InDesign 2024 for Mac exporting blank files

[David34695223p3xx]

I am trying to send three different files out to print at an online printer. I exported them as PDFs and all turned out blank. Then I tried to export them as PNG, and same thing.

I have been trying to find references to this problem, and some say that doing the artwork on the master pages might be the issue, but that is not true in this case. Further, one of these files has been exported and printed before with no problem (although I did modify it since then).

Further, there are no linked files; they are all type.

At first I thought it was just a display issue on my end, but the printer confirmed both the PDFs and PNGs were blank.

Any thoughts? Thank you!

[Steve Werner]

Tell us more about your system: Please tell us what operating system (exactly) you're running. Please tell us (exactly) what InDesign version you're using. Did you choose File > Export > Adobe PDF (Print)? What Adobe PDF Preset did you choose (e.g., High Quality Print)?

Does the problem happen with only one file (the one going to the printer) or with other files too?

If it happens with other files, you should try restoring your InDesign preferences and caches. Here's how:

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

[Luke Jennings3 · Accepted solution]

A safe export option is PDF/X-4. 

This is my guess: If the layer is set to not print, it will also not export to pdf (blank).

[David34695223p3xx]

Oh my gosh, this was it! Thank you, Luke! I thought all of the layers were set to print because I had printed it before, but somehow it got turned off. How bizarre and frustrating. But I much appreciate this!

Thanks to you and all who helped!

[David34695223p3xx]

Thank you, Steve. I did restore the InDesign preferences/caches (at your excellent suggestion) with no effect. Quite frustrating. You can tell I'm new to posting on these forums, but things have always just sort of worked for me before. 

In any case, to answer your questions:

Macbook Pro, 16" M1 running MacOS Sonoma v 14.1.1

InDesign 2024, v 19.0.1

I did indeed say File > Export > PDF (Print) -- and later, I also tried to print as a PDF from the desktop printer queue.

The preset is currently Press Quality with no standard, but I've gone through all of the standard options in various attempts to fix this.