InDesign changing opacity for an unselected item
I am trying to place a slightly opaque rectangle over an image but when I select to lower the opacity on the rectangle, the image (regardless if it's above or below) changes as well.
What's more odd is when I select that photo after I do the action, the image says it is at 100%. The "change" has not been reflected. I have uploaded a 1-2-3 photo demo. Note the photo's slight change in transparency although set at 100%.
This happens when the photo and rectangle are in separate layers, as well. The two items are not placed within each other. They are also not grouped.
Just updated InDesign today as well -- running InDesign CC 2018.
Anna Wilder
shared this idea
The magic of InDesign’s effects all happens via Adobe’s transparency technology, which allows us to blend colors and detail from different objects. In order for it to all work there has to be a consistent color space for InDesign to use when it blends colors. This is called the Transparency Blend Space and it’s really important that you understand it in order to get the most out of InDesign’s effects. When we use transparency effects, InDesign compares different objects and combines their colors and detail. In order for objects to be blended, they have to be in the same color space. So when you apply transparency, InDesign converts everything on a spread to the Transparency Blend Space, regardless of whether that object is actually involved in the effect. And it’s important to note that when we say things are converted, we don’t mean that InDesign alters your placed files; they are left completely alone. What we mean is that InDesign is using a different method for interpreting the colors in those files. It simulates as if you change the colors in those documents, just to give itself a reliable method for blending. It’s a totally nondestructive change. See the Transparency Blend Space and check if it is Document CMYK. So now if you apply any transparency on this spread, everything on the spread will be converted to the Document CMYK blend space. You can test this by selecting any object and going to the Effects panel and just changing the Opacity from 100% to 99% and you can see that all the colors shift. That’s really interesting because they’re not even touching. But just because they’re on the same spread, InDesign will convert them to the transparency blend space.
Remember, everything on a spread is converted to the blend space that is selected under the Edit menu. Keep an eye out for color shifts when you apply effects and know what color spaces your document is using. Make sure they are appropriate for your final output. That way you won’t get any unexpected color changes at the end of your workflow.
You can also watch the video : “Assign the Transparency Blend Space” by David Blatner and “Understanding Transparency Blend Space” by Mike Rankin (both on LinkedIn Learning) to learn how this feature works.
Hope it helps.
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Adobe InDesign team
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Erica Welter commented
This is not a fix. This is an explanation of the problem -- and it's still an issue in 2023. Please fix this, or tell us how to stop InDesign from changing ALL the settings instead of just the item selected.
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Meli
commented
Wow this was SO helpful! Thanks!!
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Namrah Waqar
commented
Thanks for this solution, was experiencing the same issue since many days but couldn't find any solution online. This is surely a life saver.
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Anonymous
commented
FIX THIS **** NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! You are really messing with my money adobe and you are starting to **** me off.
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Anonymous
commented
happening to me too... so annoying... basically can't use any effects anymore!!
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Anonymous
commented
They didn't actually solve the issue... Just explained why it's happening... Is there no work around for this?
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Cheryl
commented
Also having the Transparency Effect bug highlighted by Caitlin Curbello. Changing the blend mode or transparency of a yellow rectangle on the spread makes all the other yellow objects (even text) change colour/transparency an orangey-yellow. Not sure what the issue is.
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Anastasia Miler
commented
I'm having a similar issue with transparency and the Effects panel (InDesign v15.0). Applying a transparency effect to one object affects other objects in the layout (even when they're not touching). This also causes anything opaque white ("Paper") to display as about 20% grey. Layouts do render properly to PDF, so this *seems* to be a display issue only.
Interestingly: I tried to duplicate the problem in a new document (the file that's having this issue has proprietary text/graphics) so that I could share screenshots, and couldn't trigger the transparency issue. I'd converted the original document from InDesign 14.0.3. When I paste the layout elements in a new 15.0 document, the issue goes away.
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Stephanie
commented
Yes, my problem is with effects -- drop shadows, transparencies, outer glow losing the effect or it changing
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Anonymous
commented
I'm having the same problem. If I reduce transparency on one object it shifts the colors on all the others.
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Caitlin Curbello
commented
Must add - any new effect I add to any object changes the color of the other objects on the layout (drop shadow, etc.).
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Caitlin Curbello
commented
Transparency Effect bug - Effects all objects on spread instead of only selected object.
I select a regular rectangle shape object with a solid fill (yellow) and change it's transparency under the effects menu to 75%. I have another regular rectangle object with a solid fill (turquoise) that's transparency is 100%. However, once I change the yellow rectangles transparency to 75%, the turquoise rectangle appears as if I've also changed it's transparency to 75% - not the desired result. When I change the yellow rectangle object back to 100% transparency, the turquoise rectangle object appears at it's original 100% transparency state. The change in transparency also effects the color of other objects on the same layout.
Adobe Indesign 2019 v 14.0.2
Windows 10 -
Caitlin Curbello
commented
I'm having the same issue, but it's never been an issue before...? I'm currently running Indesign 2019.
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Anna Wilder
commented
**Should also mention it is not specific to this photo. I have tried another photo as well and same result.