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Jennie Bayliss
Inspiring
January 3, 2024
Answered

Some PFDs are printing with a black background

  • January 3, 2024
  • 17 replies
  • 45917 views

Hello

I hope you can help me. Some of my PDFs, when printed via Acrobat Reader, now print with a black background - see image below. It doesn't happen on all PDFs - but enough times for it to be frustrating. PDFs that are attached to an email, like an invoice, seem more likely to print in this way. I'm not sure when exactly this started - but possibly when I upgraded to OS Sonoma last month.

 

I'm on a MacBook Pro, OS Sonoma 14.1.2. Attempts to fix this, include reinstalling Acrobat Reader. I also deleted then reinstalled the latest printer driver (Brother HL-L3270CDW).

 

Is anyone else experiencing this? Any ideas how to fix this?

    Correct answer Jennie Bayliss

    Thank you everyone. It seems a lot of us have had the same issue.

     

    For those with a paid-for application, changing the settings in the Advance Print Set-up, as described by Kathryn below, appears to work. This option is not available for people using the free version, but the work-around of unchecking the "Print in GreyScale" tick box, appears to work for most people. Hope that helps.

    17 replies

    R
    RVB_LTC
    Participant
    September 11, 2025

    Under Printer: Advanced: Make sure "Print as image" is unchecked

    J
    Jennie BaylissAuthor
    Inspiring
    April 24, 2025

    Even though I use the work-arounds mentioned in earlier posts, I still sometimes get caught out and end up with a sheet that is printed completely in black. Adobe, PLEASE resolve this issue. I first reported it in January 2024.

    P
    pippa_3191
    Participant
    April 23, 2025

    HAVEN'T READ ALL on this post, but with few I have it doesn't answer my question (See italic, underline):

    I am really fed up with this waste of ink - today I printed page 1/2 of a pdf from Landlord, to hand-write corrections; my writing was so awful, I had to print again, and FORGOT to say "PAGE 1-1" and second page printed white out of black! HOW COME, "within" ONE PDF this is happening????

     

    page 1: black on white, page 2 white out of black!!! ...

     

    Come on Adobe, I have wasted so much INK, on this, and others, including Eurostar - PLEASE FIX at your end ... it cannot be THAT DIFFICULT.

    On other sites if I remember I have had this problem, being on a Mac, I take screenshot, and paste it into Word, to print - but I really think this is something that SHOULD be sorted at Adobe, end! 

    Or do Adobe have a deal with ink suppliers?? Not very green...

    ALSO, for my accounts, I WANT TO PRINT (black on white) mono, only!

    R
    realistic_flower8879
    Participant
    February 5, 2025

    None of the suggestions below worked for me until I changed the setting to "print as a draft." I have an old MacBook Pro with Sonoma 14.6.1 and a Canon MG5720 printer. I can't find that setting again, so I hope someone else can tell us where that is. 

    P
    Paul35405766i876
    Participant
    January 14, 2025

    Thanks for bringing this up. I too have this problem. It causes an enormous waste of toner. Be sure to uncheck the default "Print in grayscale (black and white)." 

    B
    Bijjoy_Sarkar9782
    Participant
    November 9, 2024

    Bijoy

    E
    Ellen38189059lq39
    Participant
    October 14, 2024

    The solution seems to be to adjust advanced settings when printing, but I am unable to adjust the advanced settings. They are all "grayed out" with no option to adjust them.  I still am getting some (not all) PDFs printing on a black background, and it's causing issues. Suggestions?

    C
    caroline_2934
    Participant
    October 8, 2024

    I simply unticked the 'print in grayscale (black and white)' and it printed with the correct (white) background. Hope this helps others. I did not need to go into advanced set up or re-install drivers - i am on a mac book air:

     

    J
    Jennie BaylissAuthor
    Inspiring
    October 10, 2024

    Hello Caroline

    Thank you for your share. I tested a problematic invoice that always printed black, for which I have been screen-shoting then printing. And yes, now it will print in colour or grayscale without a whole sheet of wasted black toner. I suspect the boffins have done a fix in the background - but no matter what or why, I'm grateful that it is now working correctly again. 

     

    J
    Jennie BaylissAuthor
    Inspiring
    October 14, 2024

    Hmm - I spoke too soon 🙁 I have just printed a multiple page pdf with 'greyscale' checked. The first page printed correctly. But the other pages again were blacked out - see below. I printed it again in colour and that worked, but fir internal documents, it would be more economical to print in b/w.  It is frustrating that Adobe havent yet fixed this glitch. 

    D
    debi_2318
    Participant
    October 4, 2024

    Just printed out 3 pages of solid black myself...yikes!  Fixed it by Right-clicking the document, choosing Open With and choosing Preview.  Had no problem printing the Previewed document.  (I'm on Mac with Free Version...and never could find a "Print in Grayscale" box to 'tick').

    M
    micheles96328617
    Participant
    October 1, 2024

    I'm having the same problem - randomly printing out pdfs completely black background and white letters.  Plowing through my ink cartridges.  I have mac OS Sonoma 14.6.1 and I think you're right, it's only happened since my upgrade.  Also my Epson scanner isn't working which maybe that is an issue too.  I don't have the paid Adobe so this is disturbing - no way to tell it's going to do it until it's too late and I've gone through a ton of ink!

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