Same image displays differently when copying from one file to another in InDesign

Participating Frequently

I dont think so

Brad @ Roaring Mouse

Community Expert

The second grab looks very much like it has been converted to CMYK somewhere along the line.

Waht does the Link panel say about the pasted image in the second document (re: Color space, etc).

Does it do the same thing if you Place the image again (i.e. NOT copy and paste it?)

What are your Color Management Policies? re: Preserve/Convert, etc.

Community Expert

Exactly. Assuming the info the OP posted was accurate, it could have happened during export to PDF. (Which is why I asked for the PDF settings...)

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

Peter Spier

Community Expert

But he says the output settings are the same and that the discrepancy shows up in the .indd as well, which makes it more likely the problem is in the document.

But all of this goes to the point that there are too many variables at play here to make an intelligent diagnosis without seeing all of the various settings for both files.

Scott Falkner

Community Expert

Do both files use the same Transparency Blend Space (Edit menu)? Is the image RGB or CMYK?

Community Expert

According to the original post, the space is the same:

"My tranparency blend space is set to RGB in both ..."

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

Peter Spier

Community Expert

Are there settings somewhere else other than 'colour settings' and 'transparency blend space' that I am not aware of?

Please help me understand this.
By @generalinternet

The color profiles assigned to any particular doeument might be different from the ones listed in the color settings dialog. There are two dialogs that can affecrt this: Edit > Assign Profiles... which will leave your color numbers unchanged and interpret them as being in the assigned profile, and Edit> Convert to Profile... which will change the numbers to get the closest appearance match in the new profile.

Participating Frequently

Checked both of these in both files and they are also identical

Community Expert

What are your PDF export settings?

Also, is the original image linked before you copied it, or was it pasted into InDesign?

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

Participating Frequently

PDF export settings for proofs are usually PDF/X-4:2008, but the same thing was happening with 'High Quality Print"

The image is linked.

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

@generalinternet

Also, can you add a new, blank page - WITHOUT anything on it and with no parent page applied - does it happen?

Maybe, on the destination page - you have something with transparency effect - or you have in the source document - but you don't have in the destination document.

Participating Frequently

created a new blank page in the file that is messed up, with no parent and pasted the image into that page and it's still lfaded.