Appearing black lines while creating a shadow effect to an image!

[dragonixt29921437]

Once I created a document and pasted an image. Then I wanted to set a shadow effect to this image and saw this issue:

So how can I fix this?

[winterm]

Paste?

Never paste image to InDesign, always use File>Place command, or drag'n'drop from Explorer/Finder.

In any case, your image must be saved as a separate file on your HD, and placed to ID as an external link.

If issue persists, examine your image in Photoshop, maybe resave to be sure.

If it is jpeg or any other lossy format, after editing better save as psd or tiff, or pdf, and place to ID that. Don't re-save jpegs.

[Randy Hagan]

I'm assuming that you're talking about the sharp, dark edge around the drop shadow surrounding your image, so if I'm a bit off base, please correct me.

I think I see a couple of things you can adjust to get better results:

1) The default Opacity: setting for an InDesign drop shadow is 75%. With a tight drop shadow, that tends to give you the heavy effects and funky banding which appears in your sample image. If you click on the right-pointing chevron to the right of that percentage in the edit box, it opens a slider which you can use to quickly judge the quality of your drop shadow's darkness — as well as how it appears above any element/color build situated behind it.

If you asked me, I'd scale it back around the 40-45% range to make it a softer, easier-blending drop shadow. But if that doesn't meet your desired effect, first selecting the Preview check box and using the slider lets you pick an opacity setting that'd be more appealing to your eye and judgment.

2) As for the drop shadow lining up perfectly against the left edge of your image, boosting the X Offset: edit box with a larger positive number will move the shadow further to the right and make it look more like the light is appearing well to the top-left of your image. Be advised that the upward- and downward-pointing chevrons jump in large amounts, and you may have to click into the edit box and dial in a number between two chevron clicks to get your desired result.

Also, winterm is steering you right about placing images into InDesign rather than copying/pasting them into your layouts. You'll get much better results putting graphics into your InDesign layouts that way. I think between his suggestion and mine, you'll be able to dial in more desirable results for your images within InDesign.

Good luck. Hope this helps ...

Randy

[Laubender]

Hi dragonixt29921437 ,

I think we need to see more what's going on around your image.

Best do a screenshot of the whole page with frame edges showing, hidden characters showing.

If you export the page to PDF/X-4 with all transparency intact can you still see the three black lines in the area of the drop shadow?

Are there any frame edges stacked below from other objects?

Regards,
Uwe

[chesterprinting]

I came here in search of an answer to the same issue. I have never experienced that issue before. (The horizontal black lines appearing in the shadow behind the image) I have just started using Windows 10 and I'm getting the same horizontal black lines behind any image with a shadow or gradient. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

[Marcin99999]

I've got the same issue on brand new PC. Old one never made such lines.

In my case lines are very thin (one pixel?)

Good is that export to pdf is without lines. But it doesn't look good while you're working.

[max_egon_99]

Yes we are lucky who got the same problem with the ghost lines in shadow or transparency effect, that a pdf export is without lines. But I agree, it definitely disturbing at work. Win11 pro Asus ROG strix with intel 9 ultra and RTX 5080, so no way that it is a hardware problem.  Still looking for a fix!

[skynizam]

For me,.it shows the same black lines for the shadow and any gradient if applied. But miracoulsy does not show in the print. 

[JDMcr]

Hi, I am having the same issue when apply transparency and shadows... some weird black lines but they are really annoying.  Any idea?

BTW I do have two monitors and the problem appears in both.

[Laubender]

Hi JDBlender,

is this an image that is placed and linked?
Or was it pasted on the page?

Will the lines be visible if you export the page to PDF (Print) with PDF/X-4 ?

What's your version of InDesign?
What's your operating system?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[JDMcr]

HI, thanks for replying.

I have the same problem no matter if the image is pasted, imported, JPG, PNG, PSD, always the same lines.

If I export the image to PDF or any other format the lines dissapear, but this is kind of annoying while I am working, I deactivate all the potential lines to be shown but the problem seems to be general cause I found some users with the same problem.

I have the latest version (updated the last week) 

I am using Windows 10.

Thanks.

[Rachel 5CCD]

Check your graphics card driver to make sure it is the latest version. https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/drivers-video-win-nvidia.html . This worked for me and fixed the problem, however, I would have never known if I hadn't tried opening Premiere on my new-to-me PC with Windows 10. Premiere identifiied that I didn't have the correct driver to be able to fully use Premiere. Once I installed the correct NVIDIA driver, the black lines on my images and drop shadows in InDesign disappeared. 

[Rachel 5CCD]

I was also having the same issues, and it was very frustrating. What seemed to work was installing the updated NVIDIA graphics card driver, and now I don't have the issue. However, I would not have known this if I hadn't tried to open up Premiere Pro up on this same computer, which is a new computer to me. Premiere identified that I didn't have the proper driver to run Premiere, so I installed the correct driver, and then InDesign files started working as well. Here's how to find which driver you need and how to install: https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/drivers-video-win-nvidia.html . Hope this works for you as well! 

[kto427]

Hi there, had this issue myseld and I don't know if you've already figured this out but its your display performance. If you Shift+W to check in presentation mode the lines will disappear, as wel as if you change your display performance to high quality.

Hope this helps!

[craig_kasnoff · Accepted solution]

I am currently working with InDesign support to understand and resolve this issue. The Adobe support team agrees this is something that shouldn't be happening. I am on a new computer (Windows 11) with a high-end processor with lots of RAM so this shouldn't be a graphics issue. However, since I find this so annoying, and since I have not heard back from Adobe support yet (who are ALWAYS very helpful) I have found a "work-around" that seems to elimate this issue.

If I go to the master page and create a "white" overlay on the master page (i.e. using the rectangle tool over the whole master page and use a white fill) then when I go back to my normal pages and use the drop shadow on an image, or use any other effect in the effects panel, the black lines no longer show up.

Again, this is just a work-around until I find out from the Adobe support team what the actual issue is, but for me it is WAY better than being distracted by those annoying black lines appearing behind the images.

[WoodGalRizer]

Bam.....your workaround fixed my issues! Now if I could just get back the 1.5 hrs I spent on trying to get rid of those stupid black lines in my shadows! Thanks a bunch for the rough fix....for now anyway!!

[max_egon_99]

Confirmed work around solution. No lines for me if background is placed. However it is anoying to know that there is not a real fix for now. I hope that Adobe will react on this issue or at least release a solution. Win11 pro - Asus ROG Strix with intel 9 ultra and RTX 5080, so no way that it is a hardware problem. 

[max_egon_99]

I found out when switching in view menu to overprint preview that those ghost lines disappear. Another work around?

[craig_kasnoff]

How about Adobe "fixes" the issue. That would be the "ultimate" work around. 

I can't belive that after all these years of people complaining about it, they have still not dealt with it. 

Perhaps they should either find new software engineers or have AI look at -and solve- the issue for them. 

Yes, it is stil annoying. And no, my conversations with Adobe support did not elimnate the issue.

[max_egon_99]

Yes it is disappointing, that Adobe isn't care much about it. Even it is not a Adobe bug or glitch, they could tell us why this is happening. I guess it a kind of strategy to buy continually new software and hardware. My HW is brand new and latest. So it must be some software issue. Hope anybody can contribute to this issue.

[max_egon_99]

I solved the issue! At least on my laptop. The matter was, that I scaled my desktop view to 125% in windows settings. By 100% the ghost lines disappeared in InDesign.

[HARSHIKA_VERMA]

Thank you for sharing the solution that has worked for you. We appreciate it.

Thanks,

Harshika

[DAVID237574766xme]

I am having the same issue. After some exprimenting with the effects controls which didn't solve the issue, i realised that i had not added a background to the page. I'm not sure if this is the solution, but for me, the lines disappear once there is a background layer is added. 

[max_egon_99]

Try switching in view menu to overprint preview. It will disappear. My logic tells me it is a GPU problem. Overprint preview on windows uses CPU only.