PDF Upload Errors & Troubleshooting
Getting Started
This article helps you understand common reasons why a PDF won’t upload or process correctly on LetterStream. It outlines key issues to check for—like security settings, embedded content, and error codes—and offers simple fixes to get your file working.
In This Article
Common Upload Issues
- Security Restrictions
- PDFs that are password-protected or have printing/viewing restrictions may fail to upload or be printable.
- Such issues are common in government documents (e.g., IRS forms).
- Try removing these restrictions via Adobe Acrobat (Document Properties), or ask the original document creator to remove them.
- Unembedded Content
- If your file includes unembedded fonts, comment boxes, or fillable fields, it may not process correctly.
- You can check for unembedded fonts in Adobe Acrobat's Document Properties.
- Note: This tool might not display all problematic elements.
- Electronic Fields
- PDFs containing interactive elements—like signature fields or date pickers—may not be accepted or printable.
- Built‑In PDF Repair Tools
- Under My Account → PDF Tools on LetterStream’s site, you can try built-in repair tools.
- These tools may remove problematic content or pages, so review your document carefully before approving or sending it.
Quick Fixes & Recommended Steps
- Remove security restrictions (passwords or printing restrictions).
- Embed fonts andremove comments or fillable elements.
- Flatten the document—convert forms to static content.
- Re-export the PDF using your authoring software, or save it as a new PDF.
- Break large documents into smaller chunks to isolate issues (especially helpful for multi-page files).
Error Codes Explained
LetterStream may display one of several error codes when uploading fails. Here's what they typically mean—and what you can do:
| Error Code(s) | Likely Cause | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|
| 3835 | File corruption | Recreate the PDF. For large files, split into smaller PDFs to isolate problematic pages. |
| 3833, 3888 | Security restrictions | Remove any password or printing restrictions in the document’s properties. |
| 9000, 9001 | Complex issues—could be security settings, unembedded elements, or bad export | Re-export or re-save the PDF. Prefer "Save as PDF" over using an "Export" function. |
| 4089 | Conversion issues | Try re-saving or re-exporting the PDF to correct conversion errors. |
| 925, 946, 413, 3903, 2922 | Rare, unspecific errors possibly tied to the issues above | Troubleshoot with the steps listed above; these codes may result from any combination of common problems. |