Troubleshooting
Export failures fall into four groups: timeouts, clipped page numbers, native-export limits, and unsupported platforms. Look up the symptom below.
Symptom table
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The dialog closes and a native save dialog appears | the export timed out and fell back | raise the export timeout, or split long notes |
| Page numbers are cut in half | margin under 11mm | with numbers in the footer, increase the bottom margin; in the header, the top |
| The paginated preview spins forever | it is really printing a temporary PDF | wait; long documents are slow, use layout preview first |
| No pagination optimisation after export | you used the native export, not AutoGallery | export again from the palette or the file menu |
| The command is greyed out | the file is not Markdown, or you are not on desktop | switch to a Markdown note; mobile cannot export |
| Image positions differ from the screen | the text frame width differs from the screen width | expected — output is re-typeset for paper |
Timeout and fallback
The default timeout is 60 seconds. After it:
- the export dialog closes;
- Obsidian's native PDF export runs instead;
- a notice reports the fallback.
Closing first avoids two save dialogs at once. The result is the native output; pagination optimisation does not apply.
If long notes time out regularly, raise the timeout to 120–180 seconds, or split the note by chapter.
Limits of the native export
The settings page has a group marked "Applies in Obsidian native PDF export". Those options do work, but only partially — the native export uses a hidden popup with no measurable viewport, so:
- image sizes and floats are still recomputed against the text frame;
- but pagination optimisation (shrink-to-fit, orphan recovery) cannot run fully.
For the complete behaviour, use the AutoGallery export.
Layout versus paginated preview
| Symptom | Explanation |
|---|---|
| A row is whole in layout preview but split in paginated preview | layout preview does not paginate, so page boundaries are invisible |
| Text looks smaller in paginated preview | it renders the real PDF, scaled to the actual paper |
| Image widths differ between the two | layout preview keeps the screen column, paginated preview uses the text frame |
To judge what will actually print, only the paginated preview counts.
Post-export checklist
- Is there an unwanted title on page one (the "include note title" toggle)?
- Are page numbers complete, especially on the first and last page?
- Did any gallery row get split?
- Does the last page hold only a line or two (orphan control off)?
- Are mirrored inner and outer margins symmetric?