Intermittent problem with placing pdf file in psd document

[tangomike]

Using PSE 12 on a Mac running 10.8.5.

My primary workflow involves building covers for print and eBooks. The wraparound covers for print-on-demand paperbacks published by Amazon's CreateSpace are sized according to the trim size of the book, the color of paper, the amount of bleed, and the page count.

When building a cover, I download from CreateSpace a template (they provide a pdf and a png) and use File > Place to insert it in the document with the cover background image and layers for text and objects, etc. The templates provide guides to show the final trim size and include "safe areas" which cannot include any "live" elements like objects or text.

Most of the time I can place the templates without a problem. But sometimes the place action results in an error message that says (for example):

"Could not place the document 'BookCover5_25x8_Cream_640.pdf because of a program error."

If I try to drag and drop the pdf into the document, the error says:

"Could not complete your request due to a program error."

The same results occur with the png version of the template.

The message effectively tells me nothing other than, "Sorry about that, you're on your own."

I've searched online for a solutions and found all kinds of discussions, none of which address the specific problem I'm having.

This afternoon, for example, I needed to change the template in a completed cover for a book with an increased page count, which necessitated a wider spine, and I can't get the new template into the document.

If anyone has suggestions for how to fix this problem, I'd appreciate hearing them.

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Tosh 

[Sepiana]

Oct 10, 2015 19:15:35 GMT tangomike said:

Most of the time I can place the templates without a problem. But sometimes the place action results in an error message that says (for example):

"Could not place the document 'BookCover5_25x8_Cream_640.pdf because of a program error."

If I try to drag and drop the pdf into the document, the error says:

"Could not complete your request due to a program error."

The same results occur with the png version of the template.

The message effectively tells me nothing other than, "Sorry about that, you're on your own."

I've searched online for a solutions and found all kinds of discussions, none of which address the specific problem I'm having.

This afternoon, for example, I needed to change the template in a completed cover for a book with an increased page count, which necessitated a wider spine, and I can't get the new template into the document.

Hi Tosh,

I may be wrong but, because what you describe happens only sometimes, I am inclined to say that this is less an Elements issue than one with the file (template) itself. As a rule of thumb, such error messages seem to indicate a file-related problem, for example, a corrupted file, a file which is not named correctly, etc., etc.

[tangomike]

Thanks, Sepiana:

The file names are exactly as they are downloaded from CreateSpace both when the file places correctly and when it doesn't. As for a corrupted file, I have for no idea how to check for that, except maybe to download another template and try again.

This afternoon I decided to try another tactic. I created a new psd document at 300 ppi wIth the desired physical dimensions of the cover based on the new spine width. Then I placed into that document the same template that wouldn't go into the cover, and it worked perfectly.

I saved that document as psd, then placed it into the cover, and bingo!

Maybe there's a difference in the reliability of placing psd as opposed to pdf files?

In any event, the cover has been resized and I have a workaround (or maybe even a better primary way?) to get this done.

Thanks again.

Tosh

[Sepiana]

Oct 10, 2015 22:01:16 GMT tangomike said:

As for a corrupted file, I have for no idea how to check for that, except maybe to download another template and try again.

In this situation the usual way to check for a corrupted file would be to make another download.

Oct 10, 2015 22:01:16 GMT tangomike said:

This afternoon I decided to try another tactic. I created a new psd document at 300 ppi wIth the desired physical dimensions of the cover based on the new spine width. Then I placed into that document the same template that wouldn't go into the cover, and it worked perfectly.

I saved that document as psd, then placed it into the cover, and bingo!

Maybe there's a difference in the reliability of placing psd as opposed to pf files?

I don't think it is a matter of the File>Place command's reliability. When Elements gives you those kinds of error messages, it usually means that it can't obey a given command.

Have you thought about posting in the CreateSpace Community forum? It may be helpful to get another perspective on this issue.

www.createspace.com/en/community/index.jspa

[tangomike]

I'll try that, Sepiana, thanks.

[Sepiana]

Tosh, you are most welcome! Let us know how it goes.