"Opacity" Changes with Color

Report · Jul 11, 2023

I am working in InDesign and each time I place a rectangle or line etc. it sets the opactiy at 35%. When I change it to 100%, the object/line is opaque ONLY for darker colors. If I try to change the object's color to white (or other light colors), it disappears (opacity in propoerties panel is still set to 100%). For colors inbetween, they are transparent (not fully opaque, not fully disappered, opacity is still set to 100%). If I copy/paste an unaffected object from a separate InDesign document I do not have this issue...

Any trouble shooting tips would be appreciated! I've been dealing with it for a couple months and it's getting out of hand...

Report · Jul 11, 2023

This may be more complicated than one obvious solution, but try this: with no object selected, set opacity at 100% in the Effects menu. (Defaults in ID are set by changing settings with no object selected.) You might go so far as to choose each category in Objects (especially Fill) and make sure they are set to 100% as well.

Also, clear your default object styles of any overrides (if they have a + appended, something has been changed and will apply to all new objects.)

Report · Jul 11, 2023

In addition to what James has said, slecting with the direct select tool can also set some opacities and leave the you with conflicting pacity values shown in various places.

Report · Jul 11, 2023

Really? Fill me in on this, if you have a moment.

Report · Jul 11, 2023

Yeah, some really weird stuff can happen...

Report · Jul 14, 2023

Hi Peter and James, thank you for your suggestions. I tried them all and am still having issues. Images below show settings for object styles, effects, and direct selection object properties.

Report · Jul 15, 2023

As James noted earlier, that + sign next to teh object style name indicates a style override, so no clue waht's going on there from the info provided, but I'm thinking perhaps a blending mode might be at play here. In Fact, looking at the first screen shot again I see the mode is set to Multiply, and that completely explains why this happens with light colors.