Some PFDs are printing with a black background

[Jennie Bayliss]

Hello

I hope you can help me. Some of my PDFs, when printed via Acrobat Reader, now print with a black background - see image below. It doesn't happen on all PDFs - but enough times for it to be frustrating. PDFs that are attached to an email, like an invoice, seem more likely to print in this way. I'm not sure when exactly this started - but possibly when I upgraded to OS Sonoma last month.

I'm on a MacBook Pro, OS Sonoma 14.1.2. Attempts to fix this, include reinstalling Acrobat Reader. I also deleted then reinstalled the latest printer driver (Brother HL-L3270CDW).

Is anyone else experiencing this? Any ideas how to fix this?

[peter_6899]

Unchecking the 'print as grayscale' solved the issue for me too. Thanks for the advice.

[Mendelscot1988]

Jennie, did you ever get this resolved permanently? I have been experiencing this problem particularly when trying to print out itinerary download and saved as PDFs from Booking.com. However, I have also recently had the inversion of black and white from other PDF files, too. Without knowing when this problem will reoccur, I don't feel comfortable printing PDF files anymore and wasting more laser ink toner.

[Umesh36845765ca6l]

Yes thanks it has helpful!

[Beth36968679w513]

Yes! Thank you so much. This worked for me.

[Jennie Bayliss · Accepted solution]

Thank you everyone. It seems a lot of us have had the same issue.

For those with a paid-for application, changing the settings in the Advance Print Set-up, as described by Kathryn below, appears to work. This option is not available for people using the free version, but the work-around of unchecking the "Print in GreyScale" tick box, appears to work for most people. Hope that helps.

[Andrew36975023hghn]

I don't really see a paid solution as a fix for for something has worked historically. Does Adobe have an answer to the issue.

[Andrew36975023hghn]

Unchecking Print in GreyScale 'works' as mentioned above  except I, like many, prefer only to print in colour only when necessary. I don't see this as one of those cases. Adobe should fix the issue. I appreciate that things like OS updates (Sonoma) can cause issues,, but an update should be issued to fix the issue.

[Billy38305193g8aw]

Bypass Adobe altogether. After creating the document in Adobe, select pdf document from the finder folder on a Mac and open with preview and print from there. no more black border!

[zaxenon]

Hi all, it is 17 Sept, and I too have this problem. Adobe is not the fasted kid on the block!! 
Yes, I will try the unticking of "Print in grayscale", but it's disgraceful that Adobe has not yet fixed this bug. 

[Jennie Bayliss]

Even though the "print in Greyscale" usually works, I STILL sometimes end up with a black sheet. It is so frustrating. I too wish heartfully that Adobe would fix this bug.

[zaxenon]

Oh no.. 😞 
Cannot afford ink at the costly prices they go for so Adobe will be out the window VERY soon!! 

[micheles96328617]

I'm having the same problem - randomly printing out pdfs completely black background and white letters.  Plowing through my ink cartridges.  I have mac OS Sonoma 14.6.1 and I think you're right, it's only happened since my upgrade.  Also my Epson scanner isn't working which maybe that is an issue too.  I don't have the paid Adobe so this is disturbing - no way to tell it's going to do it until it's too late and I've gone through a ton of ink!

[debi_2318]

Just printed out 3 pages of solid black myself...yikes!  Fixed it by Right-clicking the document, choosing Open With and choosing Preview.  Had no problem printing the Previewed document.  (I'm on Mac with Free Version...and never could find a "Print in Grayscale" box to 'tick').

[caroline_2934]

I simply unticked the 'print in grayscale (black and white)' and it printed with the correct (white) background. Hope this helps others. I did not need to go into advanced set up or re-install drivers - i am on a mac book air:

[Jennie Bayliss]

Hello Caroline

Thank you for your share. I tested a problematic invoice that always printed black, for which I have been screen-shoting then printing. And yes, now it will print in colour or grayscale without a whole sheet of wasted black toner. I suspect the boffins have done a fix in the background - but no matter what or why, I'm grateful that it is now working correctly again. 

[Jennie Bayliss]

Hmm - I spoke too soon 🙁 I have just printed a multiple page pdf with 'greyscale' checked. The first page printed correctly. But the other pages again were blacked out - see below. I printed it again in colour and that worked, but fir internal documents, it would be more economical to print in b/w.  It is frustrating that Adobe havent yet fixed this glitch. 

[Ellen38189059lq39]

The solution seems to be to adjust advanced settings when printing, but I am unable to adjust the advanced settings. They are all "grayed out" with no option to adjust them.  I still am getting some (not all) PDFs printing on a black background, and it's causing issues. Suggestions?

[Bijjoy_Sarkar9782]

Bijoy

[Paul35405766i876]

Thanks for bringing this up. I too have this problem. It causes an enormous waste of toner. Be sure to uncheck the default "Print in grayscale (black and white)." 

[realistic_flower8879]

None of the suggestions below worked for me until I changed the setting to "print as a draft." I have an old MacBook Pro with Sonoma 14.6.1 and a Canon MG5720 printer. I can't find that setting again, so I hope someone else can tell us where that is. 

[pippa_3191]

HAVEN'T READ ALL on this post, but with few I have it doesn't answer my question (See italic, underline):

I am really fed up with this waste of ink - today I printed page 1/2 of a pdf from Landlord, to hand-write corrections; my writing was so awful, I had to print again, and FORGOT to say "PAGE 1-1" and second page printed white out of black! HOW COME, "within" ONE PDF this is happening????

page 1: black on white, page 2 white out of black!!! ...

Come on Adobe, I have wasted so much INK, on this, and others, including Eurostar - PLEASE FIX at your end ... it cannot be THAT DIFFICULT.

On other sites if I remember I have had this problem, being on a Mac, I take screenshot, and paste it into Word, to print - but I really think this is something that SHOULD be sorted at Adobe, end! 

Or do Adobe have a deal with ink suppliers?? Not very green...

ALSO, for my accounts, I WANT TO PRINT (black on white) mono, only!

[Jennie Bayliss]

Even though I use the work-arounds mentioned in earlier posts, I still sometimes get caught out and end up with a sheet that is printed completely in black. Adobe, PLEASE resolve this issue. I first reported it in January 2024.