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Problems with images disappearing in PDFs/printing

Yesterday, while printing up some digital sewing patterns, images suddenly disappeared from the files when viewed using Preview. I thought it was just one file, but upon opening other files, it appears to be ALL of them. These are instruction files and yardage files. Certain types of images show up, but none of the images accompanying the instructions are showing up. Text, lines, captions are still there, just no images. Also, when trying to print these files, none of the missing images will print either.


Further, what's odd is - the images DO show up when viewed using Chrome or Adobe Reader, however they still don't print. I've checked settings, rebooted, repaired permissions... same issue. I'm at a loss and I have a ton of patterns I need to print up.


This is how the file looks in Chrome and Adobe Reader - but again, the missing images still don't print regardless of what software I use to view them.

User uploaded file


This is how it looks when viewed in Preview AND when printed. My husband can view and print them just fine, so it's not the file.

User uploaded file

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.2), 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7, 8 GB RAM

Posted on Sep 8, 2016 6:46 PM

Reply
7 replies

Sep 9, 2016 9:01 PM in response to Lotusx

IN SUMMARY: CALL ADOBE. SAY YOUR PRINTING A PDF USING EL CAPITAN, THAT THE IMAGE ON THE DOCUMENT IS LAYERED IT'S AN OLDER DOCUMENT. THEY WILL TELL YOU QUICKLY WHAT TO DO.


you see why I say that if you read the "ins and outs" below, and the possible fixes (and how long fixing it yourself could take - so call them).


you are maybe printing to a toaster (a printer that can't actually do PDF and doesn't have a Poscript(r) processor board built-in. can you log in to your printer shell and type commands?). not that it maybe isn't advanced. if so your document goes through cups, a cups "filter" that converts your document to (postcript) then that to the target format (hpjis or something).


OR - your PDF app is naughty and showing images it fetched from urls that it has not yet verified for (print preview) not including them when you hit print (perhaps the images cannot be converted - if so- try a different image type (ie, .jpeg of a lesser version)


on that note: cups wont work right if you dont have your printer model and options selected *correctly*. (the print preview would be wrong, for example, and at printing time there might be partial but not full conversion ability). re-check your settings for printer.


so it's clear: your printer daemon (cups) is likely converting your PDF that we assume has images in it (though your app may be at fault) and perhaps those images cannot be converted by the print filter to (hpjis) because it does not support conversion of some "new image format"


answer: try exporting to a different file type, opening the file, and printing it. OR. try insuring the images you are using are "more compatible"


i'm unsure why you went in your /Users/ directory deleting Library/ files on "just anybody's advice". i'd UNINSTALL the REINSTALL your app that is used to view and print this PDF, entirely, first. (uninstalling first is important)


so i think i've given many ideas on what to do: check your cups settings, check your image types, print to file then print that file, or export to alternate file type and print that file


the two likely culprits:


0) check options of the subwindow. does it say it's an image? or copyright book cover URL? what is it?

if it's a "multi-layered" PDF image (some PDF will have images several layers, but you need to select which layer will print if for some reason that information has been lost (it should not be lost, but lets assume some converted considered the PDF too old to support))


1) "new image type not supported" that your trying to get printed - which came from another OS. (other OS are always hacking in new incompat. upgraded image formats, ugh). lower the version by re-converting (import and save) images, and importing them into your pdf


2) wrong printer is set in settings, a print job is sent to the printer that the printer cannot handle, or the printer ran out of memory (if your printer requires memory, insure the page fits inside that memory, or "of course!" it wont print fully)


the less likely problem:


3) software pdf app container never gives it's GC (widget, sub-window) content to print facility but gives all else. (another reason that's unlikely: it's apple not xxxx, and you didn't say all documents did this, only that one, so i can assume subwindows do print)


4) check the url and image info - it may be copyright and disallow printing

having rechecked your image and though about that layering i'm going to say: it's the PDF layering. you need to edit the PDF (with a pdf editor or program that can import and edit it) in a way that let's you select which image layer is top to print.


again some PDF will have "technical drawings" that have layers the user mousing the document can uncover with the mouse (ie, an old alternative to making a layer transparent to see what's under it). it's certain to be a problem, such a document, if anything but high quality PDF programs have been handling it (importing it incorrectly, saving it incorrectly, etc). if your using Adobe i'd be surprised it didn't print right. i have to believe somewhere along the line that non-adobe products are involved here causing a layering "which is top" issue or viewing/printing issue.


Apple does buy and work with Adobe, so there shouldn't be a problem with apple's stuff .... but the file is old and things to get depreciated after a very long time. It's possible you need to "convert" (yek!) the file to newer PDF format or remake the file $$$. OR run an older PDF program that still understands that type of file.


sorry that's so long. it's really allot more complicated than that still 🙂

Sep 10, 2016 9:46 AM in response to Lotusx

Try a restart.


Do a backup, using either Time Machine or a cloning program, to ensure files/data can be recovered. Two backups are better than one.


Try setting up another admin user account to see if the same problem continues. If Back-to-My Mac is selected in System Preferenes, the Guest account will not work. The intent is to see if it is specific to one account or a system wide problem. This account can be deleted later.


Isolating an issue by using another user account


If the problem is still there, try booting into the Safe Mode using your normal account. Disconnect all peripherals except those needed for the test. Shut down the computer and then power it back up after waiting 10 seconds. Immediately after hearing the startup chime, hold down the shift key and continue to hold it until the gray Apple icon and a progress bar appear. The boot up is significantly slower than normal. This will reset some caches, forces a directory check, and disables all startup and login items, among other things. When you reboot normally, the initial reboot may be slower than normal. If the system operates normally, there may be 3rd party applications which are causing a problem. Try deleting/disabling the third party applications after a restart by using the application un-installer. For each disable/delete, you will need to restart if you don't do them all at once.


Safe Mode - About


Safe Mode - Yosemite




If it works in the Safe Mode, try running this program when booted normally and then copy and paste the output in a reply. The program was created by Etresoft, a frequent contributor. Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read. On the screen with Options, please open Options and check the bottom 2 boxes before running. Click “Share Report” button in the toolbar, select “Copy to Clipboard” and then paste into a reply. This will show what is running on your computer. No personal information is shown.

Etrecheck – System Information

Sep 9, 2016 9:39 AM in response to Lotusx

Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Remove the following. You may not find them all. Restart and test.

Containers/com.apple.Preview


Containers/com.apple.quicklook.ui.helper


Preferences/com.apple.Preview.LSSharedFileList.plist

Preferences/com.apple.Preview.SandboxedPersistentURLs.LSSharedFileList.plist


Saved Application State/com.apple.Preview.savedState


Credit Linc Davis for this solution.


Preview Reset automatic download - 3rd party solution

Sep 9, 2016 2:45 PM in response to Eric Root

I tried this - couldn't find Containers/com.apple.quicklook.ui.helper, but deleted the others. Still having the same problem.

I did notice, however, that there are also secondary files similar to the two in the Preferences folder, but with .lockfile added to the end. Like Preferences/com.apple.Preview.SandboxedPersistentURLs.LSSharedFileList.plist.loc kfile and com.apple.Preview.LSSharedFileList.plist.lockfile


Should I delete those, too?

Sep 9, 2016 11:35 PM in response to QuietMacFan

Thing is, I've printed these files a million times. I'm just on a regular Mac at home using the same printer I've always used. This suddenly happened. I had printed a file earlier that day and now it, too, looks like this. It's not just Adobe reader. I normally open in Preview, but it doesn't matter where I open it or whether or not the images show up like they do when I drag it into Chrome. The images still won't print. Only the text. My husband could open it just fine on his PC and it printed fine. But I can't have him printing all my pattern documents.

Problems with images disappearing in PDFs/printing

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