Export PDF

users
#1

I've run into a strange occurrence in LO 4.1.4. Everytime I export to PDF I
get a error message that "PDF/A-1a forbids a transparency". Clicking OK
allows the export to continue and I don't see any problems in the resultant
PDF, but this is something I've only seen on 4.1.4. This happens with Writer
and Calc. FYI, I'm running OSx Mavericks. Is this a known problem?

Cliff

#2

Cliff,

I have seen the same with LO 4.1.x on Linux. I am not sure why this is occurring.

#3

​I can tell you that it did happen with previous versions. It's only shown
if you have transparent items in the document, so it might not show up all
the time.

Now, to know what is transparent is more complicated. It could be an image
with an alpha channel (even if completely opaque). It might also be
anything that LO treat as transparent (mayber borders, some special
characters, etc... I don't really know). The thing is, if your output is
correct, it's probably the kind of transparent item that get converted to
white image over white background... no worries.

However, a bit of warning from personal experience: a few years ago, some
people (mainly using Acrobat Reader I believe) couldn't open PDF/A-1, while
these same files would open fine on pretty much anything: gnome document
viewer, kde viewer (okular), foxit on windows... Pretty funny if you
consider that PDF/A-1 is supposed to work for long term storage. You should
double-check that your files open with this certain reader, just to be sure
:slight_smile:

#4

Cliff Scott-2 wrote

I've run into a strange occurrence in LO 4.1.4. Everytime I export to PDF
I
get a error message that "PDF/A-1a forbids a transparency". Clicking OK
allows the export to continue and I don't see any problems in the
resultant
PDF, but this is something I've only seen on 4.1.4. This happens with
Writer
and Calc. FYI, I'm running OSx Mavericks. Is this a known problem?

Yes. It started occurring in the v3.6 series. I reported it here:

https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=65439

It appears to be a default warning for PDF/A-1a that needs to be amended
either for improved contextualisation or to make it clearer exactly why the
warning is being shown. It is a minor issue and there is no clear indication
(yet) on which is the preferred option.
Best wishes, Owen.

#5

Take this with a grain of salt, as I'm running LO 3.5.7.2 (stock Ubu 12.04), but I think you could get away with it by unchecking the "PDF/A-1a" checkbox under File->Export as PDF... The option should stick, so LO should produce PDF with transparencies with no fuss from there on.

My 2 cents.

#6

** Reply to message from Marcello Romani <mromani@ottotecnica.com> on Mon, 10
Feb 2014 08:28:09 +0100

> I've run into a strange occurrence in LO 4.1.4. Everytime I export to PDF I
> get a error message that "PDF/A-1a forbids a transparency". Clicking OK
> allows the export to continue and I don't see any problems in the resultant
> PDF, but this is something I've only seen on 4.1.4. This happens with Writer
> and Calc. FYI, I'm running OSx Mavericks. Is this a known problem?
>
> Cliff
>

Take this with a grain of salt, as I'm running LO 3.5.7.2 (stock Ubu
12.04), but I think you could get away with it by unchecking the
"PDF/A-1a" checkbox under File->Export as PDF... The option should
stick, so LO should produce PDF with transparencies with no fuss from
there on.

My 2 cents.

Thanks for your "2 cents".

It does, in fact, not have any problems using the other PDF modes. Guess
Tagged mode is the standard these days anyhow.

Cliff

#7

Two other ways

1 - Try

choose PDF for the format
Then work with the options to see what works for you.

2- Use an external PDF printer

doPDF for Windows [free]
CUPS-PDF for Linux.

Those PDF printers have some good things and bad things. CUPS-PDF will only print as Portrait so Landscape is viewed sideways. IT is meant to keep the paper/image as it would be as a physical printer, which is Portrait paper feeding.

SO if Export to PDF is causing problems, then try #1 and if that does not help, add the external PDF printers.

Works for me. My default printer on Ubuntu is CUPS_PDF and on Windows is doPDF.

#8

** Reply to message from Kracked_P_P---webmaster <webmaster@krackedpress.com>
on Mon, 10 Feb 2014 14:36:17 -0500

More good options. Thanks!