IRS Forms Refuse to Print +rant

[Jason Burnett]

The official forms provided by the State of Georgia for the IRS are completely a wreck.

They require you to use their form's blue print button and disable any output that you try to get from printing to a file, another pdf, or using the built-in print function.

In their help section, they suggest that you have to have the latest (it's not the latest) version of Acrobat Reader installed. Still doesn't work.

Can someone please explain how I can print a Georgia 500Ez form since the IRS is no help?

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RANT: (Acrobat fanboys feel free to ignore this rant)

The utility of Adobe Acrobat is far outweighed by its completely peculiar way of dealing with everything from UI to output and this is just one more example to add to the pile of every pdf I have ever had the displeasure of working with. Shocking, really, that Adobe continues to produce this product when it violates so many standards just to create its own--and then it's own standards don't even work.

[Jason Burnett]

After hours of messing with this, I was able to print a blank form. Surprise surprise, I am going to have to print a blank, scan it in, convert it to another form, then print it out again. This is the standard workflow for Adobe Acrobat. I have had to print and scan more PDFs than I care to count. It is unbelievable what a pain this is. I don't understand how the developers can have any self-respect when producing this product. It simply has never worked correctly. It promises to be such a great program and has some great ideas, but it doesn't work. Still trying to figure out how to print this form with my data in it.

[~graffiti]

This is the forum for the free Reader and not Acrobat. Would you like me to move this issue (and the rant) there for you?

[Jason Burnett]

I'm withdrawing my request as I printed it and scanned it like I always have to. The thing is that the IRS insists that you have to install Acrobat Reader. I have heard that you have to uninstall Acrobat CC to get it to work.

[try67]

It's obvious the developers of this form wanted you to use it in a very specific way, so they limited many of the functions that are available in all other PDF forms. I think that should be the target of your displeasure, not the application that is just following their commands...

Unless you can point to a specific bug where it should behave in a certain way, but doesn't. There are plenty of those, of course, but so far it seems that the file is working as it should, even if it's not to your liking.

[Bernd Alheit]

Do you open the form in Acrobat Reader or in a browser?

[Jason Burnett]

Tried both. I eventually had to uninstall Acrobat Creative Cloud and install the old version of the reader. Then I was able to get the blank form out. Thanks for your reply.

[jane-e · Accepted solution]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Whirled+Creative  wrote

Shocking, really, that Adobe continues to produce this product when it violates so many standards just to create its own--and then it's own standards don't even work.

• I downloaded the Georgia form and I see what's going on.
  
  
  
• The document is secure and can't be changed without knowing the password
  
  
• They drew a large 8.5" x 11" button on every page and made it hidden but printable. I have always told my students that I can't imagine doing that and can't think of a reason for doing it. But the State of Georgia used it so that when you print you will get blank pages. Page 1 has text on the button. The other pages have a white box. I went to File > Print and flipped through the pages. Toward the end you could see the page before the white button showed up.
  
  
• When you click their Help button, it says you need at least Reader 6 to view the form. You can save with Reader XI (or later).
  If they had made it Reader Extended, you could save with Reader 6 or later. They didn't. Saving without permission from the creator is available in XI and later, meaning XI or DC will allow you to save.
  
  
  
• The Print button is okay, but be careful. There are three choices. You can print the completed form (with subchoices). If you choose option 2, it will clear your content and reset the form. Or you can back out. You will have to use the Blue Print Button > Print Completed Form > and then the next choice. It's the only way to disable the full-page white button.
  
  
  
• I know you want to blame Adobe and Acrobat, but they didn't use Acrobat to create the form. I looked in File > Properties. They used UltraForms SDK 3.0.4 Web.
  
  
  
• I also downloaded IRS 1040 and could print it just fine! Make sure you go to irs.gov to download the form. I saw lots of fake links.
  https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040ez
  
  
• I would be ranting, too, if I lived in Georgia—but not to Adobe. Remember that the state of Georgia didn't use Adobe Acrobat. But they did make some dumb choices, imho (I don't work for Adobe). I'd take it up with your elected officials or write a letter to the editor of your newspaper.

The creators can do what they want, and if it's locked, we can't undo it. Sorry we can't fix this for you, but I can sympathize!

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[Jason Burnett]

Your kindness and generosity are much appreciated. Thank you very much.