Help with exporting as PDF and loosing layout please?

[PMan22]

Hi everyone,
I'm running GIMP 2.10.18. I've spent a long time making individual pages for a recipe book for charity and now that I've come to export them as PDFs for print the PDFs are not coming out with the layout. The main design I have on most pages is a curve shape drawn with path tool, filled in white, and in a layer group with a photo so that the photo (on multiply) fits inside the curve shape. However, when I go to export the curve disappears and the photo is in its original rectangular shape taking up half the page. It also shows ALL of the layers, even hidden ones - I have crossed omit hidden layers but for some reason it puts them all into the PDF anyway. And finally, it also gives black outlines to all of my shapes (boxes and bars) instead of just being flat.
The main problem is the photos in the curve though so if anyone knows how to fix this please let me know. I'm pretty much a graphic design novice I just enjoy doing these things and am doing it voluntarily for the charity to raise funds for them, but equally I would like it to be good! I'm sure its probably something simple that I just don't know about yet. Thank you so much in advance!

[rich2005]

Quote:I'm running GIMP 2.10.18. I've spent a long time making individual pages for a recipe book for charity and now that I've come to export them as PDFs for print the PDFs are not coming out with the layout. The main design I have on most pages is a curve shape drawn with path tool, filled in white, and in a layer group with a photo so that the photo (on multiply) fits inside the curve shape..

Hopefully I am reading that as each page is a layer group. If not then the idea is to get each page as a WYSIWYG - what you see is what you get.

To be honest, PDF's from Gimp are not wonderful, the Gimp 2.10 PDF text embedding is partially broken so it is best to flatten each page before exporting. 
You might do it like this: ( a quick made up couple of pages)

(1) Always work on a copy or have the original backed up somewhere.
(2) Flatten each layer group, either one at a time Layer -> Merge Layer Group or the attached script will bulk merge. 
Unzip and the script goes in C:\Users\"yourname"\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\2.10\scripts

   

(3) Now export as a PDF, (with attention to page order reversal if required) Transparency does not matter, at least with Gimp PDF's it will be lost.
(4) As in my PDF viewer.

   

Quote:...and finally, it also gives black outlines to all of my shapes (boxes and bars) instead of just being flat.

I do not understand that. Can you post an example page.

[PMan22]

(04-30-2020, 07:03 PM)rich2005 Wrote:

Quote:I'm running GIMP 2.10.18. I've spent a long time making individual pages for a recipe book for charity and now that I've come to export them as PDFs for print the PDFs are not coming out with the layout. The main design I have on most pages is a curve shape drawn with path tool, filled in white, and in a layer group with a photo so that the photo (on multiply) fits inside the curve shape..

Hopefully I am reading that as each page is a layer group. If not then the idea is to get each page as a WYSIWYG - what you see is what you get.

To be honest, PDF's from Gimp are not wonderful, the Gimp 2.10 PDF text embedding is partially broken so it is best to flatten each page before exporting. 
You might do it like this: ( a quick made up couple of pages)

(1) Always work on a copy or have the original backed up somewhere.
(2) Flatten each layer group, either one at a time Layer -> Merge Layer Group or the attached script will bulk merge. 
Unzip and the script goes in C:\Users\"yourname"\AppData\Roaming\GIMP\2.10\scripts



(3) Now export as a PDF, (with attention to page order reversal if required) Transparency does not matter, at least with Gimp PDF's it will be lost.
(4) As in my PDF viewer.

Quote:...and finally, it also gives black outlines to all of my shapes (boxes and bars) instead of just being flat.

I do not understand that. Can you post an example page.

Oh my goodness thank you so much!! It worked!!! I am so grateful for you taking the time to help

I've attached a screen shot of the line I mentioned, on this one it's only done it on the bottom banner. But I can live with it! My main issue was the photo box which you've so kindly helped me with.