Dark boxes show up around logos/images in printed file

[paulo32214390]

I'm running into an issue that I can't seem to figure out.. hopeful someone might be able to offer some guidance. I've got my Indesign file looking the way I want it to on the computer, but when I go to export it to PDF and then print from that file, I get these undesirable dark boxes around my graphics.. see pictures. What's strange is if I print directly from InDesign, it looks correct. Why would that be happening? Is there a setting that I'm missing? I've set the export to PDF X1A and set the output to 'Convert to Destination' and it doesn't seem to make a difference. Why would it look different from the PDF when printed? but look fine when printed directly from InDesign?

Thanks,
Paul

[SJRiegel]

Looks Like Yucky Discolored Box Syndrome.

https://indesignsecrets.com/eliminating-ydb-yucky-discolored-box-syndrome.php

[carmenmills.design]

This fixed my issue!! Just needed to rasterize all my linked files!! Thank you!!

[barbara_a]

Have you tried exporting as PDF/X-2010?

[Derek Cross]

Shouldn‘t that be PDF/X-4, or has a new version come out?

[barbara_a]

Yes, at last a new version.

[Derek Cross]

Re PDF/X-4 2010, I found this interesting post from Dov Isaacs posted in 2015:

"The PDF/X-4 produced by the PDF/X-4:2008 joboptions settings in versions of InDesign since InDesign 7.0 (CS5) have all conformed to the PDF/X-4:2010 standard. In fact, if you select that preset and then look at the little box referring to the standard supported, it shows PDF/X-4:2010 (there is no way to set it to PDF/X-4:2008)! Why the job options file was never renamed is a long story, but nonetheless, the PDF generated does support PDF 1.6 including compressed object streams, JPEG 2000, layers, etc., capabilities that InDesign PDF export did not support with the PDF 1.4 generated in InDesign 6 and earlier."

[G_Hoffmann]

IF NOT interested in history THEN GOTO M1

Okay, the handling of Black or Gray or Grayscale in Adobe programs has been

always a great mess:

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1564258

In fact, it's correct in Photoshop, but not in InDesign (there is no Grayscale),

and therefore Export as PDF is for Grays widely uncertain.

M1:

About the actual problem:

The background of the images and the large background rectangle are using

different blacks.  Black can be Grayscale with any Tone Reproduction Curve:

Gamma or Dot Gain, or Photoshop's Black Ink (ISOCoated v2 eci, for example),

or Gray converted from AnyRGB to AnyCMYK, a huge number of possibilities,

and going from RGB to CMYK it can be Rich Black (CMYK) or K-only Black.

Hopefully we don't have to discuss, how JPEG compression modifies the file

content further.

What's to do? One possibility:

Choose your CMYK space, for instance ISOCoated v2 eci, as recommended

by the service provider.

Convert the images to CMYK, extract the background (Magic Wand) and fill

it with a well specified CMYK black (it's not even clear whether  the image

backgrounds had been identical before).

Use in InDesign exactly the same CMYK black for the background rectangle.

Then export without image compression as PDF/X-1a.

No, PDF/X-4 doesn't contribute any magic problem solution concerning the

Grays.

The only reason for using PDF/X-4 could be the visible gradients in the page,

if these were produced by Illustrator by procedural shading* (PostScript origin).

PDF/X-1a would replace this procedural shading by immediate rasterization,

in this case agreeable.

* The rasterization depends on the final output device.

Best regards --Gernot Hoffmann

[rob day · Accepted solution]

This is a common problem with composite printers with RGB drivers, where the print driver doesn't handle transparency flattening and or color conversions correctly.

When printing out of Acrobat try checking Print>Advanced>Print As Image

[paulo32214390]

thanks! this fixed it.

[Lisa32369069aenk]

Hi, I am experiencing a similar problem. Only thing is that these boxes already appear in my pdf file on my computer when exported. I checked and everything is in CYMK. What am I doing wrong?

[rob day]

Can you share a sample InDesign page and PDF showing the problem?

[Lisa32369069aenk]

Hi, thank you for responding so quickly! 
The first two images are what it looks like once exported, the other two are what it looks like in my InDesign file. The pictures that are used are in CYMK and are linked to my psd files. 

[Lisa32369069aenk]

@BobLevine 
I will show you how I did it, but my InDesign is in Dutch. I hope this is clear, if you want I can translate.
.

[rob day]

Looks like your InDesign Appearance of Black Preference is set to Display All Blacks as Rich Black and your InDesign background black is the default [Black] 0|0|0|100 and doesn’t match the image’s black, which would be a 4 color black on a conversion to CMYK:

[Lisa32369069aenk]

Yes!! That was it! Thank you so so much, I've spend hours trying to figure this out. You made my day 

[BobLevine]

Exported how? This shouldn't happen if you keep the transparency live by using the proper PDF settings.

[peterjohnsen1905]

Worked for me as well, thank you so much.
I've contaced the printer company to see if there's a fix to the driver-issue.