Duplex, collate, odd-numbers of pages, and not-useful printed results

[gbl2112]

Unclear whether this is how to get error reports to Adobe or not, but here goes.

Synopsis:

A) Please fix duplexing such that page one of a document always begins on the front of a sheet of paper.  This means a the back page of an odd-numbered document should be blank.

B) Please let the Collate button both be visible regardless of the number of copies and let it have a default and/or remembered setting.  The combination of it being initially invisible and the defaulting to the less-desirable setting results in wasted printed material.

Detail:

This is a consistent problem that sprung into existence about a year ago, near as I can tell on both Acrobat DC and Reader for Mac.  It occurs on every install I have (4 different Macs).

Duplex printing generates output that is unexpected, and unworkably so, in these situations.

Odd number of pages.  Say you print a 3-page document, Copies = 2, Duplex on, Collate on.

Sheet: front page/back page.  Expected output from the printer:

Sheet one: 1/2

Sheet two: 3/blank

Sheet three: 1/2

Sheet four: 3/blank

Actual output is:

Sheet one: 1/2

Sheet two: 3/1

Sheet three: 2/3

Why anyone would actually want this output is beyond me.  That said, even if it was somehow desirable, why would it be the default.  The only workaround I have found is to either add a blank page to the document to make it an even number of pages, or to print 1 copy many times.  This is woefully inefficient.

Collation also causes this problem.  Specifically, the Collate checkbox does not appear until the number of copies is increased beyond 1.  Then the Collate box appear, but always unchecked.  If you do not notice this, then your duplex output will be:

Sheet one: 1/1

Sheet two: 2/2

Also a wasteful default behavior, both in terms of paper and ink, but also in terms of time.

While there might be some sensible reason for both of these behaviors, I cannot fathom it.  What I do know is that they product unexpected default results that are different than how other programs print and different than how Acrobat behaved until about  1 year ago.

[Abambo · Accepted solution]

This is not the way to get this to Adobe as this is a user to user forum with some Adobe participation.

Here is the correct address for bug reports: Feature Request/Bug Report Form .

The problems, however, that you describe do not seam to emergre from the Adodobe Acrobat printing sub system. I do not print on MacOS, but my PC handles all those effects without a problem. I suspect the printer driver doing odd things.

If you print a document, at the end of the document an ”end of document” is issued, which should force the printer to eject the last sheet. Some printers, however, have an option to continue on the verso page to save paper. This is a quite nonsense option...

If you print only one copy, collate makes no sense. Collate standard is defined by your printer defaults.

[b3G1nN4]

The collation standard problem has nothing to do with the printer or the printer driver. The issue is Adobe Acrobat DC. Every other program on Mac collates your documents when you print, no matter what printer you print too... Except Adobe Acrobat DC. Adobe Acrobat DC is the only application that Every Time you want to print multiple sets of a multipage document... you have to select as check-box for it collate. Otherwise, for example, if you want 15 sets... you get 15 copies of each page in a row. And you have to sit there and reorganize them into your sets of 15-page documents. It's a pain the proverbial ass (excuse my french). It doesn't matter if I'm printing to Epson, HP or canon printers... it happens. And it's all with their latest and greatest drivers. No not airprint. It's asinine. Why anyone would want their doments printed like that, I have no idea! I grew up in both offset printing and screen printing and can't figure out the reasoning behind it. At least default it to collated, so if you don't want collation, you turn it off. Dumb!  And i'm writing this on 5/20/2022... and it's still doing it.  Even on a fresh install or a reformatted computer (not restored from backup... completely new reinstall from scratch with every file manually brought over and all programs installed from scratch and all settings from scratch). It's like Adobe doens't use their own software.

[timothyo23978126]

It's 2021 and I am having this issue too, still! This is definately a Mac thing. I am the only Mac user in my office and no one else has this issue using the same printer. Good idea to add a blank page, a bit of a pain, but it beats wasting lots of paper, as I have just done!

[Dane29694785uhwc]

I know this is years later, but did you ever figure this one out?