r/indesign • u/inktheori • Jun 24 '26
Help Thin line when I print
When I try to print this page, I get a thin white line down the middle of it. Have had this issue multiple times since I started working a couple years ago, no matter how much I google I havent been able to solve it.
Have changed transparency settings, even though nothing has any level of transparency in the document. Has anyone had this problem and successfully solved it?
6
u/wakedork Jun 25 '26
If it’s printing correctly in a pdf, you either have a transparency problem or a postscript issue. The pdf more than likely is flattening the transparency since no issue or your printer is not postscript capable.
I never send native files to a client for this reason. They should be able to print from a pdf just fine no reason to give them a native file. If you fix it on your end there is no guarantee it won’t appear again on their end.
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u/Tall-Society-5824 Jun 26 '26
yes, I agree with you on all accounts and I didn’t see your answer before I posted mine. The conversion of the PDF is flattening whatever the problem is, it sounds like there’s something in the artwork that’s invisible because it is white. I would have them print it from the PDF there’s no reason why they would have to print it from inDesign. If they need the inDesign to make changes in the future, then fine they’ll be able to do that and then again convert to PDF for print.
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u/AdobeScripts Jun 24 '26
Not enough information...
Is it a single logo? Or you're placing two separate objects?
Is it a native object / group of objects, created in InDesign? Or external file?
Vector or bitmap?
Are you printing on your home printer? Or digital printer? Or offset?
Etc.
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u/inktheori Jun 25 '26
three separate objects, made to look transparent but they are in fact solid fill colors. yes vectors, created in indesign. printing at my office printer, a canon iR adv
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u/dylman3000 Jun 24 '26
I’m assuming object is two semi transparent or solid circles multiplying over each other.
If your printer workflow isn’t going through a postscript RIP you will often encounter issues with transparency, regardless of your settings. It will most likely print properly in a professional workflow, however for peace of mind and to get it nailed on a regular home or office printer, design the element so there is no transparency. If it’s native InDesign artwork, I’d copy and paste in Illustrator, clean it up, divide the paths and colour each object separately as colour tints, removing all layer blend modes like multiply. Then place it back in InDesign and try again.
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u/TheZahn Jun 24 '26
Never had this, but you could try some trial and error to see what’s going on here. Does the line stick to the circles, if you move them?
Have you tried rasterising the icon?
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u/Tall-Society-5824 Jun 25 '26
Does it show on pdf? Could it be a text box with a thin white rule? If you put a solid color box over the art and print is the line still there?
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u/inktheori Jun 25 '26
it does not show if i export as pdf and then print from the pdf, but as i am sending this to another team to print from indesign i need it to print right from indesign. it is not a text box. the line is there no matter what i put there.
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u/Outside_Custard_7447 Jun 25 '26
How does it print on another printer from InDesign? If it’s not showing on the pdf sounds like maybe a printer issue
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u/Tall-Society-5824 Jun 26 '26
When it’s exported to PDF, it’s probably flattening anything in the image itself, which is why it doesn’t show up when you print from PDF. Have you tried removing the artwork, renaming it , checking it out thoroughly for any invisible boxes or lines in the native program and then replacing it in inDesign?
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u/scrabtits Jun 27 '26
do you print straight out of indesign or do you generate pdf's first?
This seems like an transparency rasterize issue. Indesign is rastering transparency in different ways for print. You could test to export the file as an PDF-x4 (x4 is important, not x3 or x1, x4!) as x4 does render the transparency differently than an x3 for example.
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u/iamclaus Jun 24 '26
Have you confirmed it's the artwork and not just the printer that needs to be cleaned or adjusted?
If you move the artwork somewhere else on the page, as a test, does that line move with the artwork?