Expert: James Fritz - 4/29/2010

Question
My team of designers have ongoing trouble with imported spot color Photoshop images turning to gray boxes in Indesign CS3. The images may import and preview fine originally, but then turn to a gray box (like Fast Display mode) after a move/change is made somewhere else on the doc. The same 5-color image can appear in multiple spots on the page and only some instances will change, while others will remain previewing correctly. Once an image changes to a gray box, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to get it's preview back. Relinking doesn't work. Sometimes it can be fixed by scaling or re-saving the image, or copying and pasting a correctly-previewed version into the graphic window of a gray box version. The gray box images can be copied or dragged to a different Indesign document and show up OK, but not always. Relaunching the file, the app, or computer changes nothing. There appears to be no rhyme or reason why or when this display problem occurs.

Any ideas what the problem might be and how to correct it?

Answer
Hey Mark,

Here are a few suggestions.

1. Make sure that you are saving the .psd file with maximum compatibility turned on from photoshop.
2. Be sure that you are using the same version of photoshop as indesign. (ex- PScs3 and IDcs3).
3. Run your adobe updaters and be up to date with the software.
4. Reset your InDesign preferences.
5. If these methods do not work you can always try saving the file as an .eps or .tiff.