Export to PDF changes white to black

Discuss the presentation application
Post Reply
aaronkrerowicz
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2017 8:14 pm

Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by aaronkrerowicz »

I have several slideshows that I'm trying to export as PDFs - something I've done dozens of times before without difficulty - but now the white background exports as black, rendering the text illegible. I'm attaching two screen shots to illustrate the problem. I don't understand why this is happening. Anybody have suggestions?
Attachments
does look like.png
should look like.png
OpenOffice 3.1 on Windows Vista
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34586
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by RoryOF »

There is an image (or something) with the orange brackety symbols behind the text. Is it necessary?
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
aaronkrerowicz
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2017 8:14 pm

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by aaronkrerowicz »

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but there is a background (the orange-outlined musical notes), over which there is a nearly-transparent white square with a black border, on top of which there is the text. Does that answer your question?
OpenOffice 3.1 on Windows Vista
User avatar
Zizi64
Volunteer
Posts: 11353
Joined: Wed May 26, 2010 7:55 am
Location: Budapest, Hungary

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by Zizi64 »

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but there is a background (the orange-outlined musical notes), over which there is a nearly-transparent white square with a black border, on top of which there is the text. Does that answer your question?
Please upload an ODF type sample file here.
Tibor Kovacs, Hungary; LO7.5.8 /Win7-10 x64Prof.
PortableApps/winPenPack: LO3.3.0-7.6.2;AOO4.1.14
Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34586
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by RoryOF »

A quick test suggests this is to do with the transparency and the PDF settings; try unchecking PDF/A-1a on the General tab of the Export as PDF dialog.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
aaronkrerowicz
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2017 8:14 pm

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by aaronkrerowicz »

The "PDF/A-1a" box has been unchecked all along, but I tried checking that box and trying again, just to see what happens, and it gave me this error:
Attachments
problems during pdf export.png
problems during pdf export.png (9.65 KiB) Viewed 4168 times
OpenOffice 3.1 on Windows Vista
aaronkrerowicz
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2017 8:14 pm

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by aaronkrerowicz »

I just tried changing that white box from 15% transparency to 0% and now it exports properly. But I have hundreds of slides that I want to export. Going one by one and changing the transparencies to 0% would work but would take hours. Is there a less time-consuming way? I never had this problem (they would export without problem even with 15% transparency) until about a month ago.
OpenOffice 3.1 on Windows Vista
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34586
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by RoryOF »

If you have recently updated OpenOffice, perhaps the easiest solution is to revert to the earlier version.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
John_Ha
Volunteer
Posts: 9583
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:51 pm
Location: UK

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by John_Ha »

Upload a one or two page file so it can be analysed - all else is guesswork.
LO 6.4.4.2, Windows 10 Home 64 bit

See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
aaronkrerowicz
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2017 8:14 pm

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by aaronkrerowicz »

I'm trying to upload a 1-slide ODP file that won't export properly, but I keep getting an error: "The file is too big, maximum allowed size is 128 KiB." Even at one slide, the file is 625 KB. I don't understand why it's so large!
OpenOffice 3.1 on Windows Vista
User avatar
Zizi64
Volunteer
Posts: 11353
Joined: Wed May 26, 2010 7:55 am
Location: Budapest, Hungary

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by Zizi64 »

I'm trying to upload a 1-slide ODP file that won't export properly, but I keep getting an error: "The file is too big, maximum allowed size is 128 KiB." Even at one slide, the file is 625 KB. I don't understand why it's so large!
Always use optimized pictures in your documents. Not needed a too high resolution, and color depth for a picture what covers only the one quarter (or less) of the screen in a presentation. And it is enough lesser resolution and color depth for the background pictures.

Yes, the 625 KB size is too big for a one-slide presentation.

Use the lossless compression (the .png file type) for the lineart type images.

(You can share the larger files on a free file sharing service. )
Tibor Kovacs, Hungary; LO7.5.8 /Win7-10 x64Prof.
PortableApps/winPenPack: LO3.3.0-7.6.2;AOO4.1.14
Please, edit the initial post in the topic: add the word [Solved] at the beginning of the subject line - if your problem has been solved.
John_Ha
Volunteer
Posts: 9583
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:51 pm
Location: UK

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by John_Ha »

You can upload it to a file share site or Google Drive or Dropbox.

If you can edit the image to reduce its pixel count or number of colours while retaining the problem you should be able to get it below 128 kB. See [Tutorial] Some useful hints on using images for a discussion on how best to handle images in AOO and reducing image file sizes.
LO 6.4.4.2, Windows 10 Home 64 bit

See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34586
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by RoryOF »

A typical dpi value for an image to be projected is 150dpi; unless one is using very high res projectors there is no need to go beyond this.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
John_Ha
Volunteer
Posts: 9583
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:51 pm
Location: UK

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by John_Ha »

Tools > Minimise presentation ..., reduces image file sizes.
LO 6.4.4.2, Windows 10 Home 64 bit

See the Writer Guide, the Writer FAQ, the Writer Tutorials and Writer for students.

Remember: Always save your Writer files as .odt files. - see here for the many reasons why.
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34586
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Export to PDF changes white to black

Post by RoryOF »

So it does; my preference is to build a master copy of a presentation using linked graphics, do all editing on this, then make a projection copy using /Tools /Minimise presentation. An old habit, as I have sometimes had to make best quality printed copies of a presentation and its notes. But we each have our own preferred methods of working.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
Post Reply