Cannot print Postcript encrypted PDF in Adobe Acrobat Pro

[Flashfox_Prime]

I searched and found many posts about this but no real answer on how to fix this (or I missed the real answer?). 

Running in Windows 11 and I using the current Adobe Acrobat  Pro (licensed). Many PDFs I try to print from websites using the "Adobe Printer" (Win 11) fail. The oddity is that if I use "Microsoft Print to PDF" it works just fine.

Below is the error I just got when trying to print a renewal that the site made avaiable to me: 

%%[ ProductName: Distiller ]%%
This PostScript file was created from an encrypted PDF file.
Redistilling encrypted PDF is not permitted.
%%[ Flushing: rest of job (to end-of-file) will be ignored ]%%
%%[ Warning: PostScript error. No PDF file produced. ] %%

Like noted above, I had to resort to "Microsoft Print to PDF". This doesn't make sense as I pay for Adobe Acrobat Pro yet I need to revert to the built-in driver to print.

What am I missing here?

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

In a PDF file, you can set usage rights. If you would be able to print such a PDF file to PDF, you would easily be able to remove these usage rights. Adobe says you cannot do that. Microsoft does apparently not care about such restrictions. There is nothing you can do about this in Adobe Acrobat, they respect a user's decision to apply those rights. You are not just paying for the ability to redistill PDF files (which is what printing a PDF to a PDF is called), but all the other functionality in Acrobat as well. 

[Flashfox_Prime]

Hmm ... OK ... but this is happening when I try to print from a website that is offering me the ability to print. This last one was for the membership documents from a Zoo. So, they want me to print ... but Adobe says no (sigh). 

I can't remove the usage rights before the on-line file is printed, and when I look at the properties of the PDF that "Microsoft Print to PDF" produced, there is "no security" and everything is "allowed".

I like Adobe Acrobat Pro and use iot a lot. However, this issue is ridiculous and shouldn't happen. Luckily, I can resort to "Microsoft Print to PDF", which works fine.

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

OK, lets take a step back: Why do you want to print a PDF file to a PDF file. There is almost never a good reason to do that. You already have a PDF file, just download and save it.  

[Flashfox_Prime]

Simple ... I want to save the file (document) on my computer and not just print it on paper. Why? Because they don't let you "download", just "print for your files". Been doing this for years and it used to work, but maybe that was in older Acrbat Reader versions.

In any event, I don't want to waste your time as you clearly explained that this is a restriction from Adobe. As I can perform this task using "Microsoft Print to PDF", I will just continue to use that method.

As noted earlier, I use Adobe Acrobat Pro and I have been uning previous versions for more than a decade. This is a minor inconvenience and I was curious as to the reason.

[try67]

There's no need to do that. If you can view the PDF, then you can save it to your computer. In fact, when you view it, it's already saved to your computer, even if only as a temporary file.

[shaktikeshri]

Hi @Flashfox_Prime 

Can you please share sample web document which on printing via Adobe PDf Printer is creating the problem. Encrypted PDF with printing restrictions is not allowed to be printed as if printed that will fail the purpose of adding encryption. But let us investigate further for a posible solution to this.

Thanks,

Shakti K

[randy_8488]

Example I need to physically print and sign but unable to do so.

https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/documents/pdf/english/kits/forms/imm1444/01-06-2020/imm1444e....

[try67]

What happens when you try to print it?

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

 Again, there is no need to print to PDF to save the filled out PDF file: Just save the file and it should be saved with the information you entered into the form fields. This is already a PDF file, so no need to print to PDF. 

[melanie_9708]

I need to reprint a pdf so that i can save it as a pdf with only certain layers showing. (A sewing pattern) I want to go and print this in A0 at my local office shop. but i cannot resave as a pdf and i dont want to print the original with all the different layers showing. How can I create a copy of this pdf I have that only shows the layers i want?

[Karl Heinz Kremer]

Just save the file with those layers selected that you want to- and print it in that configuration. There should be no need to "refry" the PDF.