All text turns white in PDF export

[AbridgedPause]

All of my text in my document is the same color. The color exists on both CMYK and RGB pallets. I also have a logo that is placed as an image; the logo is the same color as the text.

When I export my document to a print PDF, all of the text becomes a solid white (#FFFFFF), but the logo remains the correct color. I had tried changing the color to something else (anything else, just to test), and no matter what color I chose, it always exports to white (and the logo will have the correct color).

I have tried switching to RGB instead of CMYK, no difference.

I have tried to change the settings in my PDF viewer (used both Acrobat Reader and Chrome), no difference, though this is clearly not a reader issue since I can see the logo in the correct color.

What is causing all my text to go white at export?

[Steve Werner]

If this is only happening in one document, it may have some corruption. Try saving it as an IDML (File > Save As > InDesign CS4 or Later [IDML]. Open the IDML file to see if it fixes the problem.

If this happens with all files that you test, try restoring your InDesign preferences and caches:

Adobe InDesign: Rebuilding Preferences and Cache Fileshttps://www.rockymountaintraining.com › adobe-...

[AbridgedPause]

Hey Steve, thanks for suggestions. Unfortuntealy, neither worked. I tried saving as IDML, and then tried both options to clear my preferences and my cache; my text is still exporting in white. 

What else could it be? This is so frustrating! I need to have this printed by the end of the week....

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

Hi @AbridgedPause ,

in what app do you inspect your exported PDF?

If Acrobat Reader DC or Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, check in

Preferences > Accessibility > Document Color Options

if Replace Document Colors is enabled and if Document Text is set to a solid white.

If that's not the case post a sample document with one page only so that we can see into the issue.

When in InDesign:

What do you see when you turn on Overprint Preview in InDesign?

Silly question perhaps, but I have to ask this:

Did you perhaps use the swatch [Paper] for your text and did you perhaps change [Paper] to a different color than the default one?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[AbridgedPause]

Hey Laubender! "Did you perhaps use the swatch [Paper] for your text and did you perhaps change [Paper] to a different color than the default one?"

That's it!!! That is exactly what I did!!! I had no idea that even if I changed the swatch of that [Paper] option, it wouldn't keep any colors! I had no idea of that function in Indesign, so I learned something new from this mistake.

Thank you SO much!!!! Now I can finally get some sleep, haha!

[Laubender]

Hi @AbridgedPause ,

Swatch [Paper] , default is CMYK 0,0,0,0 when with Print Intent, simulates the color of the substrate you want to print on. Usually for a print run, this is paper; thus its name. The ability to change the color for this simulation is a feature, that must not be misused. InDesign is able to simulate a paper color other than white. You did this.

But that does not mean that the exported PDF will follow this simulation.

Why? The Adobe PDF (Print) exported PDF's purpose is for printing on a substrate. Perhaps also on colored paper.

If this exported PDF would contain a color other than "White" for swatch [Paper], you'd add that color to a perhaps already colored substrate if you would print from the PDF.

Also if I enforce a "Simulate Overprint" in the export.

With the other export path to Adobe PDF (Interactive) it's the same.

Why? I don't know. One could perhaps expect a simulation of a colored paper caused through the colored [Paper] swatch in this case. But no. The colored [Paper] will remain "white".

The only export method I can think of to show the colored paper simulation is to directly export to a pixel format.

Like PNG or JPEG. There the colored [Paper] swatch has an effect on the exported image.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Laubender]

As a little follow-up.

If you do Publish Online with a colored swatch of [Paper], object's fill will show the simulated color.

Text will not! Strange, isn't ist?

Sample page with InDesign 2023. Note the rectangle in the bottom half of the page where fill color is [Paper]:

Exported to PNG:

Publish Online result, note the text! :

https://indd.adobe.com/view/1d213ffc-4a2e-4c20-8956-0bbeb3b5754c

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )