Canva PDFs do not print in Acrobat - Mac OS Sequoia 15.6

[pdxstella23]

I create a PDF in Canva and it will not print in Acrobat or Acrobat Reader. Prints fine in Preview app.

On a Mac with OS 15.6 Sequoia. I hit print and the print driver spools for about 10 seconds and then the queued file disappears as it it printed. The printer has a quick chirp and that's it. All other PDFs print fine. I tried saving as a new PDF file and same result.

Have done a clean uninstall and reinstall of Acrobat.

Any ideas? Thanks

[Randy Hagan]

Some questions:

What make and model of printer? What version of Adobe Acrobat? Are you printing from a Windows system, a Mac, or a mobile device? And if you open that PDF directly in a web browser like Chrome, Edge and/or Safari, how does that PDF print out from there?

I hate to respond to your question with a bunch more questions, but answers to those questions will help us understand your situation better, and help us better guide you a resolution of your issues.

Randy

[pdxstella23]

Mac laptop with current OS

Printer is HP Color LaserJet M283 cdw - printer drivers are current and updated

Adobe Acrobat is current - clean install this week

Canva PDFs print fine from any other app or browser. The only app they will not print from is Acrobat.

[Randy Hagan]

I guess that narrows it down to an Acrobat-specific issue.

If you open the Print Queue before you print, do you see the file appear in the queue? Or does the job get kicked out before it appears in the queue?

I have a Xerox laser printer myself, and had to print from my PC for about 6-7 months when my print drivers weren't copacetic with Acrobat and couldn't print on my Mac Mini. So I understand of which you speak. I had similar issues long ago with a Dell (Ricoh-engined) laser printer like that too. 

I believe that Acrobat has been updated in the last month or two. Printer drivers are released on their manufacturers' schedules. Not to excuse Adobe, but it might be worth it to check HP support and find if they've had others report the issue and what they suggest to do about it. HP's support channel is pretty good, and those folks may have a suggestion for you even if it is an Acrobat-specific issue.

Xerox helped me with a driver rollback when I had my problems, and let me know when their current drivers got past the issue. Perhaps HP can help you too. I'm an end user, just like you, and you've got me stumped. A quick search in this forum didn't give me any tips to share with you either.

Wish I could help you more,

Randy

[pdxstella23]

Thanks Randy - it isn't the print drivers (I don't think) as any other PDF will print. It is only PDFs created in Canva that are a problem. I will check with HP and with Canva. My gut says it is an Acrobat issue. BTW I see the file queued in the print dialog window - it just disappears and never prints.

[Randy Hagan]

I don't question your assessment at all. Since it all comes down to printing PDFs from Acrobat, I'd say you've sleuthed it pretty well. 

But Acrobat is still interacting with your print driver. And the fact that you see the file pop up in the printer queue confirms that the job gets "there." But there's something specific with how Acrobat ships those PDFs that has your printer/driver using technical terms like "Nuh-uh."

If the fever bar goes all the way across when you ship those jobs, it's likely the translation is being rejected by the printer. If it only goes partway across and disappears, the driver is likely shutting it down. These aren't absolutes — I don't know how HP codes its drivers. But they're strong indications.

The bad news is, yes, it appears certain it's an Acrobat issue. You've isolated it well. But the good news is that Adobe's probably not the only company looking for a solution. Like you say, it's still worth checking with HP and Canva — if only because they have experience fixing these kind of problems too. They may already have the solution to the problem that Adobe hasn't nailed down yet.

The other good news is that we've found some useful work arounds to get you printing PDFs through multiple avenues. Workarounds aren't cures, most certainly. But they keep the work moving, and good ones work well in a pinch.

Good luck,

Randy

[Tariq Ahmad]

Hi @pdxstella23, 

Thanks for reaching out.

As you mentioned, the file is created using a third-party solution. If other PDF files are printing fine, the issue may be either file-specific or PDF file structural. 

There are a couple of things you can try:

1. Open the file in a browser like Google Chrome, Cmd + O, and try printing it. If the file prints fine, the issue is more likely with the file structure. 

2. You can try Acrobat 

Note: If a PDF prints in Chrome but not in Acrobat, it’s usually due to Acrobat’s stricter handling of complex or damaged PDF content, fonts, or print settings. Chrome simplifies printing by rasterizing pages, while Acrobat sends precise vector data, which can trigger errors with problematic files or printer drivers.

You can use Acrobat’s Preflight tool to check if the PDF has structural issues:

1. Open Tools > Print Production > Preflight.
2. In Preflight, go to the PDF Analysis tab (magnifying glass icon).
3. Run “Analyze PDF syntax and structure” or “PDF/A compliance check”.
4. Review the report — red errors indicate broken references, corrupt objects, or missing resources that can stop printing.
5. If errors appear, try:

• Preflight Fixups (wrench icon) for auto-repair.

• File > Save As Other > Optimized PDF with “Clean up” enabled.

• Re-create the PDF from the source file if corruption is severe.

This helps identify hidden file damage that isn’t visible on-screen but can block printing.

Best regards,
Tariq | Adobe Community Team