Cannot get background color to export to pdf

[Huochemi]

I am trying to create a book cover which will have a background colour. There are several youtubes covering issues with creating a background color whcih I have been through and they all seem so simple, either create a layer or send to back etc. However, I am reduced to experimenting with one word on the document and adding a bckground layer, and whatever I do I cannot get the pdf to show anything other than a white background. Am I missing something obvious? The usual reposnse seem to be that people are using "paper" as the background but if you create a layer then go Window/Color/Color, that option does not appear.

[SJRiegel]

If you have created a rectangle that covers your page, and set it below you other content? 

If so, is the color you used for the background a spot color? 

With spot colors in Acrobat, you may to change your viewing options in Acrobat. In the Page Display panel of Acrobat preferences, under Page Content and information, try setting the Use Overprint Preview: setting to Always.

If you did not intent to use a spot ink, then redefine your background color as Process.

[Huochemi]

Sorry, what is a spot color? The color layer is set behind the layer with a word on it.Chaging the acrobat preferecne as you suggest did nto make any difference.

[SJRiegel]

Can you share your InDesign file via a file sharing service? A look at the actual file would help us figure out what is going wrong.

[Huochemi]

Sure. Who should I send it to?Sent from my Galaxy

[Willi Adelberger]

Make a link to the IDML and PDF file. Best do it via dropbox.

[Huochemi]

Thx. As I posted below, the problem seems to have been fixed by deleting and reinstalling indesign and acrobat.

[Laubender]

Using [Paper] and changing the color for [Paper] is absolutely the wrong way.

Why? Because you do a simulation of a paper color only. You do not put color on a background.

Instead:

Draw out a new rectangle on the page.

Use a new fill color for that rectangle. The color you want to see in the background.

Send the rectangle object to the back of the bottom most layer of your document.

Or create a new layer at the bottom of the layer stack and drag that rectangle to that layer.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Huochemi]

Thanks. Same result, just a white background in acrobat.

[Willi Adelberger]

Did you apply a specific color to the rectangle at bottom of the layer panel? This rectangle has to cover the page including the bleed area.

Did you change in the Swatch Panel the Swatch Paper? Reset it to white except if you use colored paper, than make it the same color as the paper is. The swatch paper appears in Acrobat always as white. 

[Huochemi]

Sorry, forgive me. I cannto find teh swatch panel. If I go Window/Color/Swtaches nothing happens.I am using Window/Color/Color to access colors.

[Willi Adelberger]

Work with swatches, not with colors only.

[Huochemi]

Replying to my own question, I have reinstalled both indesign and acrobat and I can now get the background colour to appear in the pdf. Thanks to all who posted replies. Now to move on to the next great problem, how to change the colour of font as the techhnique shown in the youtubes, clicking the little T then the big T on the left, does not bring up anything. 😞

[Willi Adelberger]

Do you work with paragraph & character styles?

[Huochemi]

For documents, not for the one-off book cover I was doing. I see you can use the tool in the properties box on the right even though it still seems to be non-functioning on the left.