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Illustrator pattern doesn't show up in InDesign

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
August 19, 2019
3 replies
3607 views

I have an Illustrator file with a pattern in it and it won't show up when I place it in InDesign. Only the artwork that doesn't have the pattern in it shows up. The lower half of the Illustrator file with the pattern in it doesn't show up. I've tried saving the file as as ai file, a pdf and an eps but none of them work. I've never had any problems with placing patterns in InDesign before. Anyone got any suggestions?

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Correct answer Laubender

Hi letterwoman ,

would the pattern show if you export the page with the placed AI file as e.g. PDF/X-4 ?

Hm. I could be on the wrong track, but I remember a case where the preview of a placed AI graphic was only partly possible if an Illustrator pattern had some elements that were set to overprint. This bug should be fixed with InDesign CC 2018.1. Perhaps it came back in a different form with InDesign CC 2019 and Illustrator CC 2019?

Details on the bug and a workaround for the issue here:

Zoom Factor issue: Linked Graphics from Illustrator vanishes in Indesign. Win7/CC2017

Possible workaround: Add transparency and switch to Overprint Preview.

What will happen if you add a small rectangle to the spread where you placed the AI file, filled with [Paper] and blending of the Effects panel set to 0% ? Would the pattern show up if you enable Overprint Preview?

Could you open the AI file, isolate a detail where the issue is showing, copy and save that to an extra AI file that you can make available for testing on Dropbox or a similar service and post the link?

FWIW: Just tested the linked AI file from this old thread on my old InDesign versions on Windows 10.

Cannot see an issue. But I definitely saw and documented the issue back then on Mac OS X with e.g. InDesign CC 2015.4. Also with InDesign CC 2017.

Regards,
Uwe

Scott Falkner

Community Expert

I discovered a bug in InDesign where patterns do not preview properly if there is an overprint in one of the pattern objects. It not only makes the pattern disappear, it hides objects above the placed Illustrator file. If you turn on Separation Preview or Overprint Preview the file displays properly.

illustrator pattern – Adobe InDesign Feedback

L

Laubender

Community Expert

Hi Scott,

thank you very much for the link.

Commented and voted at uservoice.

Regards,
Uwe

L

Laubender

Correct answer

Community Expert

Hi letterwoman ,

would the pattern show if you export the page with the placed AI file as e.g. PDF/X-4 ?

Hm. I could be on the wrong track, but I remember a case where the preview of a placed AI graphic was only partly possible if an Illustrator pattern had some elements that were set to overprint. This bug should be fixed with InDesign CC 2018.1. Perhaps it came back in a different form with InDesign CC 2019 and Illustrator CC 2019?

Details on the bug and a workaround for the issue here:

Zoom Factor issue: Linked Graphics from Illustrator vanishes in Indesign. Win7/CC2017

Possible workaround: Add transparency and switch to Overprint Preview.

What will happen if you add a small rectangle to the spread where you placed the AI file, filled with [Paper] and blending of the Effects panel set to 0% ? Would the pattern show up if you enable Overprint Preview?

Could you open the AI file, isolate a detail where the issue is showing, copy and save that to an extra AI file that you can make available for testing on Dropbox or a similar service and post the link?

FWIW: Just tested the linked AI file from this old thread on my old InDesign versions on Windows 10.

Cannot see an issue. But I definitely saw and documented the issue back then on Mac OS X with e.g. InDesign CC 2015.4. Also with InDesign CC 2017.

Regards,
Uwe

L

letterwomanAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thank you so much Uwe! Mystery solved. Our customer had set their pattern artwork to Overprint. That was why it wasn't showing up when I placed it. Gosh, that was driving me crazy!

L

Laubender

Community Expert

Hi letterwoman ,

were you successful with the workaround I outlined in reply 6?

Adding transparency to the spread, could be an element on the pasteboard.

Or did you remove the overprinting on the objects? That would be perhaps an error.

( Don't know the purpose of the pattern so I'm guessing here. )

Regards,
Uwe

Barb Binder

Community Expert

What version of InDesign and what version of Illustrator? What pattern?

~Barb

Illustrator:

InDesign:

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

L

letterwomanAuthor

Participating Frequently

The most current version of InDesign & Illustrator CC.

Barb Binder

Community Expert

We don't have enough information from you to help, letterwoman. As you can see from my screenshots—and as you know from prior experience—patterns are not normally an issue when placing an AI file into InDesign. What is different this time?

Screenshots help us troubleshoot. For the Illustrator screenshot be sure to select the artwork with the pattern assigned, and include the properties panel/control panel and open layers panel. For the InDesign screenshot, show the resulting artwork.

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

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