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dragonixt29921437
New Participant
April 14, 2019
Answered

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

  • April 14, 2019
  • 12 replies
  • 6463 views

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?

Correct answer craig_kasnoff

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.

12 replies

Participating Frequently
January 14, 2025
dropshadow_issue_2.jpg
Participating Frequently
January 14, 2025

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. 

Participating Frequently
October 17, 2025

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.

craig_kasnoffCorrect answer
Inspiring
May 10, 2023

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.

Participating Frequently
October 16, 2025

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. 

Inspiring
October 16, 2025

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


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.

New Participant
June 6, 2022

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!

New Participant
March 17, 2021

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! 

Braniac
March 16, 2021

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 )

Participating Frequently
March 16, 2021

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.

New Participant
March 17, 2021

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. 

New Participant
June 6, 2020

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

Participating Frequently
March 15, 2021

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.

Marcin99999
New Participant
May 14, 2020

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.

Participating Frequently
October 16, 2025

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!

New Participant
February 21, 2020

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?

Braniac
April 15, 2019

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