...can you double click the pencil tool and deselect "fill new pencil strokes"?
 

andrew

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...also for future reference on no fills and no strokes...

...the "nothing" option in illustrator is the swatch with the diagonal red line through it (on a white background), top left of swatches palette...

 

andrew

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...sorry, just realised you were referring to indesign and not illustrator, so indesign pencil tool will be different...

...in the indesign object styles palette what object style is selected before you use the pencil tool?

andrew

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...to add to my above posts...

...also are you drawing with the pencil tool in indesign with a fill and stroke color already active in the swatches palette before using the pencil tool?

 

andrew

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  www.apepp.info
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...also the "nothing" option in the swatches palette is the same as in illustrator (diagonal red line through it (on a white background))...

andrew

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  www.apepp.info
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Thanks for the suggestions. I still don't see a solution. I'm working in ID CS4. The "none" square with a red line for "none" just isn't there in the swatches palette. There's no black or "paper" swatch. I can add new colors, but I don't know how to add these standards.

If I move the graphic I'm working on into another document that already has a complete swatches palette, when I select anythng in this graphic, the options in the swatches palette disappear.


I have no object styles in that palette.

I have, now, been able to create some lines without fill--not sure why-- but I can't make the lines "paper" as I would like.

 

Quote:

The "none" square with a red line for "none" just isn't there in the swatches palette.

Then you need to 'show options' with the flyout menu in that panel.

You've probably resolved this by now but I was having the same issue in that I had drawn an object, it defaulted to being filled and there was no option in my swatch palette for 'No fill'. Because of this I couldn't set the default to no fill either if I drew a new object. While trying to find an answer I realized 'No fill' had unknowingly been dragged to the bottom of the color list and not visible unless I scrolled to the bottom. Since I'm used to seeing it at the top of the list with White and Black, it didn't occur to me right away to look through the list.
Not sure if this was/is your issue as well but thought I'd throw my 2¢ in. :)