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dakotakid_parker
dakotakid_parker
Known Participant
May 23, 2025
Question

Footnotes spanning 2 columns in InDesign display correctly but do not print properly

  • May 23, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 892 views

First time I've had to use the footnote options in InDesign. I have several pages with footnotes which occur at the bottom of each page in each associated text block. Span across columns is checked in bothe the Footnote Style I created, as well as in the Layout options. The footnotes display correctly on screen as intended. 

When I print spreads from InDesign to an Epson P5000, the footnotes only print the text that is under the lefthand column. All of the footnote text on the right disappears.

Exporting the pages to a PDF generates the file as it shows on screen, and the resulting file prints to the same printer as expected.

This appears to be a bug in InDesign's printing capabilities.

Anyone have a suggestion as to what is going on?

See the two screen shots to see the problem.

1 reply

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Barb BinderCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 23, 2025

Hi @dakotakid_parker:

 

I can recreate this in both InDesign 20.3.1 and 19.5.4, also using an Epson printer. 

 

I think it is worth both of us confirming that our printer driver and firmware is up-to-date, but if that does't do it, please log this a bug here: https://indesign.uservoice.com/.

 

And in the meantime, thank goodness export to PDF to print is working correctly.

 

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
    dakotakid_parker
    dakotakid_parkerAuthor
    Known Participant
    May 30, 2025

    The driver and firmware on the Epson P5000 was older. I updated the driver to the most current, restarted, and printed the offending pages again. Same result. The footnotes spanning column 2 don't print.

    I updated the firmware. No change in the printed output. Still wrong. 

    Luckily the pub files need to go as pdf, and as you pointed out, that's still working.

    A bug in InDesign. Reported.

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