Learn how Adobe PDF printer settings in Acrobat on Windows allow you how PDFs are generated when printing from other applications.
Overview
Adobe PDF printer settings apply universally across all applications unless you override them with a specific authoring application using the Page Setup, Document Setup, or Print menu.
The preferences dialog box may appear as Adobe PDF Printing Preferences, Adobe PDF Printing Defaults, or Adobe PDF Document Properties, depending on how it is accessed.
Accessing Adobe PDF Printer settings
You can access the settings through two main methods:
- From Windows settings: Open the Start menu and go to Printers & scanners. Then, select Adobe PDF and select Printing preferences.
- From an application: Go to File > Print and select Adobe PDF as the printer. Then, select Printer Properties or Preferences.
In some applications, you may first need to select Setup in the Print dialog to choose a printer. Then select Properties or Preferences.
Understanding the Settings tabs
- Adobe PDF Settings tab: PDF-specific conversion options.
- Paper/Quality and Layout tabs: Standard printer options like page orientation, color, and number of pages per sheet.
Printing Preferences are Adobe PDF-specific. Printer Properties refer to general printer options available to any printer.
Adobe PDF conversion settings
- Default Settings: Choose from a list of predefined conversion settings or select Edit to customize settings via the Adobe PDF Settings dialog box.
- Adobe PDF Security: Control PDF security options:
- Reconfirm Security for each job: Prompts you to set security each time you print.
- Use the last known security settings: Reuses settings from your last print job.
- Adobe PDF Output Folder: Specify where the PDF is saved. Select a default output folder. Select Browse to change it. Select Prompt for Adobe PDF filename to specify a location and filename at the time of conversion.
- Adobe PDF Page Size: Select a custom page size that you have defined.
- Replace Existing PDF: Choose how to handle files with duplicate names: Always, Ask Everytime, or Never replace.
- View Adobe PDF results: Automatically opens the PDF in Acrobat after conversion.
- Add document information: Includes information such as the filename and date and time of creation.
- Rely on system fonts only; do not use document fonts: Keeps creation fast but may exclude custom fonts. Recommended when working with Asian-language documents.
- Deselect this option to embed all document fonts. All your fonts will be available in the PDF, but it will take longer to create it.
- Delete log files for successful jobs: Automatically deletes the log files unless the job fails.
By customizing these settings, you can streamline your PDF creation process and ensure the output meets your specific needs across different applications.
