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AverillB
AverillB
Known Participant
February 1, 2023
Answered

Everything in black disappears in PDF exported from InDesign

  • February 1, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 4571 views

Hi,

I've designed a book cover for print with a solid black back and spine and an image on the front with black text over it. Yesterday it exported just fine to PDF. Today, all the bits that should be black are white.

 

I can export the cover as a jpg and all the colours show up the way I'm seeing it on screen, but the PDF does not show the black. All I can see is the image on the front cover and space where the text should be.

I've made no changes to any of my preferences; color is CYMK; true black. Any idea what's going on? I've a deadline.

 

Thanks,

Averill

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Luke Jennings3

Okay. It is one of those mistakes almost everyone makes... once. 🙂

 

Your other glitches sound like a Preferences issue. I'd also double-check all your PDF export settings; easy to bump some obscure one and end up with bizarre results.

 


Have you changed your Acrobat Accessibility settings? Here is a link to a related Acrobat discussion:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/background-color-not-showing-up-in-pdf/m-p/13543091#M513521

 

2 replies

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
February 1, 2023

Did you use black as a 'Paper' color? Change the 'Paper' color in swatches to black?

 

Won't work. Effectively, 'Paper' is an invisible color meant to represent the color of the stock on which you're going to print. It doesn't export.

 

For a black background, you must lay in a graphics rectangle and give it a solid black color. There are a number of other details here, such as specifying a rich black instead of a dead black, and allowing bleeds for trimming, and such... but you have to provide the black background as an element. And turn Paper back to white while you're at it. 🙂

 

AverillB
AverillBAuthor
Known Participant
February 1, 2023

Thanks , James. I'm not using [Paper]. I've got my black rectangle filled with [black] okay. As I said, it exported just fine yesterday.

James Gifford—NitroPress
James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
February 1, 2023

Okay. It is one of those mistakes almost everyone makes... once. 🙂

 

Your other glitches sound like a Preferences issue. I'd also double-check all your PDF export settings; easy to bump some obscure one and end up with bizarre results.

 

Steve Werner
Community Expert
Steve WernerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 1, 2023

I'd try this troubleshooting tip:

 

If your problem only occurs in this one file, and you can't replicate it in another, there could be subtle corruption in the file. To try to eliminate it save the file as IDML (File > Save As > InDesign CS4 or Later [IDML]. Reopen the IDML into InDesign and see if the problem is fixed.

 

If you can get the problem to replicate in another file, something may have screwed up your InDesign caches or preferences. Follow the directions in this article:

 

https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-indesign-rebuilding-preferences-cache/

AverillB
AverillBAuthor
Known Participant
February 1, 2023

Okay, I saved it as an IDML and reopened in InDesign but it's still exporting with big white spaces where black should be. I'll have a look in the rebuilding preferences article. Funnily enough, I've lost the ability to dock the tool bars and windows and I think rebuilding preferences might solve that problem too.

 

Thanks Steve 🙂

Averill

AverillB
AverillBAuthor
Known Participant
February 1, 2023

I should add that I went to the Indesign file of the interior of the book (all black text) and it still exports to PDF just fine.

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