. Even if I do leave them on nothing changes.
I'm using Helvetica, and it works fine without a layer style, but with one (color overlay) it doesn't show up. Maybe the default color is the same as the background and the layer style is totally ignored?

[eugenetyson]

Ah the plot thickens so

You'll have to post screen shots of your settings and what the text is and what you're doing.

At first it was just text not showing up. Then it's text and layer effects. Then it's Text and blending modes.

I just tried some text there with blending modes and smallest file size and photoshop editing turned off and it worked just fine.

So if you can do a Share My Screen and I can help you first hand, or if you post some screen shots perhaps we could help further.

It's impossible to tell what you're doing though.

[Gadget]

I can't reproduce the problem on my Mac. Do you have the latest updates? (11.0.1)
I'm currrently updating my PC to CS4.

[joeltoombs]

I'm using a Mac.
None of those settings changes the result unfortunately...
When I export to PDF the drop shadow from the text does export across but the text itself does not:http://www.steelroots.org.uk/media/Picture%202.pngthis is what it should look like:
http://www.steelroots.org.uk/media/Hub09FLIERback.jpg

[sholdzy]

OK, here it goes. I'll just post links to my server to make it easier for me (sorry for those of you that hate this).

Here is a shot of what it should look like. http://carsonshold.com/temp/help/homepage.png
Here is the settings for a high quality print. http://carsonshold.com/temp/help/highquality.png
Here is the settings for smallest file size. http://carsonshold.com/temp/help/smallestsize.png
Here's what the PDF looks like in each case (you have to download I'm sorry). http://carsonshold.com/temp/help/Home.pdf

Now, I said before that some fonts were showing up, and now none of them are (now you'll all think I'm lying but I didn't not change a thing).

What makes me go crazy is that the thumbnail shows the fonts, and when you open the PDF in Photoshop they show up, just not in Preview on a Mac, or ImageViewer on a PC.

They are all saved out with the layers selection checked, but without Photoshop editing capabilities enabled (even enabled they don't show up in the PDF).

Notice the warning on the smallestsize.png, it must have something to do with this.

Thanks to all that are helping.

[eugenetyson]

So it's just not showing up in Preview?

Most people open a PDF in acrobat reader or higher.

The screen shot of photoshop and the PDF look identical.

And I reckon the Preview on Mac and Windows just shows a raster event of the actual file and not the file itself - I'm not 100% sure of that though.


The only thing I can see that's lo-res and raster regarding type is in the logos.

[Gadget]

The PDF looks fine to me using preview on the mac. Nothing missing as far as I can tell.

[eugenetyson]

Same here everything looks ok. I did leave a post as the last comment on page 1, just in case it was missed

[sholdzy]

Wait, the text shows up when you look at it in Acrobat? (Testing)
You're right.. I guess the problem lies in Preview then. Bah. Time to start a new thread haha.

Thanks for the help!

[eugenetyson]

Glad to have helped.

It's probably that Preview does use Raster only and generates a thumbnail to display rather than the real file.

[eugenetyson]

Oh and if you don't want to use Photoshop editing capabilities, it's fine to leave it off.

But make sure you save a .psd of the file for editing purposes, so you can repurpose a new pdf if needed.

Remember PSD files output as raster, but you can still edit the layers and the vectors and text of a psd file.

If you need it for print then send a pdf so that your vectors and text come out sharp and clean.

[joeltoombs]

glad you got it sorted Sholdzy but can anyone help me?! my text problem is not to do with preview!

[eugenetyson]

So what exactly are you doing and what settings are you using. What programs are you using.

What can I help you with.

I saw your screen shots, and I'm not sure what's going on.

[joeltoombs]

When I export to PDF from photoshop the text goes missing. In a nutshell.
CS4 11.0.1 on a Mac

[eugenetyson]

Fancy sending the PSD by yousendit.com or other such site? It can send up to 100mb for free. If you don't want to post the download link here you can pm me.


If you can't Save it to a PDF then try Printing to a PDF instead

[joeltoombs]

It's to send to the printers. I need a resolution not just to avoid PDFs forever!

[joeltoombs]

ie. it needs to be PDF-x1a

[eugenetyson]

Ok this is for InDesign

but it still goes through photoshop settings and guides for making a pdf

http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/cs3/articles/cs3_printguide.html

[joeltoombs]

I know how to make a PDF - its just that the text work disappears on exporting. That's my problem. If I give the text a shadow the shadow exports just not the text. Bizarre.

[eugenetyson]

Please send me the file. Pretty please.

I've done this type of work a lot and I know how it works. I just need to see what way you're set up.

Even post screen shots of your layers or something.

[joeltoombs]

https://rcpt.yousendit.com/690912660/e30e214e395ed17efe7e8b4aa189fd46
please do have a look...

[joeltoombs]

is it anything to do with some difference between Photoshop PDF and any other type - and how my Preview application (default on Mac) is reading it?

[eugenetyson]

Are you just looking at it in Preview? Try opening it in Acrobat

[urstwile]

I agree with eugenetyson, best to look at this in Acrobat (full version). Odds are strong your print provider will not be working with it in Preview.

I have seen Preview do odd things with fonts with PDF's created from Adobe software (like InDesign and Photoshop). Are the fonts TrueType, by any chance? Do you get the same result with Postscript Type 1 fonts?

[Pensiur]

Are the typefaces freebie TT fonts? They will not embed without licensing. If you can outline them in Illy then they will embed into a pdf. You may just need to change you typeface.
And for the LOVE OF ALL THAT'S ETHICAL, don't send the problem on to your printer.