Ever tried to print a PDF but it’s not working? It can be frustrating. Whether it’s a blank output or an error message, it’s quite common on home and office computers.
In this guide, we’ll cover the key causes of why this happens and practical solutions, so you know what to do if PDF files are not printing.
PDFs are Portable Document Format files, which are designed to keep documents looking the same across various software, devices, and operating systems.
They offer stronger security too, as it’s much harder to edit PDFs than Word documents, for instance. This makes them ideal for formatting documents containing important and sensitive information. You can encrypt PDFs with passwords, granting access only to certain people.
Some common reasons to print a PDF include:
There are a range of reasons why a PDF might not be printing correctly, or at all. It could be an issue with the PDF file or the viewer itself, the printer, or something else.
We’ll now cover some of the most common issues and fixes to help you troubleshoot if PDFs will not print.
Your PDF might not be printing because the file itself is corrupted. This could prevent it from printing altogether or produce an incomplete or blank output. It can happen during file creation, or due to downloading issues or software conflicts.
To fix this:
These steps can help to identify if the file is corrupted and rectify its ability to print properly.
Out-of-date printer drivers can cause PDFs to stop printing properly. Drivers act as the communicator between the printer and your device, so if they’re not up to date, this could cause printing issues.
To resolve this:
Keeping drivers updated ensures better compatibility, helping to eliminate printing issues and improve overall performance.
If Adobe Acrobat isn’t up to date, it might struggle to process newer PDF formats. Updating it ensures that you have the latest fixes, security patches, and compatibility updates. Not having the latest version can cause slower processing and errors that affect printing.
The fixes are:
Using the most current version of Acrobat reduces the likelihood of printing errors and ensures smoother handling of large and content-rich PDF documents.
It might sound obvious, but the printer might not be connected. There could be a loose cable, a network issue, or the printer might be offline.
To ensure there are no issues between the printer and your device:
Printers may substitute fonts with alternatives if they aren’t embedded in a PDF, which can cause missing text and jumbled characters. This happens when the original document uses fonts that aren’t installed on the printer itself.
Fixes may include:
If your printer is not printing PDF documents properly, it’s important to check you’re using the right paper settings. Mismatched settings can cause pages to be cut off, scaled incorrectly, or sometimes not even print at all. It can be common when printing documents formatted for different regions and purposes.
To rectify this:
There may be other print jobs waiting to be finalised in the printing queue. A clogged print queue can cause new PDF documents not to print, especially if jobs are stuck or paused. This might make it look like the printer is unresponsive.
But the fix is easy – cancel all pending or failed print jobs. Then try to print the PDF again. Also, restarting the device might sometimes reset the queue too.
A clear print queue equals smoother print processing of new jobs, preventing delays and conflicts, which might be causing your PDF to print incorrectly.
Distorted images or graphics in a PDF can cause reduced print quality or failed jobs. It’s often due to complex vector graphics, transparency effects, or incompatibility with the rendering settings.
To resolve it:
These adjustments can make it easier for printers to process these documents, ensuring what’s printed is clear and accurate.
There are other options you can try if your PDF files are still not printing. Often, it’s just a few quick tweaks that can be the difference between errors and successful printing, and they’re quite simple.
Before rushing ahead to complex troubleshooting, try the following steps if PDFs will not print:
Print to PDF lets you virtually download a PDF copy of a website or image, rather than clicking ‘Save as’, or printing it with your printer. It’s a quick way to format something you want to keep as a non-editable PDF.
If this function isn’t working, you might want to try the following:
Your HP printer might not be printing a PDF because of outdated drivers, a paused print queue, the wrong default printer, or a PDF being incompatible with your version of Adobe Acrobat. Try updating HP drivers, restarting the printer, and printing directly from Adobe Acrobat.
You can make a PDF print-ready by checking that the layout, fonts, images, and page size are set correctly before printing. Adobe Acrobat offers a range of online PDF editing and conversion tools that can help you prepare, fix, or optimise a file to get it ready for printing.
Signs of PDF corruption include:
A damaged file may also freeze your viewer or print incorrectly.
Re-downloading the PDF or using a fresh copy can sometimes solve the problem.
