Tips to print PDF document using Acrobat or Reader 10.1.1, 9, or earlier

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Need help printing?

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Solving printing problems

Quick fix

If you are having problems printing, try this quick fix first. 

Acrobat 9.4.2

If you are using Acrobat 9.4.2, see Printing problems | Acrobat 9.4.2 update. 

In-depth troubleshooting

See this troubleshooting article for additional solutions, such as updating your printer driver and copying your file to your hard drive. 

Community forums

Forums have discussions about issues similar to yours. To participate in a community forum, type the description of your issue in the search box on the Acrobat or Adobe Reader forum. When posting on forums, include your operating system and your product's version number.

Frequently asked questions

How do I print double-sided without a duplex printer?

Print even pages first, reload the pages, and then print odd pages. You sometimes have to print some pages in reverse order to get the correct page sequence. To learn more, see "Print double-sided using a single-sided printer" in the article Print double-sided.  

How can I print text in another color?

You can change the color of text but must change it before you print. If you have Acrobat, use the Edit Document Text tool (Acrobat X) or TouchUp Text tool (Acrobat 9) to change the color of text. To learn more about editing text, go to Edit Text. 

Why does printed text look different from PDF text?

The creator of the PDF did not embed the fonts used in the document. Embedding prevents font substitution when you view or print the document, and ensures that you see the text in its original font. If you don't have the original fonts installed on your computer, a substitute font is temporarily used for any font not embedded in the PDF. To learn more, see Font embedding and substitution. 

How do I print a font in a bigger size?

The Print dialog box does not provide an option to change only the font size. You can do any of the following to enlarge the font:

• Scale the entire PDF out to the page margins. See "Manually scale using percentages" in the article Scale or resize printed pages.
• Print a selected portion of the PDF and scale it using Fit to Printable Area. See Print a portion of a page.
• (Acrobat only) To change the font size for a specific page or the entire document, use the Edit Document Text tool (Acrobat X) or TouchUp Text tool (Acrobat 9). To learn more, see Edit text.

How can I print a draft copy to save ink?

Most printers provide options to save ink. Click Properties in the Print dialog box to find printer-specific options. To learn more, see the video Printing documents in Acrobat and Reader X.