Unable to print mixed letter and legal size PDF using a Mac with Brother printer

[besposito]

This appears to be an ongoing issue for the past several years and I am still experiencing what so many others have found. There is a problem printing a LARGE (100+) PDF with mixed legal and letter sized pages using Adobe Reader on a Mac with a Brother laser printer.

I think that Adobe support has not been able to recreate the issue because their test file has only two pages. If they create a 100+ page test file with mixed letter and legal and they should be able to replicate the issue.

Here is what I have:

• I have a MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016) running Catalina, Brother HL-L6200DWT printer and using Adobe Acrobat Reader DC 2020.009.20063. I have all of the settings set correctly per the Adobe: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/kb/print-mixed-page-sizes-acrobat.html
• I contacted Brother support as well and followed the details found at : https://help.brother-usa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/102267
• This included downloading and using the latest drivers from Brother. As instructed I tried both their CUPS driver and the BR-Script driver. 
• I have printed using both a direct USB cable and over WiFi.

When I print a large (100+) PDF file with mixed legal and letter it initially works for the first 10 or 20 pages but eventually the pages get cut off with legal pages being printed half way down the page and/or cut off. It is as though the data being sent to the printer eventually becomes "corrupted" so that it is unable to print correctly.

The only solution I have found is to run Windows on my Macbook Pro using VMWAre Fusion and printing from Windows to my printer. Doing this it works fine.

Attached is a test.pdf file of multiple mixed size pages that I used to replicate the issue.

Also attached is a result.pdf which is a scanned result from the printing showing the issue with pages being cut-off / misprinted. Note that the A4 pages are scanned as legal size, but you can still size how they actually printed on the actual paper.

Any additional help in solving this would be appreciated!

[besposito · Accepted solution]

Brother support got back with me immediately. They confirmed the issue is with Adobe Reader on a Mac as the issue also occurs with other brands of printers.

The provided a workaround that appears to work:

WORKAROUND: Rotate the view of all of the pages by 180°, so it looks upside down on the screen.
Then print the document as usual, and all the pages should print completely. You cant do the rotate with the free version of Adobe Reader BUT you can open the PDF using Apple Preview, rotate the pages, save it and then re-open it in Adobe Reader for printing. This worked for me.

It would still be nice if Adobe could confirm the issue (using a large test file than 2 pages) and fix the problem.

[radzmar]

This is a user forum not the Adobe support. If you have discoverd an issue, please file a bug the official way. https://www.adobe.com/products/wishform.html

[besposito]

Thank you for your eager desire to help, but I was aware that this was the Adobe "SUPPORT" Community forum where their tag line is "Come for help, be inspired."

This bug has been reported as far back as 2016. I was hoping someone on this "Adobe Support Community" forum might have a solution as Adobe support does not. Turns out Brother printers has a solution which I posted above so other users could find it. Hopefully someday Adobe support will address this bug that has already been reported.

[J5FC2]

I am having exact problem!  Sad, I am paying for program that was suppose to make my life easier and it's not. 

[besposito]

Try Foxit PDF from Foxit software. Solved my problems.

[tboodalton]

How do you get Foxit to print letter and legal together?

From printer dialog box I select; 'choose paper source by pdf page size', it prints only letter or legal, not both.

[GerrySanders]

I found your "fix" while getting support from Brother to verify correct settings.  I tried Foxit Reader and a trial with Foxit Editor without success to print legal and letter together with the "choose..." setting. Using Brother 6200dwt and Br3 script. 
Please verify your success and tell us what settings YOU used.

Thanks ahead,
gerry sanders

[tboodalton]

Hello,
I had zero success with foxit. Mac and Adobe are not compatible. Mac and
Brother are a bit friendlier.
A PC with Windows 10 OS is my solution for thorough printing of mixed size
papers using Adobe's printing protocols.
Good luck and keep us all informed.
Thank you

[Gerry5C54]

Did you notice the 180 degree solution for Mac and Borther via Adobe Reader? I've tested and seems to work; no PC needed. Parallels with Adobe, by the way has not worked, though it might if I turn pages upside down, but why bother if it works via Mac? Cheers!

[tboodalton]

Hello Gerry,
Yes, I have flipped 180 with Mac + Adobe + Brother (or any printer)
However, this combination is very slow to print.
It's some age-old battle between Apple & Adobe. I need high speed
printing. Not high school drama between the two empires.
Happy printing.

[Gerry5C54]

Hmm. Wonder why the speed so slow. I have Brother 6200dwt and 2019 Imac with 40 gigs ram. Wonder if that might make a difference. Mind telling me your machines? Just trying to make sense of this for advice I may give to others in my NSA group.

And yes, who needs this high school drama,

Cheers, gerry

[swapnilsrivastava · Accepted solution]

Hi There,

Thanks for reporting the issue here.

Before sending the file for printing; inside the Print Dialog, there is a checkbox for "Choose paper source by PDF Page size". Please check that before printing; its unchecked by default.

Do let us know, if the issue still persists.

Regards,

Swapnil Srivastava

[besposito]

Yes, I have the checkbox for "Choose paper source by PDF Page size" checked. I followed all of the directions provided on your support page for this issue. It still does not work.

There is an issue with Adobe Reader and how it sends mixed pages to any laser printer. If there are many pages (not just two or three) it will eventually begin misprinting and cutting off pages. I provided a test file and a results file showing this.

Have you tried to replicate this issue using MY test file, with a Mac and a Brother laser printer?

[Polly0101]

I am having the same problem but with a PC running windows 10.  My documents are over 100 pages.  Adobe confirmed the bug and said it was even in their paid products.  This is quite disappointing to learn the bug has been reported for years.  I am a mobile signing agent for loans and just getting started.  I have invested so much in my new career and equipment and now UNABLE to print from a printer designed to print legal and letter.  Support asked me to try the rotate 180 and this did not work for me.  Are you being successful and can anyone provide a solution for me.  I am willing to buy their paid version if it would work but just this week, Adobe says it has the same bug.  Some of my associates have this same printer and they are printing fine so I don't truly know where the problem lies but I am desperate to find a solution.

[George5EC1]

Polly0101, I am in the same situation as you.  None of the workarounds mentioned in this thread are working for me either.

swapnilsrivastava, not that easy of a fix.  Of course I have that box checked, but the issue is not resolved.

[Polly0101]

George5EC1, In a very convoluted way, miraculously the problem got solved this way.  I purchased Adobe Acobat Pro DC which allowed me to call Adobe for support (again) and I was told to convert the pdf to a Word document and then print.  Miraculously, the Word document spit out proper legal and letter.  After this started working, I tried the same document as a pdf and it has printed properly ever since!  It is as if it had to get started first by printing it in Word.  Now all I have to do is open all my pdf documents with Adobe Acrobat Pro DC and select "actual size" in the print dialog and also click "choose paper source by pdf page size."  I also had installed the Brother driver as a USB connection and I deleted that one and I only use my wireless connection.    I really think converting the document to Word and printing is what got things working.  You can get the 7 day trial and try it out before you buy.  It is the only thing that lets you convert the pdf to a Word document.  I print multiple 100+ loan packages daily and it has worked flawlesslessly ever since.  I hope it will work for you.

[sjn2016]

Thank you all for posting the workarounds! I'm a notary signing agent on a mac and having these random issues as well. Wasted so much paper trying to get pdfs to print right. Rotating 180 degrees is working today. Good to know I can also try exporting to Word and printing from there too!

[Felicia27691226yfx3]

Just WOW!!! Paymore money to get it running.. i will try to 7-day trial and see what happens. Thanks

[Felicia27691226yfx3]

I agree. Some people have my same printer and have no issues. Please help Adobe........

[J5FC2]

I founded out, it is Adobe issue, Adobe is aware of it for last 6 years without resolving it.  Which is very sad and fustrating to find out after purchasing Adobe and having to go through hours of trying to get refund, since it is usless.  

[kennedymt]

The 180 degree rotation trick fixed it for me (Mac OS10.15.7, Acrobat DC 2019.021.20048, Canon D1620 printer).  I also tested on Big Sur 11.0.1 and it works there as well.

One important note: I had to use the postscript (PS) version of the printer driver. The default multifunction driver DOES NOT work.  When you set up your printer (system preferences>printers & scanners), don't use theDefault/Bonjour setup. It won't work.  Instead, choose IP in the menu bar, enter your printer's IP address, then in the Use: pulldown at the bottom, choose "select software..." then choose your postscript driver.  Voila!

 

This dang problem had plagued me for 6 years. Problem Solved!  Thanks, besposito!!

[George5EC1]

Polly0101, I have tried your suggestions numerous times, but for whatever reason today it dicided to start working.

Using Adobe Acobat Pro DC, I converted the file from pdf file to Word and attempted to print.  Still would not print correctly.  I then deleted the printer from my computer and shut down then restarted the computer.

Installed new printer driver and now when I print a pdf file it prints correctly on legal and letter size pages within the same file...

[Gerry5C54]

I have had all the problems reported on this page.

I finally tried the simplest solution, not Mac-intuitive at all, to print upside down, and guess what? "It just works!"

And the rotate buttons do appear in Acrobat Reader DC contrary to what someone said, perhaps referencing an earlier version of Acrobat Reader DC. Just double-click one to turn the doc upside down.

I wish Adobe would be kind enough to allow us to have or to create a button to see sidebars more easily. For anyone interested: View>Show/Hide>Navigation Pane>Page thumbnails menu.

[Felicia27691226yfx3]

I tried and it works, but now the first half of the top is missing. But i like..