InDesign 19.5.2 : Error encountered while reading TIFF image.

[jocstone_me]

I try to place TIFF images rendered from Blender and get the error "Error encountered while reading TIFF image. Image may be damaged or incompatible."
While this was no problem at all in all previous versions of Indesign (2022, 2021, …) version 2023 can't handle them anymore. Also opening files previously created with version 2022 containing those tiff's can be openend, however, I get errors trying to make pdf's and they show grey.
Open them and resave in photoshop, without changing any settings, solves this issue, however, I have hundreds Indesign files containing much of those files.

The TIFF's are saved with zip compression, since all others (LZW, No compression) gives me images where the transparency is shown black, so no option for me.

In the future I can use other file formats for my render, but I would like to continue use my old TIFF's.
I attached 1 example image.

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[Eric Dumas]

Except Tiff, only png files will support the transparency function you are looking for.

Regarding the existing tiff files, the only think I could think of is to use in Photoshop an 'automated Save As'

From the File menu > Script > image processor.

You can select a folder, set every image to be resaved as a tiff, with the same name, size and location. 

I downloaded the tiff file you shared and was able to place it in a new InDesign document, no errors. I use the version 17.4 x64 but it did not work with 18.0 x64.

Something to report to Adobe InDesign (uservoice.com)

[jocstone_me]

Thank you for helping looking into this!

For now, all my new renders are being saved as webp files, which Indesign apparently accept with no problem. And even with 100% quality they are so light.
I am aware of the batch, image processor possibilities in photoshop, and I use this whenever I need to work on an older file with tiff images linked to, however, greater would be if this bug (at least I think it is) is fixed, so I can continue work without resaving files.

I reported this issue yesterday on uservoice and it seems to be "under review", so fingers crossed 🙂

[Willi Adelberger]

Are the images saved on a cloud service like Dropbox?

[jocstone_me]

No, either on the local hard drive or server, all with same errors.

[Willi Adelberger]

But the question is: Belongs it to a drive which is part, even the local one, of such a service?

[jocstone_me]

no, not at all, in no way linked or synced with a cloud service.

[rob day]

Hi @jocstone_me ,  Files saved from non Adobe apps are a constant problem with ID.

You could also batch to PSDs, which would save transparency without needing to check any use transparency boxes. This JS run from Photoshop is very fast—asks you for a folder of TIFs and creates a new folder named PSDs at the root of the TIF folder (tested in PS2021):

var f = Folder.selectDialog("Select the folder containing .TIF files"); 
if(f != null){ 
    fa = f.getFiles(/\.(tif)$/i);
}

var psdF = Folder(f + "/PSDS")
psdF.create()
var so = new PhotoshopSaveOptions({alphaChannels:false, embedColorProfile:true, layers:true});

for (var i = 0; i < fa.length; i++){
    var of = open (fa[i]);
    var n = of.name.replace(/\.[^\.]+$/, '');
    n = n+".psd";
    of.saveAs(new File(psdF + "/" + n), so, true);
    of.close(SaveOptions.DONOTSAVECHANGES);  
};

This folder of 4 30MB tifs took less than 2 sec to convert

[jocstone_me]

Yes thank you for helping out, but I know, I have several scripts and automator actions to rapidly save any image to any other fileformat, however, thats not my real problem, Indesign could previously handle those TIFF's, and I expect that in the new 2023 version also.

[rob day]

I’d be surprised if it gets fixed right away—variations of your problem come up all the time.

[Eric Dumas]

I tested it using the file @jocstone_me shared. It worked with InDesign 17.4 but same error message with version 18. The tiff file was saved on my desktop.

[stephaniel34946626]

Hello, i've got the same issue with indesign (2025) and all my files are on a google drive. We are a team that work remotely so all the files are on the google drive but i'm the only one with this issue. Can you help? Thanks

[Willi Adelberger]

What happens, if you open these images in Photoshop and resave them as PSDs or even TIFFs and use them?

[stephaniel34946626]

it works. But we've got a ton of images from our clients (for products catalog) and from differents folder, it will takes me months to regroup them before thinking of batch resaved them...

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

it works. But we've got a ton of images from our clients (for products catalog) and from differents folder, it will takes me months to regroup them before thinking of batch resaved them...

By stephaniel34946626

If you work on a PC - or have access to a PC - my ID-Tasker tool can do this easily.

Is not free but you can run it overnight / on weekends and it can do multiple operations.

Resample, convert to CMYK / RGB, etc., convert to PSD / TIFF / low res JPEG, etc.

And a lot more - including automatic relinking in your INDD files. 

[BobLevine]

Are the smart sync features turned off to allow all files to sync to your local harddrive?

[stephaniel34946626]

I don't know, i don't think so but we've got all our own liscense of adobe

[pcfiles]

I get the same error after upgrading indegisn but it is happening when the file I open has an .eps file, not a tiff!!!!!

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I get the same error after upgrading indegisn but it is happening when the file I open has an .eps file, not a tiff!!!!!

By pcfiles

Yes, because this error is related to a TIFF stored in the EPS file.

[pcfiles]

The problem with that train of thought is that the .eps files that I get the error on are straight VECTOR files, nothing else!  There is no tiff stored in the eps file.   They are strickly full vector files only!!!

It is a bug in inDesign...  once I updated to the next update that just came out, the error stopped!!!

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@pcfiles

Do you have preview in the EPS file?

This is classed as TIFF as well. 

[mikewisniewski37 · Accepted solution]

I had the same problem, opened the Illustrator file (.eps) and there was a font problem, fonts appeared highlighted in pink.  I replaced the font with a current font, resaved the .eps - problem solved. 

[Willi Adelberger]

Why EPS? Use PDF/X-4 or AI files. Both embed fonts and support transparency. Never use EPS in modern times. 

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi everyone,

Could you check if your issue matches what's discussed in these threads?

Solved: InDesign 19.5.2 issue - Adobe Community - 15124285

InDesign 2024 "Error encountered while reading tif... - Adobe Community - 15121997

I’d recommend updating InDesign to the latest 20.1 version and testing again to see if that helps.

Let me know how it goes!

^
Abhishek

[John Beeckaert]

Hello,

At the office I updated to the latest version for Adobe InDesign CC 2024, namely 19.5.2. I got many errors regarding "TIFF file could not be read" … or something like that. Something I've never encountered before. I reverted back to the previous InDesign CC 2024 before the latest update and I didn't have the problem anymore.

In my research I noticed it was due to .eps files that were linked. Files that have existed for ages and didn't seem to trigger errors. The files are linked from our server with the smb:// problem.

Yes I know … working on a server is "tricky", but we have about 100 TB of data stored on your servers. And yes, … EPS is outdated, I know that also. I copy my INDD documents always to my desktop to work on them, and copy them afterwards back to the servers. So, no I do not work on the server itself in InDesign, only the images are linked from the server.

I'm only wondering if something has gone wrong with the latest update for InDesign CC 2024, as I only have the issue with the latest version of CC 2024. We do not use CC 2025 yet.

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