Gray background when I print out previously scanned PDF file through Adobe Acrobat Reader

Report · May 11, 2018

Hi

I have two new Brother MFC - L2700DW printers and both has same problem.

When I print out previously scanned PDF file through Adobe Acrobat Rider ,page come out gray with white frame around .

All the other file formats are normal-white,only scanned one are gray.

Can you help me out please?

Thank you

Report · May 24, 2018

Hi Gajad,

Sorry for the delay in response.

As you get the gray background when printing PDF, is it an issue only with the Scanned PDF's?

Please make sure that scanned PDF has the white background.

As you are printing the scanned file, scanned PDF is actually an image of the page.

Try once to check the accessibility option under Preferences.

Open the PDF in Reader and go to Edit > Preferences > Accessibility > Document Color options.

Check the option selected there. Try toggling the options and check if that makes any difference.

If possible, can you share a PDF file with us, so we can try to replicate the issue at our end?

You may refer the steps mentioned here to share the file.

Let u know if you have any question or need any help.

Regards,

Meenakshi

Report · Oct 22, 2018

I'm also having this problem with a L-2703DW. I published a book of music tunes, 86 pages in all. Some months ago I re-did the book as nearly every page was printing with a grey background when I printed on my Brother printer. When I printed on my Canon MX926 inkjet printer everything was fine. Anyway I printed up some more books today on the Brother printer, using my newly re-created PDFs and every one of them come out fine except Page 52, so I've re-done that and now that's ok. I'm using a Music notation software programme, exporting my finished transcription as a PNG, cropping in Photos, then copy and paste into Open Office and save as a PDF. I have produced 7 books of music in PDF format and the vast majority of docs are fine. I'd previously used a cheap Samsung B&W laser printer without any issues and used the L-2703DW without issue until earlier this year when all of a sudden it printed PDFs with a grey background. I contacted Brother's help desk and was told ,if I understood him, that my computer(iMac) had "taken a picture" of the docs and this was why they were printing in grey, but all my other docs were fine. As I have fairly basic computer skills I was not in a position to follow this up but it seems to me like there's some sort of issue with some PDF docs and the Brother L-2700 series of printer. I only use genuine Brother drums and toner. To be fair to Brother the printer is an excellent machine and this is the only issue I've had with it. I've read some other articles on this and tried all the preference option suggestions but none work.

Report · Jan 23, 2021

I too was having this problem with scanned PDFs printing gray backgrounds on my Brother MFC-L3770CDW. I found a solution from within Adobe Acrobat DC: Choose the "Edit" menu, select "Preferences" and under "Accessibility" I checked the box for "Replace Document Colors." I then selected the radio button for "Custom Color" and went with Page Background set to white and Document Text set to black. This worked like a charm to solve this annoying problem!

Report · Feb 26, 2021

This method didn't work for me

Report · Jul 27, 2021

This didn't work for me either. The gray background only recently started happening, but it's also surrounding any graphics I add to a document (i.e. a signature picture file). I have an MFC L2750DW.

Report · Feb 02, 2022

This method didn't work for me, either. A scanned document, when printed, has a gray background. The area around signatures and other images is "mottled" gray and grainy, and full page is a gray background - see example attached. I never had this problem with my older Brother MFC printer when combined with Paperport 14. I am wishing now I had not "upgraded" to the newer MFC271 and bought Adobe DC. Can't say which of the programs is causing the issue but using them together started the problem. Surely, there is someone at adobe that can get with Brother techs and figure this issue out. I, too only use genuine Brother toner, etc. BTW, the same PDF document prints without gray background on a cheap Canon inkjet printer that is not remotely efficient enough for my use. I contacted Brother; they say if the issue didn't occur when I printed a standard document that came from Word, etc., it was strictly a PDF-program issue because the only gray prints I get are from created PDF's. But, since it does not happen when I print PDFs on the inkjet printer, it seems to be a "when combined" issue.

Report · Feb 24, 2022

I have the same problem - MFC-L2710DW. I tried editing under Choose the "Edit" menu, select "Preferences" and under "Accessibility" I checked the box for "Replace Document Colors." I then selected the radio button for "Custom Color" and went with Page Background set to white and Document Text set to black and it didn't work for me either.

Report · Feb 24, 2022

Thank you for sharing...I even called Brother (my machine is less than a
year old, and it's been this way since day one). They claim it's not their
issue. It does not happen if I print the exact same document to my inkjet
printer, so I don't know how they can stand on that answer. I honestly
believe it is a BROTHER problem. Their # is 877-276-8437, if you want to
give them a call. Maybe they can help you, and you can then help me! It
also wastes a LOT OF TONER, so that's more money in their pocket.

--
Donna Cunningham
*Paralegal*
Coleman Law, LLC
675 Seminole Ave NE
Suite 302
Atlanta GA 30307
Tel: 404.974.4537
Fax: 404.592.6191

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Report · Nov 07, 2022

Not sure if its a Adobe issue or a Brother issue, but I did find a solution/work around. In my case I have a Brother MFC-L2700DW and use Adobe Acrobat XI. When scanning a "black and white" document to save and print later, I had to scan the document as "black and white" through the printer settings. It would then print properly. As soon as I scanned it as a "colour document" and printed it, it printed with the grey background with white edge. Hope this helps.

Report · Jun 02, 2023

Hi there,

Not sure if the problem is fixed, but I found the solution. It's about the PS driver of Brother printer.

When I installed the full software L2750DW I seleted the custome option and then select the PS driver as well as the full sotfware. It works for me.

Regards,

David

Report · Feb 18, 2024

I had this trouble with scanned sheet music today--not a wholly gray background but printing gray noise around both lyrics/text and staff/notes.

What worked for me:

From Print dialog box, click [Properties] for my Brother L2340D.

On the Basic tab, select [Manual] next to Print settings (vs. Graphics or Text).

Then click [Manual Settings] button.

Select [Use System Halftone] radio button. Click [OK] to confirm and print.

Might have gotten better results with different initial scan settings, but everything looked good on screen. The scan was probably capturing areas that it encoded as extremely light gray; the display wasn't trying to render those details but the printer halftone settings were trying to do so.

Report · Mar 21, 2024

Worked for me too. Thanks.