Stroke Thickness Issues in PDF Export from InDesign

[Eleonora_p]

Hello, I’m having issues with the stroke thickness of vector lines in an InDesign document. When I create a PDF using the "Print" function, the lines match the appearance in Illustrator/InDesign. However, when I export the PDF using the "Export" button, the lines become much thicker. I’m not seeing any correlation between what I see in InDesign and the exported PDF paths. The color mode of the PDF created using the "Print" method is composite CMYK. In Illustrator, I usually select "Do not manage color in this document," but the problem is that when I look at the vectors in the InDesign file, they appear as I want them to. But in the exported PDF, they don't. Do you have any suggestions? If you need more information, I can provide it.

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[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Eleonora_p,

Thanks for reaching out! I can understand how frustrating this issue can be. To better assist you, could you please provide the following details?

1. What version of InDesign are you using?
2. Could you share your operating system details?
3. Is this issue happening with just one document, or does it occur across multiple documents?
4. If possible, could you provide a screenshot of the vector lines in your InDesign document and how they appear after exporting to PDF? This will help in understanding the difference between the two.
5. Also, please share a screenshot of your export settings when saving the PDF, as it could help pinpoint any discrepancies.

Looking forward to your reply and happy to assist further!

Best,  
Abhishek Rao

[Eleonora_p]

1. Adobe Indesign 2025

2. I have Windows 11 Pro

3. All documents

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Eleonora_p,

Thank you for sharing the screenshots and details. Based on the information and images provided, please try the below:

1. Make sure to use the "High Quality Print" preset in the PDF export settings. Under Compression, ensure that images and graphics are not being downsampled, which can sometimes affect the clarity of vector lines.
2. Try using PDF/X-4 as the compatibility option, which can help with preserving transparency and vector information.
3. Flattening Transparency (if applicable): If there are any transparent objects, check the Advanced tab in the export settings. Make sure to select High Resolution for transparency flattening.
4. Thin strokes can be affected during export. If the vector lines are very thin, try increasing the stroke weight slightly to see if it affects the output.
5. Test the file in a different PDF viewer and check if the issue is related to the export or to the rendering in a specific viewer.

Please try these suggestions and let me know if they help. If the issue persists, feel free to share the specific export settings used, and I’ll be glad to assist further!

Thanks, 

Abhishek Rao

[Eleonora_p]

Thank you for your help. I will try all of this as soon as possible and let you know.
I'm using Adobe Acrobat for pdfs.

Eleonora Pani
Technical Documentation

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[Bond�r_Edina9996]

Hi Abhishek,

Thank you for the helpful information! Your suggestions were very useful, and I was able to solve my issue. I really appreciate your support.
Thanks,
Edina

[Scott Falkner]

Have you verified that the lines are thicker in the exported PDF? Open both in Illustrator and use hte Direct Select tool to select a suspect path and check the stroke weight.

Also, what program are you using to view the PDFs?

[J E L · Accepted solution]

@Eleonora_p, someone may have mentioned this, but in Acrobat Preferences, make sure you don't have “Enhance thin lines” checked:

[Eleonora_p]

Where I can find this setting?
Thank you

Eleonora Pani
Technical Documentation

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[J E L]

Hi @Eleonora_p, in Acrobat, you can find it under Edit > Preferences > Page Display.

[Eleonora_p]

It works! Thank you so much! So it's not an export problem, just the viewer.

Eleonora Pani
Technical Documentation

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[J E L]

Wonderful! Thanks for coming back to let us know.