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Anonymous
November 11, 2016
Question

Adobe Acrobat Reader 'Let Printer Determine Colours' option - fault??

  • November 11, 2016
  • 1 reply
  • 1963 views

Hi All,

Have searched the forums regarding this one but there doesn't seem to be any answer to the questions (or at least an answer that works)

In Adobe Arcrobat Reader DC, in 'Advanced Print Setup' there's an option under Colour Management 'Let Printer Determine Colours'

Initially the box is unchecked but when you check the box there then doesn't seem to be any way what-so-ever to set it back to unchecked and store the setting. Yes, you can uncheck the box but when you come out of print and go back in again, it's checked once again. Have tried unchecking, then printing something, coming out of print and then going back in to print again and the option is checked again. It doesn't happen with any of the other options in Colour Management, just the 'Let Printer Determine Colours' option.

Now, this would normally not be a problem; however, a work colleague has checked the box (trying to obtain better colour reproduction on one of our printers) and for some unknown reason his .pdf printouts are now in Black and White as opposed to colour. Everything is set to print in colour and up until checking that box he could print them in colour - just that the colours on the prints didn't match the colours on screen hence he was trying various options to improve the quality of printouts. The only conceivable reason I can come up with for the black and white prints is because the printer shows an exclamation mark for one colour as the toner is very low (1%) and am thinking that by having that box checked the printer is overruling the colour option (and printing in B&W) because what he prints is colour intensive and the printer knows there might not be enough toner to print the whole document. I would change the toner to test my theory but it's normal practice to change when the printer tells us to change it, not beforehand (unless of course it's visible on printouts that it needs changing - but they look fine)

I've just tried in my Adobe.... Option was initially unchecked every time I opened Advanced Print Setup but once I checked the box and printed a document I can't set it to unchecked. I change it, print, come out, go back in to print and it's checked again in Advanced. Have tried unchecking it, checking another box in Colour Management, printing, coming out, going back in and it's still checked. The other boxes work perfectly, you can enable/disable them. Granted, it's letting me print in colour with the 'Let Printer Determine Colours' option checked but I'm only printing a document with a small amount of colour in it.

Is there any way of unchecking this box and getting it to remember that you want it unchecked or is this a bug in Adobe Acrobat Reader?

TIA

      1 reply

      G
      garret_5948
      Participant
      April 15, 2025

      I'm having this exact same issue 9 years later. Disappointing that no one has fixed it or even responded in the last decade. It persists after turning off the device, and even if I open the window, it will not show as checked. I print, it's black and white, I look again, and sure enough it's checked. As if there aren't enough devils in my software and applications.

        AnandSri
        AnandSri
        Legend
        April 18, 2025

        Hello!

         

        I hope you are doing well, and we apologize for the delayed response and the trouble.

         

        The setting allows the printer's driver to manage color conversion, which can lead to inconsistent results depending on the printer's capabilities and settings. Please ensure you have the latest version of Acrobat installed on the machine: 25.001.20458 Planned update, Apr 15, 2025. Check for any pending updates from the Menu > help > check for updates, install the updates, restart the app and the machine, and check. For more information, see this: https://adobe.ly/3GetrMF

         

        Use Adobe Color Management:

        • Instead of relying on the printer's color management, you can let Acrobat handle it:

          • Go to File > Print and click on Advanced.

          • In the Color Management section, select Acrobat Color Management.

          • Choose an appropriate ICC profile that matches your printer and paper type.

        Update Printer Drivers:

        • Ensure that your printer drivers are up to date. Outdated drivers can cause color management issues. Visit your printer manufacturer's website to download the latest drivers.

        Check Printer Settings:

        • Access your printer's properties and ensure that color management settings are correctly configured. Disable any settings that might override Acrobat's color management.

        Print as Image:

        • If color issues persist, try printing the PDF as an image:

          • In the Print dialog, click on Advanced.

          • Check the Print as Image option.

        Try the suggestions from these articles: https://adobe.ly/3GaWosX

         

        If the issue still continues, please provide the printer's make and model, firmware and driver versions, the version of Acrobat or Acrobat Reader installed, the current version of the operating system, along with the machine logs, so we can investigate further.

        Thanks,

        Anand Sri.

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