Help! Random paragraphs of text missing on PDF?

[Supafemale]

Hi

I'd really appreciate some advice on the best way to make a pdf. I've just had Indesign CS4 and the latest Acrobat installed on my Mac and some crazy things are happening when im making pdf's.

When using Indesign CS2 - I'd just create the artwork and 'Press Quality' the pdf then in Acrobat flatten it and click off 'preserve overprint' and everything came out fine. Now I make the pdf in CS4 and I've noticed there's a flattening setting in Indesign>Output - not sure if im supposed to flatten artwork with that now or what it does? Then when I go to flatten the pdf in the latest Acrobat - it doesn't seem to work anymore??

Now when im printing files I either get artwork with random missing paragraphs of text - this is when it's been distilled and flattened, but the transparencies are great OR I don't flatten it, so the text is all there, but there's white boxes around everything with a drop shadow.

I've been reading online and clicking buttons, trying and testing - so someone please save me from tearing all my hair out..

Thanks

 

[zoran]

When exporting PDF from Indesign, use one of the PDF/X presets. My recommendation would be to use PDF/X-4 preset and don't change anything.
When you open your PDF in acrobat, if it's version 9, you will be ok, if it's lower version than 9, you will have to go into Advanced/Print Production menu and check Overprint Preview to display that PDF properly.

PDF/X-4 will keep transparency intact.
If, for some reason, you don't need transparency and/or, you are dealing with printer that has ancient equipment and can not handle transparency, pick PDF/X-1a preset.

I hope this helps.

 

[Supafemale]

Hi there

Thanks for the reply! The job needed to be out yesterday, so I thought I'd call a few printers to ask what they would do and they suggested the same as you and it worked perfectly