How to Fix InDesign Documents Going Blank After Switching Between Apps

[LauraFig]

Since the last ID upgrade, when I switch back and forth between ID and other apps, sometimes when I return to ID all my docs are blank. I've tried resizing, switching views, and assorted other jiggling. Eventually something randomely works. Just got a new Mac Studio with 64GB of RAM, so I would think this is enough to run ID.

Any ideas how to fix?

Thanks,

Laura

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[Eugene Tyson · Accepted solution]

Try turning off the GPU Performance in the InDesign settings.

[LauraFig]

Thanks, I'll try that next time. Just curious why this would cause problems?

[Eugene Tyson]

Personal opinion -

Macs are crap.

---------------------------

Professional opinion - 

GPU performance is primarily for displaying images/graphics. I don't think it's as comprehensive as it is in the likes of Photoshop or Illustrator.

It might have something to do with higher resolution displays, like Retina displays. GPU isn't always efficiently used for tasks beyond image rendering, which can make performance seem inconsistent.

MacOS updates can sometimes introduce changes to how applications interact with hardware, especially the GPU. If InDesign is not fully up to date/optimised for the latest macOS versions, performance issues can arise.

Mac OS updates are released and InDesign is left to constantly catch up and this can cause experiences temporary performance glitches or display problems.

Retina displays have high pixel density and it demands more GPU power to render elements smoothly. When InDesign isn't properly optimised for these high-density displays, users may experience lag or poor visual quality in some parts of the interface, especially when zooming or scrolling through complex documents.

The new Mac models are integrated GPUs rather than dedicated graphics cards and in my experience struggle with InDesign's GPU performance.

[LauraFig · Accepted solution]

Okay, thanks!

[LauraFig]

Just following up to say this works a a temporary solution. I'd like to hear from Adobe as to how they plan to fix this year-long problem on a permanent basis.

[Eugene Tyson]

It's apple display that causes the problem from what I understand

That's why there's an option to turn it off

[LauraFig]

Excellant! Som much fun geting new stuff. But thanks.