Printing a PDF from chrome comes out better than adober reader why?

Report · Mar 28, 2023

Hello Folks,

I have some pdf files that when i print them from chrome are perfectly rendered on any printer i have, but if i try to print the same pdf with adobe reader some of the image quality is missing and therefore i cant see it on the printo out.

why is chrome able to print out better than adobe reader?

is there some settings in reader that i have missed?

i need to be able to print all my pdf's from adobe reader, so would like to try and solve the mystery why i can print the pdf in chrome perfectly but not perfectly in reader.

any help appreciated.

Report · Mar 29, 2023

Hi Barry29113408b6d6,

Thank you for reaching out.

Could you please check if this happens with all the files?

Would you mind sharing the steps you do to print PDFs from Chrome browser and the PDF?

Do you download the PDF and then print it from the application?

To replicate the behavior, we need more information on from which location you are opening the PDF on Chrome and Acrobat Reader.

Also, share the print settings set on both workflow.

Thanks,

Meenakshi

Report · Apr 11, 2023

Hi Meenakshi,

I'm also having this exact same issue. The lineweights on architectural drawings are crucial for clarity.

I have attached the source file I am opening. A single PDF page of a floor plan that is saved on my computer and opened in either application. When I open with Google Chrome and hit print, nothing else, it comes out correctly (or at least as expected) with the varying lineweights.

When I open it in Acrobat, I have tried everything. different page size/handling, I have tried it on presentation settings, different colour modes etc. It prints basically exactly the same, which all have the blown out lineweights.

I have attached a side by side comparison of a chrome and acrobat printout. I have circled a few things whre you can see the lines just blow out and does not have the variation in thickness that chrome puts out. Even though they both preview the same way on screen.

Please let me know if you need any more information, as our office and most people will print our plans from a PDF and specifically from acrobat, and i'm frustrated how terrible they are looking to clients and external consulstants. I'm actually surprised this is

thanks, Travis

Report · Apr 11, 2023

Another piece of information that could help is that this is an Autocad PDF. The lineweights vary from 0.05mm thickness to 0.2mm thick.

You could very well say that Acrobat will not recognise anything under 0.1mm, and that would make sense. But I don't see how this would be a limitation of the most widely used PDF processor/viewer where as a fairly rudimentary PDF viewer like chrome would have this capability.

Report · Apr 12, 2023

Hi Meenakshi / Travis,

What Travis has said and described in his post above is exactly what is happening to us here, we are also in an environment where we produce architectural drawings, using Autocad and they contain very fine drawings withing the document which when saved as a PDF and then printed out using chrome directly to the printer not making any changes to the settings they print perfectly visible the fine lines, but if we open the pdf in adobe reader and print directly from there, the fine lines within the section are too faint to see.

i cannot post you any examples as our documents are of a confidential nature with clients details displayed hence why im having to describe the issue in written format, but if you look at Travis example above its exactly the same issue as us.

Report · Apr 12, 2023

Hi Barry29113408b6d6 and trav29362197zut1,

Thank you for sharing all the information.

We will look into this and get back if we require any information.

After checking with the team, we will update you with more information on this soon.

Thanks,

Meenakshi

Report · Apr 16, 2023

Hi Meenakshi,

Any progress on this?

Thanks

Report · Apr 26, 2023

Hi Meenakshi,

I there anyone else I should be contacting regarding this?

Thank you

Report · Jun 12, 2023

I am also having this issue which has never happened before. I create the documents in word and then save as a PDF- when I print the PDF from chrome it's crystal clear, when I print from adobe the text comes out with "fuzz" around it.

Please advise! Thanks!

- Caroline

Report · Jun 19, 2023

Doesnt seem like we are getting a response. Not sure what kind of work you are doing, but I have resorted to putting a note on my plans advising people to print using chrome instead of adobe products. Luckily we have a new printer/plotter in the office that forces you to print through a HP app for that printer. This also prints as good as printing from chrome.

Report · Jul 18, 2023

I am excited to see it was not me doing something wrong. Now I have tried Chrome I see wha tyou see. There is so much they have taken out of the PDF tools that were used. I need a sinlge page PDF - that is really multiple pages in word. This used to be easy - now it appears impossible.

Report · Jul 20, 2024

Why is this still an issue? I am trying to open a Physics textbook PDF with Adobe Acrobat for Windows 10, it opens fine, but then I continue through the textbook and find CRUCIAL graphs and imagery missing. When I instead open the PDF with Google Chrome, zero issues whatsoever. You would think a DEDICATED application for viewing, editing, and even signing PDFs to be leaps and bounds better than an application centred around a search engine. It baffles me to discover such annoyances, and am rather disappointed that staff have yet to reply in hopes to solve this issue.

Report · Sep 11, 2024

Hi there, has a solution been found to this issue? I'm having the same problem. Printing from Chrome makes the colours so much crisper and cleaner, as opposed to Acrobat where the colours look more faded and washed out.

Report · Sep 11, 2024

Because Adobe is no longer supporting a lot of fonts (they will tellyou they are for a price for each) they are not adding the correct "translation" views for your browser. If you stick to simple fonts (arial et al) and use basic graphics resolution you will fix most of the issues. I cannot say all as we are no longer going for the glossy look to save money. I am sure there is a more correct technical answer, but try setting up your fonts with basic ones and inserting your graphics as either part of the text (hard insert).

Report · Sep 11, 2024

I realize you were asking about crispness and color, but it looks to me to be all realted. Although I have seen the blanding of colors, I attributed it to my monitor and printers as they do better at the end printers. I am a technical writer and spend more time with black and white drawings.

Report · Sep 11, 2024

Thank you for the answer. However, it's more to do with colours of images, and background colour, as opposed to font colour itself, for example, when printing a flyer through Chrome.

Report · Sep 30, 2024

Hi AndyK1319248,

Thank you for reaching out, and sorry about the trouble caused.

Would you mind sharing the sample PDF with color images? We have tried to replicate the behavior with the files shared above with us previously. However, it just shows fine on our end.

Please share the Acrobat and OS versions currently in use. It would be helpful if you could share a video of viewing PDFs on both platforms. We are trying to look into this behavior, and more information would be helpful.

Also, please let us know if the file was created or received.

Thanks,

Meenakshi