Disappearing Text

[orka81]

Hi guys,

i have an unusual problem. PDF supplied by client (Adobe InDesign Server CS4). Goes into Rampage or Prinergy and one code disappears (same code on 2 pages) when the file is ripped. It prints fine from the originating PDF, incidentally.

Turn on Separations Preview and the code disappears.

The code is black, by the way. And it cannot be selected at all using Pitstop.

It is a layered PDF, but the code still shows when all the layers are turned off.

The workaround is to make a PS of the PDF, distill that and only then does the text become editable, and also "rippable" in either Prinergy or Rampage. What sucks about this is that the PDF originates from a company whose lawyers mandate that we not touch their PDFs at all for any reason.

The code, when it is distilled, is: HelveticaNeueLTW1G-CN, and is a Type 1 font.

Any ideas what's causing this? I've looked some on the web but haven't found anything that hasn't already been troubleshot to death.

Thanks,

Orka81

[Tracy]

I have see this too, i had to retype set
let us know if you figure it out!

[Joe]

Yeah I've seen it on those types of PDF's and I usually do something similar to what you did.

[DCurry]

I've seen that before - it's usually an annotation or some other method of adding text via Acrobat and doesn't always play nice.

[almaink]

PDF comments I'll bet. I had one like this last week. I've also seen word transparency cause ripping issues with black objects like rules and sometimes text dropping out.

[David]

I had a file supplied as a pdf with a "perf die" built in it just 3 days ago.
It wouldn't rip.
Found out they had built the die as a comment...  WTF?

[abc]

Any chance you can post the file?
Got something I would like to try with it.
I'll send it back to you afterwards to try. (promise !)

[orka81]

I can't post my file due to legal issues and all that jazz.

[DigiCorn]

I've seen that before - it's usually an annotation or some other method of adding text via Acrobat and doesn't always play nice.

Pretty certain that the file originated in InDesign and that section is "interactive text." I get this sometimes as pdf only, and what I do it save the file as a .ps and redistill (cardinal sin). Then you can select it, and outline it, or whatever.

If you can get the native ID file, then you can select it and convert it to a test field.

[orka81]

Thanks all,

I did find that by optimizing the file and turning on the "Discard all comments, forms and multimedia" option, that the text disappears as well. We'll never get the Indy files, since there are so many layers to the organization supplying the PDFs. Oh well, something to get burned on in the future.

Thanks again.

[DigiCorn]

I'm positive this is the answer, should you ever get the ID file:

[abc]

I'm pretty sure I know what the problem is, we have a fix for it in PitStop but it's not released yet.

[orka81]

ABC-

I stripped out all the text except for the offending code.

Have at it!

[abc]

Here you go. How's this one work for you?

[beermonster]

have ya tried the good old handy add a watermark flatten and convert text to outlines trick?