Participating Frequently

Question

InDesign canvas goes white...

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
December 1, 2023
12 replies
9255 views

Hi everyone! I'm having issues with my indesign. Everytime I want to draw an object, move an object create a new one... the canvas goes all white and I can't really see anything.

I'm working on MacBook Air, Sonoma 14.7, InDesign 2025 (20.0.1). I did read that there were similar issues but I thought they have been fixed?

TIA!

IMG_7659-MOV.zip

Bug

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi everyone,

Thanks for reporting this issue! We have recognized the problem, and a bug has been logged to investigate and resolve it.

Could you please install InDesign 19.5.1 and test if the issue persists? So far, we’ve observed that this issue doesn’t occur in 19.5.1 and only begins with version 20.0 onwards.

To stay updated on this issue and help prioritize its resolution, please visit and upvote this UserVoice link: InDesign UserVoice.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and we’re working diligently to resolve this!

Best,
Abhishek Rao

D

Diana ChAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thanks! Will you let us know when this is fixed?

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @Diana Ch,

Thanks for following up!

As of now, the product team suspects that the issue might be related to the latest macOS update. To help us investigate further, could you please share the following macOS details:

1. macOS version (e.g., macOS Sequoia 14.0).

2. Any recent updates or changes made to your operating system.

This information will help the team pinpoint the root cause more effectively. In the meantime, I’ll continue to keep you posted on any updates or fixes.

Looking forward to your response!

Best,
Abhishek Rao

D

Dana_Davis1941

Participant

InDesign worked fine up until today, now I’m getting white screens when selecting or moving an object. I can’t even place a guide line! I need my rulers as I am using it to create a newspaper. I am not able to select GPU performance, it is greyed out.

Is there another fix? OR How do I fix the GPU issue?

I’m using the following:

Sequoia 15.1.1

Mac mini 2024

Apple M4 chip

InDesign 20.0.1

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Do you have a program called Magnet installed? Seems to be causing issues for people.

If you do try uninstall it.

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

Is it just this document?

If a document is not behaving well then try

File>Export

Choose IDML

Open the IDML in InDesign
Save the file as a new InDesign file with a new name
See if the issue persists.

---

Or all documents?

Try resetting your preferences:

Windows: Start InDesign, and then press Shift+Ctrl+Alt. Click Yes when asked if you want to delete preference files.
macOS: While pressing Shift+Option+Command+Control, start InDesign. Click Yes when asked if you want to delete preference files.
A dialog will appear asking to delete the InDesign Preferences, select 'Yes' on this dialog.
Further info and instructions here if needed:
https://helpx.adobe.com/in/indesign/kb/indesign-preferences-support-file-locations.html

---

Still not working?

Try start your Mac in Safe Mode - does the problem persist?

If it doesn't then another app is responsible and you'll have to find it.

If it does still happen - then reboot in normal mode

---then---

Reinstalling rarely fixes everything - you can do a complete reinstall using the
Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

-----------

Do you have any VPN, firewall, Anti-virus (webroot causes me issues when working in InDesign) - any other info?

-----------

Some users have also reported installing an earlier version of InDesign - so you should be able to select it in CC and install that see if that works ok.

Jordan Farkas

Participant

I'm on a MAC, OS 15.1.1. I know this is an olde issue, one that i though was resolved earlier in the year, but now its back with a vengence.

in the past i just had to turn off my rule to stop the flashing now it occurs everytime with or without the rule.

GPU Perfomance doesn't help me. is there something else i can click or do i have to suffer through this again for months

leo.r

Community Expert

Quite a few users have just reported the same issue.

It appears to be a bug introduced in InDesign 20.0.1. Although reverting to 20.0 doesn't solve the problem.

In some cases, turning on GPU Performance solves the issue, which evidently doesn't help in your case.

Reverting to InDesign 2024 (19.x) is the only solution I'm aware of for now.

timplanetzoid

Participant

I have been using InDesign 2025 (20) since the update came out. It has been working fine until today. The program is almost unusable. Every time I drag an object the screen blanks and goes white. The only thing I can see on the screen when I drag an object is an arrow with the X and Y co-ordinates in a grey box. I did not update my Mac or the application prior to this issue occuring. I have reverted to the 2024 Indesign (19). This version works fine.

Does anyone else have this issue? I have tried updating both the OSX and InDesign application but the problem persists. Any fixes please?

leo.r

Community Expert

It appears to be a bug introduced in InDesign 20.0.1 (which, I guess, was updated automatically for you). Although reverting to 20.0 doesn't solve the problem.

If GPU Performance is available for you in Preferences, turn it on - this should solve the issue.

Otherwise, reverting to 2024 is the only solution for now.

timplanetzoid

Participant

Many thanks for this. Unfortunately, there isn't the option for me to alter the GPU performance, so I'll carry on using 2024.

After doing updates, unplugging everything, checking memory usage etc I did think it was probably an update issue. Again thank you for your reply. 🙂

leo.r

Community Expert

Did you try to toggle GPU Performance in Preferences?

D

Diana ChAuthor

Participating Frequently

It's greyed out for some reason

leo.r

Community Expert

Then GPU is not the culprit...

Do you experience the same problem in InDesign 2024 (you can install it from the Creative Cloud app if needed)?

O

Oana33942948i6fj

Participant

I woke up this morning to InDesign bugging out. The cursor disappears. When I click anywhere on screen, the screen blinks. When I try to resize a text box, the entire screen goes blank. The program is unusable at the moment. Things I have tried to do in order to fix the problem:

1) I have trashed my preferrences multiple times

2) I have erased and reinstalled

3) I have updated the OS

None have made a difference.

leo.r

Community Expert

It looks like quite a few users experience this issue...

Did you try to toggle GPU Performance in Preferences?

Also, what areyour exact versions of InDesign and macOS?

O

Oana33942948i6fj

Participant

InDesign 20.01

MacOS Sequoia 15.1.1

I use a monitor that evidently is not GPU compatible.

D

defaultcjkumnfdwhay

Participant

I am working in Mac InDesign 2025 (Sequoia 15.1.1). When I move an object, the pasteboard goes white. This just started today. Why?

D

defaultcjkumnfdwhay

Participant

I just fixed my problem by going back to InDesign 2024 and resetting all of the preferences.

leo.r

Community Expert

Thank you! 🙏

Thank you! 🙏

By @tomg38053999

You can add your voice to the request to list the actual app names with their years (and not only versions) in the Creative Cloud app:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/creative-cloud-desktop-ideas/request-include-creative-cloud-year-in-app-names/idc-p/14909942#M1559

T

Tony25375156ofyb

Participant

Updated to Sequoia V15.1.1 about two weeks ago and everything functioned normally. As I opened an existing or new InDesign file and clicked in the text box the white flash started! Click and hold and nothing but a white screen for the duration of the hold!!! My question is how did this JUST NOW start happening??? If it was the OS update I should have had the problem since day one. Have been working daily without issue until now! Am running a Mac Studio with M1 Max Chip and LC27T55 Display 1920x1080.

Any advise how to remedy would be much appreciated as I truly cannot work this way!

Randy Hagan

Community Expert

I've had the same experience when building InDesign documents with lots of graphics and separate text frames, like catalogs and directories. It seems to be a function of having "enough" separate pieces to process that result in the processing lag when editing any of those multiple, discrete text frames. I would get the white/blank flash, then a processing delay, then finally be able to edit/format text in the selected text frame. I was never able to discover an arbitrary point where that effect happened, only to recognize the issue after it occurred.

In this case, my solution was to further sub-divide offending InDesign document files into smaller chunks and then stringing them together through InDesign's Book functions. That would eliminate the effect in the two/three subdivisions of that previous larger document. Not a fix per se, but a workaround that would get me the result (less aggravation working with the document file) that I wanted.

Randy

T

Tony25375156ofyb

Participant

Thank you for this Randy! But in my case it's happening even with a new document that has no items at all.

Functioning as "normal" the past few weeks, even last night without issue then this started today!

This is bad!

S

Sestdiena_5FC1

Participant

I have the same problem - mac OS Sequoia 15.1.1. and Indesign 2025 20.0.1. (Mac. mini M1, 16 GB) Indesign preferences reset. It is impossible to work. I even haven't tables in the document - simple magazine page with text and image.

Stuckapart

Participant

Did you find a work around for this problem? It seems to be affecting us and many others.

I couldn't find any solution online to fix this problem yet.

S

Sestdiena_5FC1

Participant

I still can't find solution - it's impossible to move objects using mouse, I have to use keyboard arrows or remember coordinates on page and column width in numbers.
And one more thing - since yesterday, when using text tool, I can't see cursor in the text.
I know one of my collegues experiencing the same problems sometimes, but not always.

happy_socialite0D45

Participant

Hello everyone!

I'm experiencing an issue in InDesign 2025 that doesn't occur in the 2024 version.

When I pick up or drag/select/create (with the mouse/pen) a text element, image, or graphic - any kind of

element - the workspace turns the color of the general background (in this case, dark grey) or white like in the video below, and I can’t see where I’m dragging the element. If I move it using the keyboard arrows, it’s fine, but whenever I use the pen, the issue occurs.

Has anyone experienced this problem? Do you know how to fix it?

Thank you in advance.

Screen_Recording_2024-12-11_at_11-23-06.zip

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @happy_socialite0D45,

Thank you for sharing the details! Could you let me know the operating system you're using? Also, is this issue specific to a particular file, or does it happen with all files in InDesign 2025?

Looking forward to your response!

Best,
Abhishek Rao

happy_socialite0D45

Participant

Hi!

My operating system is MAC OS Sonoma 14.6.1.

The problem occurs with any file I use.

Thank you for your time.

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