> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tomake.design/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Troubleshooting

> Common issues and solutions for pdf.tomake.design

## Installation issues

### Plugin not appearing in Figma

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Solution 1: Refresh Figma" icon="rotate">
    1. Close all Figma tabs/windows
    2. Reopen Figma
    3. Navigate to **Plugins** menu
    4. Look for pdf.tomake.design
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Solution 2: Reinstall plugin" icon="download">
    1. Visit [Figma Community](https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/1556109033323159906)
    2. Click **Install** again
    3. Restart Figma
    4. Check **Plugins** menu
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Solution 3: Check permissions" icon="shield">
    1. Go to **Settings** → **Plugins**
    2. Ensure plugins are enabled
    3. Check if pdf.tomake.design has necessary permissions
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Upload issues

### Can't upload PDF file

**Symptoms**: File upload fails or shows error message.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check file size">
    Ensure PDF is under 50MB (20MB for free plan). Compress or split larger files.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify file format">
    Confirm file is actually a PDF (check extension is .pdf)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check file integrity">
    Try opening PDF in Adobe Reader or browser to verify it's not corrupted
  </Step>

  <Step title="Unlock encrypted PDFs">
    Remove password protection before uploading
  </Step>
</Steps>

### "File too large" error

**Solution**: Your PDF exceeds the size limit.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Compress the PDF" icon="compress">
    Use tools to compress your PDF:

    * Adobe Acrobat (File → Reduce File Size)
    * Online tools: Smallpdf.com, iLovePDF.com
    * Preview on Mac (Export → Reduce File Size)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Split the PDF" icon="scissors">
    Divide large PDFs into smaller sections:

    * Use Adobe Acrobat split tool
    * Online tools: PDF2Go.com
    * Import sections separately to Figma
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Upgrade to Pro" icon="crown">
    Pro plan supports files up to 50MB vs. 20MB for free plan
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### "Encrypted PDF" error

**Symptoms**: Error message about encrypted or password-protected PDF.

**Solutions**:

1. **Remove password protection**:
   * Open PDF in Adobe Acrobat
   * Go to **File** → **Properties** → **Security**
   * Change security to "No Security"
   * Save the unprotected PDF

2. **Use unlock tools**:
   * Adobe Acrobat Pro
   * Preview on Mac (export as new PDF)
   * Online tools (if content isn't sensitive)

<Warning>
  Only remove password protection from PDFs you have permission to modify.
</Warning>

## Import issues

### Import stuck or not completing

**Symptoms**: Import starts but never finishes, or progress bar freezes.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Wait longer for complex PDFs" icon="clock">
    Complex, high-resolution PDFs can take several minutes:

    * Simple PDFs: 5-10 seconds per page
    * Complex PDFs: 20-30 seconds per page
    * High DPI (300): 2-3x longer

    Wait at least 5 minutes before assuming it's stuck.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Restart the import" icon="rotate">
    1. Cancel the current import
    2. Close and reopen the plugin
    3. Try again with lower resolution (72 DPI)
    4. Import fewer pages at once
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Reduce import complexity" icon="sliders">
    1. Use lower DPI (72 instead of 300)
    2. Import fewer pages (5-10 at a time)
    3. Use flattened text instead of editable
    4. Enable image optimization
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Check Figma performance" icon="memory">
    1. Close other Figma files
    2. Close other plugins
    3. Restart Figma
    4. Check available memory on your device
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Import fails with error

**Symptoms**: Error message appears during import.

Common errors and solutions:

| Error Message             | Cause                    | Solution                            |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------ | ----------------------------------- |
| "Failed to parse PDF"     | Corrupted or invalid PDF | Re-save PDF from source application |
| "Out of memory"           | PDF too complex or large | Use lower DPI, import fewer pages   |
| "Unsupported PDF version" | Very old or very new PDF | Re-save as PDF 1.7 in Adobe Acrobat |
| "Import limit reached"    | Exceeded monthly quota   | Wait for reset or upgrade to Pro    |

### Partial import (missing pages)

**Symptoms**: Only some pages import, others are missing.

**Solutions**:

1. **Check page selection**: Verify you selected all desired pages in settings
2. **Import in batches**: Try importing missing pages separately
3. **Reduce complexity**: Lower DPI or use flattened text for problematic pages
4. **Check PDF**: Some pages might be blank or corrupted in the original PDF

## Quality issues

### Blurry or pixelated content

**Symptoms**: Imported content looks low quality or fuzzy.

**Causes & Solutions**:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="DPI too low" icon="image">
    **Solution**: Re-import with higher resolution

    * For screen: Use 150 DPI
    * For print: Use 300 DPI
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Source PDF is low quality" icon="file">
    **Solution**: The import quality cannot exceed the source

    * Check original PDF quality
    * Request higher-resolution PDF from creator
    * Re-export from original source at higher quality
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Images embedded at low resolution" icon="compress">
    **Solution**: PDF images may be compressed

    * This is a limitation of the source PDF
    * Try obtaining uncompressed version
    * Extract images from source files instead
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Text not editable

**Symptoms**: Text appears as images or shapes instead of editable text.

**Possible causes**:

1. **Flattened text option selected**: Check import settings, use "Editable text" instead
2. **Text is actually an image**: Source PDF has text as images (scanned documents)
3. **Outlined text option used**: Text was intentionally converted to shapes
4. **OCR needed**: For scanned PDFs, use OCR software first

**Solutions**:

* Re-import with "Editable text" option
* Use OCR software on scanned PDFs before importing
* For outlined text, re-import or manually recreate text in Figma

### Wrong or missing fonts

**Symptoms**: Text uses different fonts than in original PDF.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Font not installed in Figma" icon="font">
    **Cause**: The font from the PDF isn't available in Figma

    **Solutions**:

    1. Install the font in Figma (or on your system)
    2. Use "Outlined text" option to preserve appearance
    3. Manually change to desired font in Figma
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Font substitution" icon="repeat">
    **Cause**: Figma substitutes similar font when exact match unavailable

    **Solutions**:

    1. Check which fonts are used (plugin shows font list)
    2. Install missing fonts before importing
    3. Change to your preferred fonts after import
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Custom or proprietary fonts" icon="lock">
    **Cause**: PDF uses fonts you don't have license for

    **Solutions**:

    1. Use "Outlined text" to preserve appearance
    2. Contact font owner for licensing
    3. Substitute with similar free font
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Colors don't match

**Symptoms**: Colors look different from original PDF.

**Common causes**:

1. **CMYK to RGB conversion**: Print PDFs use CMYK; Figma uses RGB
2. **Color profile differences**: Different color spaces
3. **Display calibration**: Your monitor's color settings

**Solutions**:

* Accept minor color shifts (inherent in CMYK→RGB conversion)
* Manually adjust colors in Figma if critical
* Use color picker to sample exact colors from PDF
* For print work, note that final output should use CMYK anyway

### Missing images

**Symptoms**: Some images from PDF don't appear in Figma.

**Troubleshooting**:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Check import settings">
    Verify "Extract images" option was enabled
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check PDF">
    Open original PDF and verify images are actually there
  </Step>

  <Step title="Look for images in layers">
    Images might be hidden in collapsed groups or behind other elements
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check file formats">
    Some exotic image formats in PDFs may not convert perfectly
  </Step>

  <Step title="Re-import">
    Try importing again with different settings
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Layout issues

### Elements misaligned or overlapping

**Symptoms**: Layout doesn't match original PDF.

**Possible causes**:

1. **Complex positioning**: Some PDF layouts are very complex
2. **Font substitution affecting layout**: Different fonts have different metrics
3. **Rounding errors**: Pixel rounding can cause minor shifts

**Solutions**:

* Use "Outlined text" for exact positioning
* Manually adjust layout in Figma
* Import at higher DPI for more precision
* Check if original PDF has layout issues

### Incorrect page size

**Symptoms**: Figma frames are wrong size.

**Solutions**:

1. Check original PDF page dimensions
2. Re-import with custom page sizing
3. Manually resize frames in Figma
4. Ensure PDF doesn't have non-standard page sizes

### Missing elements

**Symptoms**: Some PDF elements don't appear in Figma.

**Common reasons**:

* Elements are outside page boundaries
* Elements are white on white
* Elements are in unsupported format
* Elements are hidden layers in PDF
* Elements are annotations (not part of page content)

## Performance issues

### Plugin running slow

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Large or complex PDF" icon="file">
    * Reduce DPI setting
    * Import fewer pages at once
    * Enable image optimization
    * Use flattened text option
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Figma performance" icon="gauge">
    * Close other Figma files
    * Close other plugins
    * Restart Figma
    * Clear Figma cache
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="System resources" icon="memory">
    * Close other applications
    * Check available RAM
    * Restart your computer
    * Ensure adequate disk space
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Figma crashes during import

**Symptoms**: Figma freezes or crashes while importing.

**Solutions**:

1. **Reduce import complexity**:
   * Lower DPI (use 72 DPI first)
   * Import 5 pages at a time maximum
   * Enable all optimization options

2. **Increase available resources**:
   * Close other applications
   * Close other Figma files
   * Restart Figma
   * Restart computer

3. **Split the PDF**:
   * Divide PDF into smaller files
   * Import sections separately
   * Combine in Figma after import

## Error messages

### "Failed to parse PDF"

**Cause**: PDF file is corrupted, malformed, or uses unsupported features.

**Solutions**:

1. Re-save PDF from source application
2. Open and re-export from Adobe Acrobat
3. Try online PDF repair tools
4. Contact PDF creator for new copy

### "Import limit reached"

**Cause**: You've used all free conversions for the month.

**Solutions**:

* Wait until next month for limit reset
* Upgrade to Pro for unlimited conversions
* Contact support for enterprise options

### "Unsupported PDF version"

**Cause**: PDF version is too old or too new.

**Solution**: Re-save as PDF 1.7 (most compatible):

1. Open in Adobe Acrobat
2. File → Save As → PDF 1.7
3. Try importing again

## Still need help?

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Discord community" icon="discord" href="https://discord.com/invite/VVArNqBGjB">
    Ask the community for help
  </Card>

  <Card title="Email support" icon="envelope" href="mailto:support@tomake.design">
    Contact support team
  </Card>

  <Card title="Report bug" icon="bug" href="https://github.com/tomakedesign">
    File a bug report on GitHub
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Before contacting support

Help us help you faster by including:

* PDF file (or sample if it's confidential)
* Import settings you used
* Error messages or screenshots
* Figma version (desktop/web)
* Operating system
* Steps to reproduce the issue
* What you've already tried

<Tip>
  Check our [Discord community](https://discord.com/invite/VVArNqBGjB) first — someone may have already encountered and solved your issue!
</Tip>