The printer does not print PDF files – How to fix it

The printer does not print PDF files – How to fix it : PDF files are core necessities in professional work and life. We use Portable documents for almost every work that we do, starting from regular task-based activities to governmental documentation. PDF files have become dominant since they are secure, lightweight and easy to access from anywhere. Since PDF is so important in our day-to-day life, it tends to get frustrating if the printer is unable to print PDF files. I mean, who doesn’t want a hard copy of their most important documents, right?

If you are facing frequent PDF file printing issues, then this is the guide made just for you. A printer does not print PDF files when there is a conflict between the operating system, the reader software and even the driver of the printer. To fix the problem, please follow the procedure below.

Test a print job from your browser

Modern browsers support PDF files. Therefore, you can test whether the PDF file itself is corrupted or not by trying a demo print job from your browser. You may use any browser, but we suggest to use multiple browsers if the print activity fails in one browser.

1. Click on the More icon in the browser. The icon is generally located in the top-left or the top-right corner of the browser.
2. Click on Print and proceed to the printing page.
3. Check the settings and verify whether your printer is selected and active. Proceed with the print job by clicking on the Print button.

If the page is not printing, then there may be a problem with your PDF file. Most possibly, it is corrupted. To fix a corrupted PDF file, please navigate below.

If the page is printing successfully from the browser, then you need to follow the troubleshooting guide of your Acrobat Reader.

Repair or recreate the PDF file

If the data in your PDF file is corrupted, it will not be possible for the printer to print the file. In such a case, try to print the PDF file as an image or recreate the PDF file.

Printing the PDF file as an image

1. Open Acrobat Reader.
2. Click on the Print button on the toolbar.
3. Click on Advanced, and then click on Print as Image. Proceed by clicking on Print and verify whether the printing is successful.

Recreate or re-save the PDF file

1. If you have downloaded the PDF file from an online source, try downloading it once again and save it as a new file. Do not overwrite the existing file.
2. If it is a PDF file that you have created, then you may save it again by a different name. Go to File-> Save As and save the PDF file again.
3. Open the newly downloaded or re-saved file and check whether that PDF file can be printed or not.

Select your printer as the default printer

1. Press CTRL+R and open the Windows Run dialog box.
2. Type in control. Then hit enter.
3. Ensure that the View By option is selected as Large. Otherwise, the printer settings won’t display.
4. Select Devices and Printers.
5. Look for the green tick beside your printer. If there is a green tick beside your current printer, then the printer is already set to default on your operating system. If there is no green tick beside your current printer, then right-click on the printer and select Set as default.

Reinstall Adobe Acrobat Reader

If the printer does not print PDF files only through Acrobat Reader, then you need to uninstall it and reinstall the Acrobat Reader.

1. Use Windows Search bar and type Add or Remove Programs.
2. In the Add or Remove Programs window, search for Adobe Acrobat Reader and remove the application. Click on Uninstall.
3. Go to Adobe official website and download a fresh copy of Acrobat Reader: http://www.adobe.com/downloads.html
4. Install Adobe Acrobat Reader.
5. Now restart your computer and try to print the PDF file using the newly installed Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Update your printer driver

You will always need to keep your printer driver updated to minimize print issues with updated apps.

1. Go to https://support.hp.com/in-en/drivers
2. Click on Printers. In the new page, type in the model name of your printer and click Submit.
3. Find the latest printer driver from the displayed list and download it.
4. Install the downloaded printer driver. After the installation completes, remember to reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.