Problem with importing pdf into Xara X and saving it back to pdf after making changes

I have had a very strange problem with a particular pdf file which previously printed out normally when sent to digital copier, but when I make text changes to the same file in Xara X and then convert it back to pdf through Xara, the text prints out certain letters while others come out with black rectangles covering the text. However, this problem seems to be copier/digital printer specific. in that it will print out ok to most copiers but not to CANON IRA C9065 PRO and certain higher end Canon digital copiers. In the case I am referring to, I imported a pdf file into Xara made changes to the existing text which used the "oswald" font and the saved it as a pdf which had these printout issues. I tried again changing the font to "archivo" but had similar results. All the graphix files (lpg) printed out ok though. I then converted the type to editable shapes but had the same results with the blacked out text. I had also added some text in some vacant white space in Times Roman which printed out fine.

I am not saying that this is a bug in Xara as it is possible the file contained corrupted fonts, or there were problems in the conversion back to pdf. I have never had that problem before and would love to know what possibly could have caused it.

This is how it printed out from the converted pdf. Section of document saved as jpg and cropped to remove customer info. Black rectangles cover the text which printed out as text on some copiers but the sample shows the result when printed on high end copier.


Attachment 119912

I would submit a support ticket to htpps://suppost.xara.com

Also what product and version number are you using?

Product: Xara Designer Pro X 12.8.1.50861 .
I am leaning more towards it being a problem as to the way Xara exports to pdf, as since then I tried importing the original pdf into InDesign, and made
some changes to the text and saved back to pdf and the file printed normally, i.e., as it looked on the monitor. If I am right it does'nt explain why the file from Xara printed out ok on some printers but not on others. Surely if the pdf was bad, it would show bad on the monitor and ALL printers?

Try printing the exported pdf from e.g, Acrobat ($$$) or Foxit Reader (free).

it's possible it's a setting in the xara pdf export -I assume you are using pdf/x export?

you could try a simple web pdf export and see if that prints - it won't solve the problem as such, but if it does then that is a pointer
unfortunately I'm not an expert in the settings, but maybe a member who is such as mikew, may have better ideas

some settings may be ignored by some printer drivers, but not by others... just a possibility

I had been printing from Acrobat XI, but had used Xara for converting to Acrobat pdf.

Yes, I am using the pdf/x export. A web pdf prints ok.

I believe that this is a bug in the latest release of Xara. I tried importing the original pdf into Illustrator, made the same font changes and the exported that file back to pdf FROM ILLUSTRATOR. File printed fine. The problem has to be caused by the way Xara exports to pdf.

can you post up a pdf that has this problem - we can then check it out

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Originally Posted by Phill

Product: Xara Designer Pro X 12.8.1.50861 .
I am leaning more towards it being a problem as to the way Xara exports to pdf, as since then I tried importing the original pdf into InDesign, and made
some changes to the text and saved back to pdf and the file printed normally, i.e., as it looked on the monitor. If I am right it does'nt explain why the file from Xara printed out ok on some printers but not on others. Surely if the pdf was bad, it would show bad on the monitor and ALL printers?

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I had problems with v12 that seem to have been solved by v15, you might try that. Note, you can keep 12 when you download 15.

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Originally Posted by handrawn

can you post up a pdf that has this problem - we can then check it out

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Attached is pdf showing the area most affected which when printed on certain printers came out looking like the sample I attached to an earlier email.
The pdf I tried to attached was 4 MB and too big to be accepted on this forum so I saved it at reduced size thru Acrobat, so it is possible that some of the properties were changed.

I don't know if I have much to offer you, but here's what I've found... If I open AR bad file.pdf in XDP12 or Foxit reader all I get is a thin band from the lower middle - see the screen grab. Note that the result is the same in Foxit and XDP12! I then opened AR bad file.pdf in Libre Office Draw. Lo and Behold - the whole page is visible!! I then exported it as a pdf from L.O.Draw and called the file "AR not bad file.pdf". That file opens just fine in Foxit and XDP12. I find this to be completely bizarre because the missing pics and text were not present at all in XDP12 with the bad file, yet they are all back after processing in L.O. Draw. You'd need to confirm if everything is actually there Phill.

Just my 2 cents: When it comes to making any complex document to be pdf'd I have learnt the hard way to minimise layering as it seems to get confused sometimes in printers and some pdf readers (KISS). Libre Office Draw seems to be able to get dodgy pdfs sorted and to then output a good file. Also, in my experience, if a pdf displays OK in a particular reader it should print OK from that reader if the printer drivers and a hundred other things are working as they should.

We can blame XDP12 or 15 for making a bad pdf, but it's not the only software that can do that with a complex layout.

first off I'm not an expert in PDF formatting

with adobe reader I get the same results as Jaydear does with foxit, and I get the same with XDP12

with Affinity Designer I get the full page as far as I can tell the same as JD got with libre office

if I had to guess I'd say that the file contains 'hidden' elements, that some programs/printers ignore on import/print, and some don't... but you would need a PDF expert to confirm

since the web export setting prints ok, I am faily sure it will be the pdf/x settings in xara export that are 'causing' this...

sorry I cannot be any more help

I dunno. I've never had that problem mostly, because I never "imported" a pdf. I've always just opened it as a file.

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Originally Posted by Mark321

I dunno. I've never had that problem mostly, because I never "imported" a pdf. I've always just opened it as a file.

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Tis the same difference.

As for the hidden material, if one crops a PDF in Acrobat, it's all still there. The application opening it can display it if it is made to do so.