Using TOC function, exporting PDF - missing text 1

[doodler22]

I'm using InDesign CS -- haven't upgraded yet to 3 yet, which could be part of the problem, but I'm under a deadline and don't know how to fix this...

I've created several ID files and then made a book file. One of the ID files is a TOC, which I generated automatically in ID. I export the entire book into a pdf and it works fine except for the TOC -- half of the text is missing, there are odd characters that just show up, etc. When we print the file as a pdf as opposed to export it, everything works fine, except the functionality of the pdf is gone (the back/forward buttons that I created in ID don't work). I don't want to print the entire thing as a pdf (it's 163 pages with many hyperlinks, page jumps, etc) -- I need the functionality of it -- I don't want to have to manually do the work in Acrobat.

If someone can explain to me how to attach an image to this posting, I can show you what the TOC looks like -- it's strange.

I tried retyping the first page of the TOC manually and it still doesn't work -- I thought maybe it had something to do with the auto TOC generation.

I also exported the file as an inx file, reopened it, re-exported the pdf, and I still get the same result -- random sections of the pdf are missing.

I'm at a complete loss. I need to have this finished tomorrow as it's being mastered onto a CD on Wed. and shipped to the vendor on fri. to have several thousand cds burned.

Suggestions??

 

[jmgalvin]

Before you generate the pdf go to file menu/preflight and see what it says, especially with fonts.

Missing/garbles text is often tied to a bad font (or font cache on mac), using differnet types of the same font (ps, ttf, etc). I even once got garbage when someone sent me a document using both styled All Caps, and Caps lock caps.

Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[eugenetyson]

I had something similar with a PDF that exported and the text went everywhere!

What happened is this, I had set up a first line indent, but there was a tab sitting just under it that was barely visible.

If you open the Tabs window and then look at the black filled arrows and see if there is a rogue tab lurking behind it. It shouldn't affect the outcome of the PDF, but it does. I have reported this problem to Adobe on their bugs page, and if anyone else has noticed this too then also send it to the Adobe Bugs page.

 

[doodler22]

It was the first line indent that was causing the problem. I removed that and had all the text left justify then made a new pdf. Everything worked perfectly. Now all i have to do is manually tab over the lines I want to indent -- shouldn't take more than a few minutes. I tried this on the first page and the pdf worked!

Thank you so much for this help! I should make my deadline and I won't have to spend hours trying to figure out the problem!

This forum rocks!