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How to flatten your PDF

Why does this happen, and how to get around it?

Updated over 5 months ago

😱 Picture the scenario: You've followed all of our best practices for designing your PDF, and are processing it for a new Flipbook, only to be met with this email in your inbox:

Image of error message received when there has been a problem processing the PDF for your Flipbook

This can happen due to a number of reasons:

  • the PDF file you are using may have layers or elements that cannot be properly processed, or the file may be corrupt, or

  • there is a temporary problem with the iPaper system, in which case we recommend that you retry processing your PDF in a little while.

Most commonly, the error lies within the PDF file being processed.

To save you the trouble of identifying the specific error, or having to recreate your entire PDF, often a simple workaround that: flatting your PDF.

What is flattening, and how does it work?

Flattening a PDF combines all the contents of your file into one single layer, meaning that layers, or elements within, that could hinder PDF processing in iPaper are removed. This also means that interactive elements in PDF forms such as checkboxes, text boxes, radio buttons, and drop-down lists are no longer fillable.

⚠️ Before you start, make sure you’ve saved a copy of the original PDF file. Once you’ve flattened a PDF, the original will no longer be editable.

How to flatten your PDF

Flattening your PDF is simple, and can be achieved in multiple ways:

  • Use a free, online service, such as Flatten PDF, to flatten it.

  • You can use Adobe Acrobat Pro to flatten your PDF without exposing uploading it to the Internet, or a third party.

With Adobe Acrobat Pro, follow these steps to flatten your PDF:

  1. Make a copy of your PDF.

  2. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

  3. Click Save As.

  4. Make sure to select type as PostScript. You will notice that a new file with the name of your PDF will appear in the save location.

  5. Click the file, and press yes in the popup dialog.

    The Flatting Process will begin, and after it completes a flattened version of the PDF will appear in the same directory the Postscript file is located.

5. Now the new Flattened PDF file is ready to be used.

⚠️ If your flattened PDF still results in a processing error, please get in touch with our Support team via the messenger in the corner, who can help you troubleshoot.

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