Fix Blank Second Page When Printing PDFs Duplex in Acrobat on Mac
Question details
Users need to eliminate an unexpected blank second page that appears when trying to print a PDF double-sided.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
- Device & OS
- Mac
- Scenario
- Printing a multiple-page PDF document in duplex mode.
- Observed behavior
- The printer outputs a blank second page instead of the actual document content when double-sided printing is selected.
Ensure your printer supports duplex printing and verify by scrolling through the document that there are no hidden blank pages natively inserted within the original PDF file.
Select Reverse Pages in the Acrobat Print Dialog
Checking the Reverse Pages option directly in the Acrobat Print Dialog bypasses the system printer communication glitch that causes the blank second page.
Many Mac users experience this issue specifically when using Adobe Acrobat Pro. Modifying the duplex settings in the Mac system printer dialog usually fails to resolve it. The most reliable fix is adjusting the settings directly within Adobe's native print interface.
Open your PDF file using Adobe Acrobat Pro on your Mac. Navigate to File > Print from the top menu bar, or press Command + P to open Acrobat's native print dialog box.
In the Print dialog, look under the 'Pages to Print' section to find the 'Reverse Pages' checkbox.
Check the box next to 'Reverse Pages' and ensure your 'Print on both sides of paper' option is still enabled.
Click the Print button to initiate the duplex printing job. The document should now print correctly on both sides.
Print PDFs Smoothly with WPS Office
If Acrobat continues to cause duplex printing errors on your Mac, WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible built-in PDF reader that ensures a reliable double-sided printing experience without missing pages.
- 1. Open WPS PDF: Download and launch WPS Office, then open your PDF document using the built-in PDF tool.
- 2. Access Print Settings: Click on the Print icon located on the top toolbar or simply press Command + P on your Mac keyboard.
- 3. Select Duplex Printing: Choose your connected printer from the dropdown menu and check the 'Print on both sides' option in the basic settings.
- 4. Print Successfully: Click Print. Your document will output perfectly formatted double-sided pages without unnecessary blanks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can changing Mac system printer settings fix this Acrobat bug?
Users have consistently found that changing the duplex settings in the Mac OS system printer dialog alone does not resolve this specific issue. Modifying the settings directly in Acrobat's native print dialog using the Reverse Pages option is required.
How do I check if my PDF actually has a blank page before printing?
Scroll through the document thumbnails in the left sidebar of your PDF viewer. If you spot a genuinely empty page within the document layout, you can use PDF page management tools to delete it prior to printing.
Why does my printer only print the first page of a PDF document?
This can happen due to outdated printer drivers, restricted page range settings, or a corrupted PDF file. Check that 'All Pages' is selected in the print dialog, or try re-saving the document as an optimized PDF before printing again.
