[Solved] PDF saved as a Blank Page

[MrProgrammer]

The open office document I am saving has images and originally had imported fonts.
I used "export as" and checked archive, PDF/A-2b.
A website said there were issues with embedded fonts.
I changed the fonts to Bell MT and Times New Roman - (I think Bell MT came with the software?).
There is a script in an imported image, but that is not important is it?
When I open the PDF it is entirely blank - white.
Have never had this problem before.
please help, and please be forewarned, I am not computer savvy.

Thanks sincerely.
The odt is too large to include. Sorry.

[Zizi64]

Please upload sample files here: an .odt file and the .pdf version.

[asherblake]

Hi,
greetings to Budapest.
It wouldn't let me upload the .odt because of file size.

[Zizi64]

It wouldn't let me upload the .odt because of file size.

Then share it in a free file sharing service (Google drive or other) and put the link into a post in this forum.

[asherblake]

Is that really necessary Zizi64? I don't know how to do that.

[Hagar Delest]

Have you checked the menu Tools > Options > Writer > Print? In the Content column, is Pictures and objects checked?

[John_Ha]

Is that really necessary Zizi64?

Yes

I don't know how to do that.

Google for how or upload it to https://www.mediafire.com/

[Bill]

@asherblake: Your signature says that you're using OpenOffice 4.1.7. I opened the uploaded pdf file with a text editor and found that it was produced by LibreOffice 6.3. Please correct your signature if you're using LibreOffice.

The open office document I am saving has images and originally had imported fonts.

What are these "imported fonts"? Are these fonts that were installed on the computer that produced the document?

I used "export as" and checked archive, PDF/A-2b.
A website said there were issues with embedded fonts.

Were these the "imported fonts"? Does the license of the fonts allow embedding?

I changed the fonts to Bell MT and Times New Roman - (I think Bell MT came with the software?).

Bell MT and Times New Roman are probably supplied by Microsoft. They are not supplied by Apache OpenOffice or LibreOffice.

[John_Ha]

1. The problem lies in the .odt file.
2. I can probably guess about six reasons for it not least based on the fact that no fonts are embedded in the PDF.
3. Upload the document or a small one page sample .odt file (small or no images etc) showing the problem. It is then diagnosis and not guesswork.

[asherblake]

OK thanks everyone.
I put it on mediafire.com here: http://www.mediafire.com/file/yaccqrioi ... ell_MT.odt

I also changed my signature - thought i had the most recent open office, sorry about that.
Thanks.
Oh, and HagarDelest, yes pictures and objects was checked.

[John_Ha]

It works properly in AOO. It creates a good PDF with PrimoPDF.

It seems to work almost fine with LO 6.3.5.2 to a PDF/A-2b except the bar code seems overlaid by a brown background. I used jpg compression.

PDF is here

I then deleted the bar code and dragged a GIF file barcode back into its place. When I exported it to a PDF I got only the bar code!

There is something very strange with the file and/or with LO. The more I played with it the stranger it became. Inserting it into an empty file, which is usually the best way to clear anomalies, caused the file to go to two pages and break up.

Edit: On reflection, it was my fault the pages broke up as I did not set the page size of the new document to be the same (or bigger) than the original.

I finally decided it was probably mainly a bug in LO. When I delete the brown background all else prints OK. But putting it in and wrapping it in Background then causes only it to be printed - nothing on the front cover is printed. That looks like a bug.

You need to experiment with various options to see if you can pin it down. You have two large brown backgrounds (you should delete one) which overlap and they hide two blocks of white text which you have forgotten to delete. Pay attention to wrap options. I cannot recall if images can be sent forwards and backwards or if only draw objects (and frames?) can be.

You might try:

1. Extract the images and text from this file
2 Start a completely new, empty file and create this again from scratch. Anchor things to the page. Keep testing a PDF.
3 Insert the brown background last and set it to Wrap in Background which makes sure everything else is in front. If you insert it first it makes it tricky selecting other things.

Your lions image is badly "scratched with white lines" at the top. If you use a clone tool you could repair it.

See [Tutorial] Some useful hints on using images for a discussion on how best to handle images in Writer.

[asherblake]

John Ha,
Thank you so much for looking into this.
I couldn't even get it to print on Primo PDF - it just came back blank again.
Maybe if I rebuild the image like you said. But I am not aware of doing anything different with this image than other times.

Thanks, very much

[asherblake]

John Ha,
Hi, I see you put a link to the PDF you got (I guess PrimoPDF worked for you, which it did not for me).
When I sent this to the print on demand website, altering nothing, even the ISBN, I got the same message, that fonts were not embedded.
Any idea why?
Let me ask a second question. If I start from scratch on this, can I use any font?
How can I be certain I am using a font that will embed? If you can help?

Thanks,
Asher

[John_Ha]

The link is to the LO version.

AOO works so you could use AOO.

Any font will be OK as long as it can be embedded - see File > Properties > Fonts ..., in the PDF. The TestFonts add-on will tell you if any fonts are missing from the .odt.

You could try using standard PDF, not /A-2b.

Let me create a PDF for you.

[John_Ha]

Let me create a PDF for you.

The AOO .odt file is here

The AOO created PDF is here

Both need a title on the front page.

[asherblake]

Wow ok John - that is really nice of you.
I looked at the PDF and it is missing the title!
I saw your offer, and if it is just a favor, that would be great, so I was working on changing it a bit
and came up with this
http://www.mediafire.com/file/q2j5x3wa2 ... L.odt/file

can you make this into a PDF? Or is this one cursed?
Well, thanks for trying at least.

[John_Ha]

See Cover 1f SBL jh v2.odt and Cover 1f SBL jh v2.pdf created with AOO 4.1.7.

I assume you want the grey borders on the front and rear covers.

I set the separation between front and back covers to be midway.

You should not use spaces to align things - I deleted all those spaces and used Align Central so that everything lines up when the boxes extend to the page edges.

I remain confused about the fonts perhaps because I don't have SBL Hebrew. As a consequence SBL Hebrew is not embedded in the PDF - you need it to be so the printer gets it correct. These fonts are embedded in my PDF.

Clipboard01.png (11.63 KiB) Viewed 772 times

You could try doing it in LO Draw and see if it creates a good PDF. Alternatively you can download AOO and have it co-exist with LO. AOO will be associated with .odt etc files so you will need give LO back all its file types (or reinstall LO after installing AOO so it overrides AOO's associations).

[John_Ha]

Also, I used AOO to create a new, empty file Untitled 1.odt and I inserted Cover 1f SBL jh v2.odt with Insert > File - see here.

I opened Untitled 1.odt with LO and it produces a good Untitled 1.PDF - see here

I remain confused. TestFonts does not say SBL Hebrew is used or missing. The XML shows fonts SBL Hebrew, Harting and Algerian are being used. Perhaps they are empty paragraphs.

Edit: File updated after deleting unused rectangle in .odt, LO created PDF added. TestFonts may not look at text inside Draw rectangles

You would be better using Insert > Frame ..., instead of Draw rectangles as you have much more control. A Frame is like a "miniature page" which is completely isolated from the page on which it sits.

[RoryOF]

John: the title box on lefthand page of the original uses SBL Hebrew, although, as you say, Testfonts does not show this. Ditto main title on rh page

Edit: Some of the Harting is invoked in the XML in the spaces of main title on right page, but, without analysing in any depth, it seem to be invoked in a paragraph style and then immediately cancelled by a text style. There are a number of para/text styles defined, but not used. Harting and Algerian, although invoked in the XML, do not show up in TestFonts.

[John_Ha]

Rory

Maybe TestFonts does not look inside Draw objects.

There is a Harting 35pt at the top left of the box surrounding Asher Blake. It doesn't have an end of para marker. Arrow back from the A in Asher. There is a tiny rectangle under the H in the title on the rear cover which I have now deleted.

Edit: Got it. The boxed are Draw "rectangles with text" and not Writer frames - hence no end of paragraph markers.

As an aside, how do I select something when there is an image set to wrap in Background and the object is in front of the image? I always get the image when I l-click though it seems if I click often enough, I sometimes get the object. My workaround is to move the image out of the way or even delete it and then put it back. SHIFT- and Ctrl and right-click don't select it.

Edit: Sometimes it works if I do not have the background image highlighted and then I l-click the object it gets selected. That doesn't work on the front cover trying to select the title or author.

[MrProgrammer]

As an aside, how do I select something when there is an image set to wrap in Background and the object is in front of the image?

Use the Navigator (F5).

The Cover 1e Bell MT.odt document from the OP is a mess. Here's what I'd do.
• Delete Shape1, Shape3, Shape4, Shape5, and Shape13
• Anchor the remaining Draw Objects, except Shape8, to the page
• Select Shape8, which is two Draw objects, and use Edit → Cut
• File → New → Drawing → Edit → Paste
• Use the Tab key to select the background object then Edit → Cut
• Paste it into Writer, anchor it to the page, and send it to the background (Format → Arrange)
• In Draw, select the other object, Modify → Name → Shape0, Edit → Cut
• Paste it back into Writer and anchor it to the page
• Use Format → Object → Position → FromLeft=3.1 → FromTop=3.1
• Anchor all the Graphics (Image1-Image4) to the page
• Send Image2 to the background

I think that fixes most of the problems. I did not explore any "font" issues. It seems to me that the project should be done entirely in Draw.

Edit: There is a bunch of junk in the Pictures directory of the ODS — multiple copies of the Bright Lion image, an unused sparrow drawing, etc.

Your lions image is badly "scratched with white lines" at the top.

I don't see that problem using AOO 4.1.7 on MacOS 10.14. It is a small image (250 by 160) and will not magnify well but looks OK if it is small in the document.

[John_Ha]

Thanks for the tip. I was doing it but I was hoping there was a "circle through the alternatives" function one finds in CAD packages.

Here's what I'd do ... I think that fixes most of the problems.
It seems to me that the project should be done entirely in Draw.

That is pretty much exactly what I did - even down to recommending Draw.

One tricky problem was the two halves each have an image set to wrap in Background so the entire page is covered by an image which means there is nowhere to click to "reset" things. I added a second page to give me some space.

It works much easier in Writer if I use frames for all the bits though I then need to set the frame background to be transparent so as to see the background shine through. LO frames can have transparency but AOO frames cannot.

I also split the page into two columns to give easy alignment for the front cover objects - they offset from the column separator. See LO - frames.odt which creates a good PDF.

r-clicking an object to use the option to set size and position makes alignment easy. I added borders to the objects and deleted the Draw rectangles used only to provide borders.

I still cannot work out why the original fails in LO. While what we are suggesting is better, the original file works in AOO, so must be good enough. However, it fails in LO so I think there is a bug in LO.

Your lions image is badly "scratched with white lines" at the top.

I don't see that problem using AOO 4.1.7 on MacOS 10.14. It is a small image (250 by 160) and will not magnify well but looks OK if it is small in the document.

The actual image is 408 x 573 in ...\Pictures. Note the artefacts - they may be light reflections.

[John_Ha]

When I sent this to the print on demand website, altering nothing, even the ISBN, I got the same message, that fonts were not embedded.
Any idea why?

Probably because no text is displayed in the PDF so no fonts are needed so none are embedded.

In a PDF, File > Properties > Fonts ..., says which fonts are embedded.

Some fonts are prevented by licence from being embedded. And, of course, if you don't have the font it won't be embedded. Both AOO and LO embed all used fonts by default into a PDF.

Remember that the font showing in the Writer font drop-down selection box is the font the document is asking for.

If the font being asked for is not installed on the PC, Windows (or other operating system) will silently substitute a different font which is available, and use that substitute font to display the text. Any substitute font used is embedded in the PDF.

The TestFonts add-on is invaluable for finding missing fonts which the document is asking for, but which are not installed on the PC. It works in Writer but it does not examine text in a Draw object like a rectangle.

You can see which fonts are installed on a Windows PC by Start > Control Panel > Fonts ..., or by clicking C:\Windows\Fonts, or by scrolling through the font list in Writer.

AOO does not directly tell you a font is missing - you have to highlight a character/locate the cursor and go Format > Character ..., when you will be told.

Format > Character > Font

LO has a nice feature: if the font is missing the font name in the fonts box is italicised. The original file calls for Bell MT font but this is missing on my PC.

LO italicises a missing font

[asherblake]

Y'all have done so much work here, thank you.
Looks like I'm going to have to start from the beginning with Draw.
Thank you again for being willing to help.

Asher

[Bill]

Looks like I'm going to have to start from the beginning with Draw.

I don't know if that will help. Something is happening on your computer that I can't reproduce. I downloaded your .odt file, opened it with LO 6.4.3.2 Writer and exported a .pdf file. The .pdf file appeared to be perfect and did have fonts embedded. The Bell MT font was not embedded because it was not installed on my computer. However after installing Bell MT and re-exporting the .pdf, Bell MT was embedded. From what I'm seeing, it appears that either your version of LO has a bug, the installation on your computer is corrupt, the user profile on your computer is corrupt, or some external program on your computer is interfering with LO.

My .pdf file is about 822KB compared to your 13KB. A .pdf export of a new blank .odt file is 13KB.

[Bill]

It seems to work almost fine with LO 6.3.5.2 to a PDF/A-2b except the bar code seems overlaid by a brown background. I used jpg compression.

I saw the same problem with LO 6.3.5.2, but not with LO 6.4.3.2.

[John_Ha]

Bill

If I download the original file and open it with LO 6.3.5.2 it looks OK but when I export it to a PDF/A-2b, it gives a brown background to the barcode.

If I then send both brown backgrounds to the back Writer reveals two sets of white letters which I delete. Just to be sure I bring the barcode to the front. It looks fine in LO Writer but the PDF/A-2b still has brown behind the barcode as in the screenshot below.

Edit: Saving to a standard PDF also gives a brown background to the barcode

If I open it in AOO 4.1.7 a brown background covers everything on the left and the title is missing on the right. If I send both brown backgrounds to the back the white text is revealed which I delete. The griffin at bottom right is a white rectangle - I send it back one level to reveal the griffin. I have to send the front cover image backwards to reveal the title. It now looks OK. When I export it to a PDF (AOO does not offer the /A-2b option) it is exported correctly.

[John_Ha]

Bill

I quickly created a completely new one in LO 6.3.5.2 Writer.

I added the page backgrounds, added Draw rectangles with text and white borders, added the wolf photo with a white border, the griffin with a white border, and the barcode.

LO created me a PDF without any problems.

So I am pretty sure it is the original file causing the problem.

There was however one quirk. When I added the wolf photo the brown background obscured everything and the text on the front cover disappeared. Resetting to background brought them back.

nb - I could not reply to your message - SVM is a Star View Metafile used by AOO and LO - it had the wolf image.

What is an SVM file?
File used by OpenOffice and LibreOffice, which are office productivity suites; stores vector and raster graphics when inserting or copying images between the different programs of the respective suites; similar to the Windows Metafile format used by the .WMF file.

[John_Ha]

Looks like I'm going to have to start from the beginning with Draw.

No - download some the files I uploaded in my earlier posts with the "here" links. They should work fine. I have deleted some of the earlier ones but the last five are still there.

For example

Also, I used AOO to create a new, empty file Untitled 1.odt and I inserted Cover 1f SBL jh v2.odt with Insert > File - see here.
I opened Untitled 1.odt with LO and it produces a good Untitled 1.PDF - see here

I also split the page into two columns to give easy alignment for the front cover objects - they offset from the column separator. See LO - frames.odt which creates a good PDF.

[asherblake]

Thank you all very much.
Thank you John, Bill, Rory, and Mrprogrammer.
You really worked as hard on this as I did, and I feel bad about that, but I appreciate you, your diligence and skill.
Be well.