Comments on: Fixing FileMaker PDF Crashes on Mac OS X

By: Tux

Tux — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:31:53 +0000

I’m running into a hang (not a crash) in FMPA 11.0v4 when using the “Save Records as PDF” script step. I’m on an Intel Mac, running 10.6.8 – I get the ‘ol beachball of death and FileMaker starts maxing out the CPU. The only way to stop it is to force quit FileMaker. I’ve tried deleting various Adobe .lst files I found in my library but nothing has worked so far.

FileMaker has gotta get its printing system fixed. We can’t combine print jobs, PDF export is borked (why would the presence of PDF reader software interfere with FileMaker’s writing of PDFs…?) we don’t even have an easy and quick way to show “Page X of Y” on printed output… all the same problems since I began developing in v8.5 4 years ago. That’s 3 milestone versions of FileMaker with the same bug! Get off your butts and do something about it, FileMaker Inc.!

By: Kees de Visser

Kees de Visser — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:59:24 +0000

For some reason the AdobeFnt08.lst can get corrupt again after a fix.
Once you have a working file, making it locked (read-only) seems to solve the problem, but I don’t know if there are downsides to this workaround.

By: bernd scheurer

bernd scheurer — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:22:10 +0000

great work! thanks!

By: Kees de Visser

Kees de Visser — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 08:42:04 +0000

Great thread, thanks !
Another workaround (for me) is to launch Acrobat Reader before saving the pdf in FM. Perhaps AR rewrites the pref. file(s) and fixes the problem?
I’m using OS 10.4.11 and Adobe CS2 Illustrator/Indesign/Photoshop, so quite a mix of old and more recent Adobe/pdf applications. I’ll investigate further and report here if I find something interesting.

By: Shiv

Shiv — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 20:52:27 +0000

Hi, I used Filemaker 9 pro to convert the records of a particular layout to pdf on Windows XP. It did fine converting. But during printing the pdf files, it gave out a warning message as ‘the document cannot be printed’. Do you know the reason why I am facing this problem? The pdf files when printed on another machine gives out the same message of being unable to print. The preview when printing shows exactly like how it is. Any solution you can suggest?
Thanks

By: Ryan Moriarty

Ryan Moriarty — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 21:41:51 +0000

Failed on two machines here.

By: Michael Maher

Michael Maher — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 05:05:32 +0000

I am having mixed results with this. If it helps to solve it here is my experience.

I have two layout options – one includes an inserted Word doc, and the other a PNG version of the same.

Once I deleted all the AdobeFnt11.lst files I could find in the Adobe folder the Word version layout works fine, but the PNG crashes.

The unfortunate thing is that Word doesn’t reproduce well via ‘Save as PDF’, but does via print to PDF using Distiller. The PNG reproduces well via ‘Save as PDF’ when I test it as a single record save, but crashes FMPA once I use it in the full set save (which is very large).

By: Hildy Essex

Hildy Essex — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:32:24 +0000

Hi – do you have any suggestion as to what to do if the file you mention isn’t actually there? I’m on Mac OSX.

By: Lauren Kuhlman

Lauren Kuhlman — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:58:06 +0000

Geoff,

Once again, you rock.

By: Julien Mac

Julien Mac — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:11:40 +0000

Thanks a lot !!!