Copy / Pasting not working properly in ID20

[MattheausG]

We are finding occasionally that when you copy an item to paste elsewhere (either in the same doc or another) that instead of replicating the item you get a pseudo screengrab. It looks just like the item you have copied, but is just a screengrab, and a screengrab with no link at all

So I copied this

(all vector) and it returned this

I am a very experienced Indesgner, having used it since ID2 (and have trained others in it) and I have never experienced this or know why it is happening – so reaching out the the community. I assume it is an issue with ID20, but be curious to learn if others are getting this phenomena or what could be causing it?

[leo.r]

What's your operating system version? Also, do you have the same issue in InDesign 2024?

[MattheausG]

OS Sequoia 15.4.1
ID 20.2
No, it did not happen before ID v19s = 2024

[MattheausG]

Note, my entire team here are also experiencing this, some 25 designers

[HARSHIKA_VERMA]

Hi MattheausG

Thank you for sharing the requested information. It appears you're currently using an older version of InDesign. Could you please update to the latest version and let us know if the issue persists? 

It would also be helpful if you could confirm the same with your team.

We're here to support you and will do our best to assist further.

Thanks,
Harshika

[leo.r]

OS Sequoia 15.4.1
ID 20.2

No, it did not happen before ID v19s = 2024

By @MattheausG

First, try to update both InDesign and Sequoia to their latest versions - will it make a difference?

If the issue persists, can you confirm that you still don't have this issue in InDesign 2024? If you don't have it installed anymore you can reinstall it from the CC app.

[MattheausG]

We are unable to go latest on all fronts (suggested above) due to conflicts with 3rd party software we use, but this has been the case for many years for us and, like I say, this has never happened?
I honestly think it is a bug in ID20, and realistically we can't be the only organisation experiencing this or indeed the only one not running the latest softwares?

I can try the ID2024 retrofit, but as it does not happen every time, I am not sure how long before it will happen again and meanwhile I will have update conflictst opening all my collegaues files as they stay on ID2025.

[BobLevine]

Well, if it is a bug, you're stuck with it. No way it's getting fixed in a five-year old version.

That said, what you're seeing is typical of copying from a different version of InDesign. If that's not it, you should contact the other vendor and find out why they're not updating their software so that you can update yours.

Edit: please clarify whether you're using InDesign 2020 or InDesign version 20. This whole numbering system is crazy.

[MattheausG]

I hear on the numbering Bob
I always say ID20 which is 2025 version. So in short, the ID version we are using is almost the very latest. We are using 20.2 and the latest is 20.4.1. We cannot progress beyond this as our font manager is not compatible.

[BobLevine]

So, just to be sure. When this is happening, you have both files open in the same version of InDesign?

[MattheausG]

Yes, same version
The example I posted was even in the same file, just copied from pne page top another!

[BobLevine]

You (and your team) seem to be only ones having this issue. Any third party plugins?

[MattheausG]

No Bob, none
We work for one of the largest client of Adobe's with over 3000 users globally and we do have a large IT provision. I will check with our global community and see if it is a common issue

[BobLevine]

Have you tried toying with your clipboard options. Shouldn't matter internally but if there's an obsure bug, this might help reveal it.

[MattheausG]

I reached out to 837 ID users in our global team and have had loads of 'yes, we are experiencing the same issue'

It is definaltely a ID 2025 problem

[BobLevine]

Well, you should get them to report it, too. 

[Anubhav M]

Hello @MattheausG,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. I tried replicating this behavior on my end but could not. Could you kindly share a link to a sample file along with a small screen recording of your exact workflow and the problem, so I can check this with the product team?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Anubhav

[Dirk Becker]

Data exchange like the clipboard here, but also drag and drop, comes in flavors.

That is, the source provides text, utf, rich text and so forth for text and the destination chooses what's best to them.

For page items that includes internal objects stored in a scrap area, snippet, PDF and TIFF, you likely get one of the latter.

Third party export format plugins may add their own flavors. Are you using any one of those? Declaring the appropriate priority is tricky.

The "Copy" process has multiple phases, internal flavors differ from external flavors.

For performance reasons, as long you stay within InDesign the data is not exported to the external clipboard.

So the first step is to strictly stay within InDesign, not switch over to other applications.

You don't sound like you did, but do you have any extension (CEP) panels open that might trigger externalization?

There could also be different applications that request such an externalization in order to perform changes on the clipboard.  Never heard about them, but search points to Maccy, Flycut, CopyClip, ClipMenu. Does any of them sound familiar? Maybe a new security annoyance, or something to hand over the clipboard to a mobile device?

Instead of copy paste, you could also try drag and drop as its externalization is triggered in different ways (external windows). Any change there?

If you drag your page items to the desktop, does that produce a snippet or also the picture?