Arc Pro PDF Map Export Inconsistencies

Question

Arc GIS Pro PDF map issues:

1. Inconsistent experiences across different browsers (Google Chrome/ Microsoft Edge)

* In Microsoft edge and Firefox the page loads quickly, zoom in/out are faster, in Google Chrome and Brave they are slower in both functions.

2. Map colors vary in different browsers, in Microsoft Edge the colors appear as how they are in Arc GIS pro, in Google Chrome and Brave the colors are darker, in Firefox the colors appear lighter.

What is the be all end all settings I need to click/enable in my 'Export Layout' tab when working with pdfs to ensure my pdf maps are consistent throughout all browsers?

My office works with pdfs and if I could solve this it would be a tremendous relief. I do not have time to mess around with pdf settings. There were never this many issues when exporting simple pdfs in Arc Map.

Link example please test in different browsers.

Hayden Welch · Answer

Exporting as a raster is an option, but you can also make sure your color profile setting are correct. You can globally set it in your options:

Then when exporting a PDF, if you have a color profile set, the Embed Color Profile box will be available:

Look into what profile you should use for your application, and if you have multiple users that need to export identical color profiles, you will need to make sure they all have the same one set in their Options.

Note:

There is no guarantee that the PDF renderer will properly read your embedded profile. In my testing there were still small differences between Edge and Firefox. However, shipping a color profile with your PDF does mean that anyone who needs to have the original colors will be able to get them. Adobe products in particular will abide by the color profile.

Here's a comparison of Firefox (Right) and Edge (Left) using OSM basemap:

In ArcPro, the green is #cdebb0 so in this instance, Firefox was bang on. But the water colors all differed by a couple bits. This was with the "Preserve Values" flag set in my Color Management settings

MyEthiopia · Answer

I’m not an expert but try using adaptive format, and try this tip from a Reddit user where Using a dpi settings that is divisible by 72 is much better option. This thread on Reddit might also help PDF Export Quality . Please update me when you find a solution

tmo · Answer

Thanks for the tip. Once it is output as an image, have you noticed an issue with pixelation when zooming in tight on the pdf?