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background color not showing up in PDF

Community Beginner ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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I have several pages in my INDD document with a solid fill color. After I export the file to PDF, I can see the background color in the preview screen but when I open the PDF, none of the pages with the background fill show it. Please help.

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correct answers 2 Correct answers

Community Beginner , Jan 31, 2023 Jan 31, 2023

Thanks to everyone who tried to help me problem solve. I updated my system, reinstalled Acrobat but it was still happening. Then I noticed a similar issue posted from someone else a few months ago and tried the suggestion posted. It worked! It was my accessibility settings that were messing everything up and when I think back to when it first started happening, I realize it was after I made a PDF file accessible. So all good now, thanks again.

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New Here , Feb 16, 2024 Feb 16, 2024

I stumbled across this discussion when I was having the same issue (background colors not displaying after converting to PDF) and after reading about accessibility (see post above) I went to Adobe Acrobat > Edit > Preferences > Accessibility > and uncheck Replace Document Colors. That seemed to work for me.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

 

p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post if it helps you get responses.

 

<moved from using the community>

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Community Expert ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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How did you apply the background color? Is it on a layer that is set to non-printing?

quote

After I export the file to PDF, I can see the background color in the preview screen

 

Which "preview screen" is that, and what application are you using to open and view the PDF?

 

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Community Expert ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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Are you viewing the pdf in Acrobat or Reader? You may be creating a layered pdf and your pdf viewer does not respect layers. It might also be an overprint issue or the background layer is set to not print (or export). Is the background color a spot color? Can you attach a sample page with the missing background?

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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I'm viewing in Acrobat. I've never had this issue in the past so when I opened up the file and there was nothing there, I was surprised. I've attached one page from my document with the resulting PDF. All colors are CMYK. Thank you in advance for any help you can give.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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If by Solid Fill Color, you mean a spot Pantone, then the fault may be in the Acrbat view settings. 

In the Page Display settings, for Use Overprint Preview: Always

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Community Expert ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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but when I open the PDF, none of the pages with the background fill show it.

 

Hi @annab96467542 , That could happen if you created the background color by editing the default [Paper] swatch. [Paper] represents the color of the paper with no ink printed. AcrobatPro has the equivalent in its Output Preview panel, Set Page Background Color, which is unchecked by default:

 

Screen Shot 16.png

 

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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To create the background I drew a box with a solid fill (with bleeds). This has only started happening since the latest update to the software – I don't know if it's Acrobat or INDD that's causing this. I'm attaching one page from my INDD file and the resulting PDF. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated. I've never had this problem in the past. If I open up the page in Photoshop, the background color is there. When I browse my desktop to open the file, it shows in the preview display.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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No problem here. The purple color background is there in InDesign and the exported PDF.

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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So why can't I see it on my screen?

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Community Expert ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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Can you show a capture from AcrobatPro with the Print Production> Output Preview open?

 

Screen Shot 22.png

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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Community Expert ,
Jan 24, 2023 Jan 24, 2023

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Your pdf looks fine here too, in Acrobat & Reader. There is some black type behind the background, send the background to the bottom to reveal it. Check for Acrobat updates and try re-starting your Mac, if you are still having issues, you may need to re-install Acrobat.

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 31, 2023 Jan 31, 2023

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Thanks to everyone who tried to help me problem solve. I updated my system, reinstalled Acrobat but it was still happening. Then I noticed a similar issue posted from someone else a few months ago and tried the suggestion posted. It worked! It was my accessibility settings that were messing everything up and when I think back to when it first started happening, I realize it was after I made a PDF file accessible. So all good now, thanks again.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 31, 2023 Jan 31, 2023

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@annab96467542   

 

thanks for the update.

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Community Beginner ,
Feb 07, 2024 Feb 07, 2024

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what was the fix? i'm having the same issue..... i don't know what to change in "accessibility settings" to make the background show up!?! 

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New Here ,
Feb 16, 2024 Feb 16, 2024

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I stumbled across this discussion when I was having the same issue (background colors not displaying after converting to PDF) and after reading about accessibility (see post above) I went to Adobe Acrobat > Edit > Preferences > Accessibility > and uncheck Replace Document Colors. That seemed to work for me.

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New Here ,
Aug 16, 2024 Aug 16, 2024

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Hi all, I am having these same problems, however, I do not have the accessibilty box checked and yet the filled rectangle color is not showing up. Does anyone have any other ideas as to why this might be happening?

 

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Community Expert ,
Aug 16, 2024 Aug 16, 2024

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Hi @Danielle37907446oxiy , Can you share the ID file, you can attach it to a reply

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New Here ,
Aug 16, 2024 Aug 16, 2024

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Here is a portion of the full document, but the same problem applies to each. Thank you for your help!

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New Here ,
Aug 16, 2024 Aug 16, 2024

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My solution at the moment is to create an image that is just the solid color and upload that to the master pages which works for the pdf download, however that is a very roundabout way to achieve this end goal haha

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Community Expert ,
Aug 16, 2024 Aug 16, 2024

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It is because you used the “paper” color: paper color is not intented to print but to simulate the paper color. In your case, you must use the existing C0M7Y14K0 color to fill the background rectangles.

Capture d’écran 2024-08-16 à 23.46.06.png

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New Here ,
Aug 16, 2024 Aug 16, 2024

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Oh my goodness thank you! I knew the page color wouldn't print, but didn't realize that would apply when adding that color to the rectangle. It is working properly now!

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