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 fails due to complexity
• 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
• PDF annotations or images not displaying in proof
• INDD files missing images, links, or fonts
• Microsoft Excel proofs not formatted

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 199 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 199 inches.

PDF fails due to complexity

File permissions must allow content extraction and printing.

Ziflow can convert most PDFs into proofs without issue, but extremely complex files can cause slowdowns or failures during processing.

A PDF may be too complex if it contains

• Large numbers of individual objects (for example, hundreds of separate shapes, lines, or text balloons instead of merged/flattened artwork).
• Very high page dimensions or resolution that make rendering more demanding.
• Layers or effects that aren’t flattened (such as transparency, gradients, or detailed Illustrator exports).
• Heavy background builds (like a background made from dozens of lines instead of a single shape).

Indications that your file is too complex

• Pages load slowly in Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Illustrator, with objects appearing one by one.
• Adobe Acrobat or other software crashes when you try to flatten or simplify the file.
• File size is unusually large compared to other documents with similar content.

How to fix it:

• Flatten transparency and layers before export.
• Merge repeated shapes or linework into single objects.
• Reduce resolution to only what’s needed for review.
• Export from design tools (Illustrator, InDesign, etc.) with “Press Quality” or “Print” settings rather than retaining full editability.

PDF proof upload fails due to security settings

Possible cause: The PDF has restricted permissions. File permissions must allow content extraction and printing.

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. If possible, export your file as a PDF with embedded fonts to preserve your design and formatting.

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.

PDF annotations or images not displaying in proof

Possible cause: If your PDF annotations (for example, red box comments) don't display in the Proof Viewer, your Ziflow administrator can enable your Proof Viewer settings to keep PDF markups. If your PDF includes layers, missing content may be due to certain layers not being displayed or exported.

How to fix it: Go to Settings > Proofing Settings > Proof Viewer and enable Preserve PDF Markups in Proof.

INDD files missing images, links, or fonts

When uploading Adobe InDesign files directly to Ziflow, you may see missing images, substituted fonts, or incomplete layouts. This happens because an .indd file is not self-contained. It relies on external resources (linked images and fonts) stored locally on your computer.

If you upload only the .indd file, Ziflow can process only the low-resolution previews embedded in the document, not the full design.

Why this happens

Linked images – InDesign references image files rather than embedding them. If those images aren’t included, Ziflow cannot display them.

Fonts – Fonts not available in Ziflow’s processing environment are replaced with defaults.

Previews – An INDD file contains only low-resolution previews, not production-quality assets.

How to fix it

Export your InDesign file as a PDF

This ensures:

• Linked images are embedded.
• Fonts are preserved.
• The proof in Ziflow matches your original design.

1. Open your project in InDesign.
2. Go to File > Export.
3. Choose Adobe PDF (Print) or Adobe PDF (Interactive), depending on the project.
4. Upload the exported PDF to Ziflow.

Use the Ziflow plugin for InDesign

If your team uses the Ziflow InDesign plugin, the process is automatic:

• The plugin exports your InDesign project as a PDF.
• A new proof is created in Ziflow in the background.
• This prevents issues with missing links or fonts.

Troubleshooting missing resources

When opening an InDesign file without its linked assets, you may see warnings such as:

“This document contains links to sources that are missing.”

“The document uses fonts that are unavailable or no longer supported in InDesign.”

If this happens:

• Relink missing images in the Links panel.
• Enable missing fonts via Adobe Fonts or replace them with alternatives.
• Re-export as a PDF before uploading to Ziflow.

Microsoft Excel proofs not formatted