Participating Frequently

Question

InDesign blank window when switching displays

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
February 1, 2024
43 replies
14840 views

When having a file open in InDesign 2024 on my Macbook Pro (Sonoma 14.2.1 OS), close the lid, plug into my LG UltraFine external monitor and wake the computer up, the InDesign window is still open and all the tool bars are visible and working, but the area where the artwork is becomes black/blank and I can't see the work. I can see the bounding boxes if I select all, but no image or text. The window is entirely blank. The same thing happens if I'm working on my LG monitor, unplug the display and then open the Macbook to work. I always have my Macbook closed when plugged into the LG display and use both an external keyboard and trackpad. The solution is to always save, quit InDesign and reopen. If I go through that it works again. Is it a bug with Apple? Is it a bug with Adobe?

My LG firmware, OS and Adobe InDesign are all updated to the latest versions.

Show previous replies

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jeffhalmos

Inspiring

Amazingly—or not at all amazingly—InDesign 20.0 didn't fix the issue. It's the ONLY app that does this on my MacBook Pro, so it ain't Apple and its contant goalpost moving with each OS update.

K

Katelyn5D95

Participant

I'm also experiencing the same issue when switching displays. Has there been any update?

J

jeffhalmos

Inspiring

Many. But none address the issue.

raquelvieira

Participant

In preferences, go to GPU Performance and untick the box that says "Animated Zoom", that will stop the screen from going black when changing screens.

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jeffhalmos

Inspiring

I don't like the zoom feature so it's never need on. Still blank windows.

christyknell

Participant

I just went into my System Preferences for my Macbook Pro, in Displays, and changed the refresh rate to 60 Hertz. I think maybe the newest operating system has a fancy new option that is too different from my external display?

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Cecilia5E25

Participating Frequently

Did that make it work better?

Dennis_Z

Known Participant

Same here! Multiple colleagues have this issue in the office.
OS: Sonoma 14.6.1 / InDesign: 19.5 / Monitor: LG Ergo 32UN880

It's really annoying. Resetting my preferences as the top comment suggested didn't fix it. Tried reinstalling InDesign, deleting my preferences.

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jeffhalmos

Inspiring

Well, don't worry.—it also happens in Sequoia.

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cd93771380

Participant

Same thing happening to me. Have to quit the file and reopen. Kind of annoying.

A

asif_7627

Participant

It sounds like you’re encountering a GPU rendering issue when switching displays with InDesign 2024 on macOS Sonoma. This problem, where the workspace goes blank, is likely due to how macOS handles the transition between the MacBook’s built-in display and your LG UltraFine monitor, especially with GPU-intensive apps like InDesign.

Your current workaround of saving, quitting, and reopening InDesign resets the GPU context, which is why it works. You could also try resetting InDesign’s preferences or adjusting display settings in macOS to see if that helps. If this issue persists, it’s worth reporting to both Apple and Adobe, as it might require a software update from either party.

For more on optimizing your tech setup, consider resources like ThePackagesPK, where you can find guides that might help with similar issues.

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jeffhalmos

Inspiring

Yes but. The but is that earlier versions didn't have this issue. So, my guess, is that it's Adobe that's done something. It's been happening in Sonoma and dev betas of Sequoia. I believe the first few versions of this year's ID were fine.

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studio38541005zbny

Participant

have also had this issue for 2+ years. M1 Macbook pro tried all versions of Adobe INDD

lukc666

Participant

Same issue - been going on since I got my M1 macbook. I've been closing and reopening files for ~2 years now. Every few months I check if there's some fix for this.

The CPU preview hack remains the only thing that "works".

I

iHatePrinters

Participant

On the latest version of Mac and Adobe, and still having this issue here.