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PDF Report Generation Issues

ThisThe articlePDF Report Generation troubleshooting guide provides guidanceinstruction on identifying and resolving issuescommon problems related to PDF generationgenerating and downloadsdownloading withinPDF OPS-COM,documents, including system reports, incidents, emails, and notices. ItIts primary purpose is intendedto help staff resolve broken downloads, unopenable files, and malformed text layouts to assist OPSCOM administrators in maintainingmaintain consistent document exports. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators. 

Common

Setup and Configuration

There are no specific system configurations required to enable PDF Exportgeneration. issuesHowever,

Administratorsadministrators mayshould occasionally encounter issues when the system generates PDF files for Incidents, Emails, Printable Hangtags, or Notice (NIC) Letters. Common symptoms include:

  • Broken or blank PDF files.

  • Corrupted filesunderstand that cannot be opened.

  • Failed or timed-out downloads.

  • Text shifted to the margins or otherwise malformed layout.

Browser Compatibility and Downloads

Manymany download-related issues are linkedtied directly to the specific web browser being used.

If you experience blank or failed downloads, it may be due to how

Chromium-based browsers (such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera) handle security verifications during the file transfer.

transfers

Chromium-baseddifferently browsersthan include:

  • Google Chrome

  • Microsoft Edge

  • Brave

  • Opera

Non-non-Chromium browsers include:

(such
    as

  • Mozilla Firefox

    • or

  • Safari

Safari). A failed security verification occurringthat occurs after a download startsstarts, but before it completescompletes, can result in a file that appears finished but remains blank or unopenable.

Resolving

Using Downloadthis and Layout Issues

Feature

Administrators may occasionally encounter issues when the system generates PDF files for incidents, emails, printable hangtags, or notice letters. If you encounter a malformed or failed PDF, follow these steps to resolve the issue:

  1. Click the Download or Generate button again to retry the request.request, In many cases,as a second attempt will often successfully pass the browser's security verification.

  2. Open OPSCOMthe system in a non-chromiumChromium browser, such as Mozilla Firefox,Firefox, if the issue persists across multiple different files.

  3. Review the source text formatting in the Email Template or Incident Description fields.fields, Complexas complex formatting pasted from external word processors can sometimes interfere with the PDF generator's layout.

  4. Remove any hidden HTML or unusual characters from the text input field and click the Save button before re-attempting the export.

Switching browsers is typically not usuallyrequired required.for everyday use. If the downloading issue is infrequent, it is likely a temporary communication glitch between theyour current browser and the server.

Best Practices and Considerations

  • Keep software updated: Regularly update your browser to the latest version to ensure the highest compatibility with PDF generation engines.

  • Verify document layouts: Test new templates by generating a sample PDF immediately after creating a new Noticenotice Letterletter or Emailemail Templatetemplate to ensure the layout appears exactly as intended.

  • Clear hidden formatting: Seek technical support if text remains shifted or malformed after clearing your formatting,formatting, as this may indicate a need for a generator adjustment on the server side.

If you continue to experience downloading issues after switchingtrying browsers,a secondary browser and clearing your text fields of hidden HTML, please reach out to the OPSCOM Support team for further investigation.

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