PDF/A transparency issues

Question

I'm trying to format a file for publishing on lulu.com and want to create a pdf that both has the fonts embedded AND renders all of the png transparency correctly.

Right now, the only way I know to solve the font issue is to save it with the "PDF/A compliant" option checked, but that seems to make the png transparencies black when I need them to be white. Also, I don't know enough to understand why lulu said the font embedding was an issue since all I have is Times New Roman.

If there's a way to solve both of these problems, I would be very grateful to know. Hopefully I haven't forgotten to include anything, and that this is enough information for some kind person to help me out. Thanks!

Answer 1

You are correct that transparencies are not compatible with the PDF/A compliant option. This is not a new thing and I don't believe there is a workaround other than flattening the picture.

You might also try going to File > Info > Commercial print settings > Manage embedded fonts and uncheck 'do not embed common system fonts' and check to embed the fonts. There are a couple options to try including subset fonts.

If no  joy, as per the embedded font issue, perhaps this page from lulu might help: https://help.lulu.com/s/article/How-Do-I-Embed-Fonts-in-a-PDF?language=en_US

DavidF

Answer 2

I don't exactly know what fixed it, but I think I saved and reopened the Publisher file and when I tried after that all the fonts were embedded in the pdf. Thanks so much for your help!

Answer 3

Will this only work with the Print to PDF option? Because I tried unchecking "do not embed common system fonts" and checking "Embed TrueType fonts when saving publication" and "Subset fonts when embedding," but the result was always this when I opened it in Adobe Reader.

If the only way is to print to PDF, I tried that before and found I couldn't get the right page size that lulu wanted (5.75 x 8.75).

The PDF output should be (5.75 x 8.75) if the original Publisher publication is that dimension.

You could try the File > Export > PDF or the Save As > change file type to PDF, instead of using the Win10 PDF printer driver.

DavidF

Answer 4

Will this only work with the Print to PDF option? Because I tried unchecking "do not embed common system fonts" and checking "Embed TrueType fonts when saving publication" and "Subset fonts when embedding," but the result was always this when I opened it in Adobe Reader.

If the only way is to print to PDF, I tried that before and found I couldn't get the right page size that lulu wanted (5.75 x 8.75).

Answer 5

Hi ConnerCo,

Thank you for sharing the experience with us.

From the information provided, when you solve the font issue by saving the publisher file as PDF with "PDF/A compliant" option checked, the png transparency issue happens.

(If I misunderstand anything, feel free to correct me.)

Per my research, the transparency issue maybe related to checking the "PDF/A compliant" option when converting file to PDF. And this issue seems to happen after Windows update.

So may I know if you have updated Windows recently?

If so and if it is convenient, you may try to uninstall the update from Windows Update and check if it will fix the issue.

And I'd like to confirm the following information for troubleshooting:

1.What is the version of your Publisher? Please click File>Account, then capture a full screenshot of Product Information.

2.If it is convenient, you may share a sample file for our test.

Note: remove all personal information from the file before sharing.

For your reference: Share OneDrive files and folders

Appreciate your time and effort.

Best Regards,

Tina