This article outlines common problems you may encounter when uploading files or working with proofs in Ziflow and how to fix them.

Upload issues:

• Upload fails with an unknown error
• Rich Media proof upload fails
• PDF proof fails due to large file size
• PDF proof upload fails due to security settings

Proof issues:

• PDF proof colors look different from the original
• Fonts look wrong in the proof
• Text in the PDF proof highlights in the wrong order or looks jumbled

Upload issues

Upload fails with an unknown error

Possible cause: If you're trying to upload an asset but it fails with an unknown error, it's possible that the asset is password protected. Ziflow cannot process password-protected assets.

How to fix it: Remove the password protection from the file before uploading. 

Rich Media proof upload fails

Possible cause: Incorrect ZIP file contents

What’s required:
A valid Rich Media ZIP file must include:

• An HTML file (usually index.html)
• All other files referenced by that HTML (e.g., images, CSS, scripts)

Ziflow uses this logic:

1. Look for the index.html file and use that.

2. Look for another HTML file if the index.html is not present.

How to fix it: Make sure your ZIP file follows the correct structure and contains all referenced files.

PDF proof fails due to large file size

Possible cause: File dimensions exceed Ziflow’s limits

Limit: PDFs cannot be more than 200 inches wide or tall.

How to check:

1. Right-click the file.
2. Go to Document Properties > Description.
3. Check the page size.

How to fix it: Resize the file so that neither dimension exceeds 200 inches.

PDF proof upload fails due to security settings

Possible cause: The PDF has restricted permissions

How to check:

1. Open the file in Adobe Acrobat Pro (not Reader)
2. Right-click the file > Document Properties > Security
3. Make sure all settings (especially printing and content copying) are set to Allowed

Note: Adobe Reader might incorrectly show some settings as “Not allowed.”

Proof issues

PDF proof colors look different from the original

Possible cause #1: Overprint and knockout settings are affecting how colors are displayed.

Ziflow retains overprint, knockout, and color profiles when converting PDFs to proofs—similar to what happens when printing.

How to check: In Adobe, check the overprint settings in the file before uploading.

How to fix it:

Option 1: Ask the original designer to adjust the overprint and knockout settings.

Option 2: Contact Ziflow support to disable overprint and knockout handling on your account.

Possible cause #2: Color blending space mismatch (CMYK vs. RGB).

Ziflow’s PDF engine uses CMYK as the default blending space. If your file was designed in RGB, this can cause color shifts.

How to fix it: Email support@ziflow.com and request that your account be set to use RGB as the default blending space.

Fonts look wrong in the proof

Possible cause: Missing font embedding

How to fix it: Make sure all custom or non-standard fonts are embedded in the original file before uploading.

Text in the PDF proof highlights in the wrong order or looks jumbled

Possible cause: The PDF contains overlapping layers or transparency that interferes with text recognition.

Ziflow tries to extract text from the PDF so you can use the Text annotation tool. If text is covered by transparent shapes or stacked in layers, the tool may not be able to read the words correctly. This can cause:

• Text to highlight out of order
• Fields to overlap or appear broken
• Words to be unreadable or missing in the proof

How to fix it: Flatten the file to remove overlapping layers and simplify the structure.

In Acrobat Pro:

1. Go to Print Production.
2. Select Preflight.
3. Under PDF fixups, choose Flatten transparency (high resolution).
4. Double-click it to apply.