I can't print a pdf file. I can print a word file, but not a pdf file. Can you help?

[Guest]

I can't print a pdf file.  I can print a word file, but not a pdf file. Can you help?

[~graffiti]

Version or Reader?

Are you printing from a browser or Reader itself?

Operating System?

What steps are you taking to print?

What exactly is happening.

[dooley12346]

Same here and just started doing it days ago.

I have windows 7, reader XI and when attempting to print, given a "no document selected" from adobe. All other docs print.

Hep me!

[~graffiti · Accepted solution]

A few things to try.

Go to Edit>Preferences>Documents and set PDF/A mode to "Never"

Then go to Edit>Preferences>Security (enhanced) and deselect "Enable protected mode at startup.

If that doesn't work, you can always try selecting "Print as image" in the advanced print dialog.

[alan_in_ca]

It worked! Thank you...

[~graffiti]

Did one or the other work or did you have to do all three? Just curious if one particular thing worked.

[alan_in_ca]

Did the first two

In a message dated 5/8/2015 4:02:37 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,

forums_noreply@adobe.com writes:

I can't print a pdf file. I can print a word file, but not a pdf file.

Can you help?

created by ~graffiti (https://forums.adobe.com/people/~graffiti) in

Acrobat Reader - View the full discussion

(https://forums.adobe.com/message/7527100#7527100)

[~graffiti]

Thanks.

[Randy24321167ovl6]

This did not work for me until i went back in and deselected "enable enhanced security". I could then print but i'm not sure about being less secure.

[Heather5EED]

Both methods worked. First, I printed as image. Then I went back and set the PDF/A mode to Never, and it printed! Thank you! 

[Dr. Biswanath2556539504tc]

This worked! Thank you so much. I need to explain a bit the background to my problem regarding this issue. Never before I faced this issue that my printer can print Word and Excel files but not pdf. The problem surfaced when I had to replace the motherboard of my printer. I am not a technical person and I do not understand why a change of the motherboard would alter my printer ecology. But your instructions were clear and I followed them step by step and finally, my printer printed a pdf document.

[Min0512]

Worked for me!  Yeah!  Thanks!

[taniam50397726]

I had this same problem. It was resolved when I went file > print > advanced, and then un-ticked the 'print to file' box down the bottom.

[~graffiti]

That works if you have a completely different problem than what we are discussing here.

Your fix is good if Reader is trying to print to a file instead of a printer.

[daves31692831]

Many thanks, that worked for me. But just in case it helps others can I give my "confusing" method.

I went through all the options you give and they didn't work first time. So I rechecked them again and this time it asked me to restart the program.

The only difference I did then was to find the file in question, direct from file manager, right clicked, selected print and off it worked !!! Obviously it loaded Adobe to achieve it.

I'm not suggesting this specific route solved it. That was due to your suggestions and the resulting reload. But it felt good !!

[Bill5E44]

Thank you graffiti - it worked - I want to have your baby - that's just a term of endearment - I'm a guy - but thanks very much for sharing your knowlege and wisdom

[Z24090652yuya]

This solution need to enable the TCP/IP printing on the server side.  After the TCP/IP printing is enabled on windows printer server, connect the printer using lpr protocol by creating a lpr port on the client side, entering the server's IP address, queue name is the printer name on the server, and use the port on the client side as the printer port.

[Somarlane]

(I am writing this in case another user encounters the exact same issue which I encountered with a particular PDF.)

I changed PDF/A mode to "Never" and disabled protected mode at startup as ~graffiti recommended.  However, I also had to change 'Comments & Forms' to "Document" from "Document and Markups" in order to resolve the printing issue.

[stephen281539944d7w]

None of these worked for me.  Possibly, the problem has to do with View Documents in PDF/A mode.  I can change it to never, but it won't stay that way.  As soon as I exit Preferences, it goes back to Only for PDF/A documents.  Any other help?

[stephen281539944d7w]

Also, when I try to print as image, I get a message from Adobe Acrobat saying that The Document Could Not be Printed.  HELP

[Sara28304861gg29]

I am having the same issue. Tried everything recommended above and still get an error that the document cannot be printed. Has anyone found a fix for this. Unistalling and reinstalled did not fox the issuse either.

[VirtualSophie]

This is a setting in windows actually - search for Default Apps and open, select "Set defaults by app" at the bottom on the right then select  the Adobe product you actually have installed and click Manage -  Ensure that all default app spots are filled - namely the .acrobatsecuritysettings, but they all need to be set to the adobe product you actually have installed.  You may need to close and re-open Adobe - but it should now print.

[Sarah356189405vm8]

Hi All,

Changed the laptop brand from lenovo to Dell and now certain PDF documents can print and others cant,I am on windows 11,Updated printer firmware and still cant print.

[Sarah356189405vm8]

Where do you make those changes  on the printer preferences or computer side?

[sam35720672t873]

It worked oh my god I have spent 5 hours on it trying from updating firmware to drivers to everything this worked as of 27/02/24 thanks a lot of graffiti