Fix Horizontal White Bands When Printing PDFs in Adobe Acrobat
Question details
The user experiences horizontal white bands spaced about one inch apart when printing PDF files from Adobe Acrobat Pro X.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro X
- Device & OS
- macOS Yosemite
- Scenario
- Printing PDF documents to a physical printer (Brother MFC-J6710DW).
- Observed behavior
- Printed pages display distinct horizontal white bands when printed from Acrobat, but print normally when using Apple Preview.
Ensure your printer has sufficient ink levels and perform a standard print head cleaning from your printer's maintenance menu to rule out hardware-related clogs.
Update Brother Printer Drivers and Firmware
Outdated printer drivers can cause rendering conflicts with Adobe Acrobat on macOS. Updating to the latest software ensures proper communication between the app and the printer.
In many cases, printing anomalies like white bands are caused by a communication error between Acrobat's rendering engine and older printer drivers. Installing the latest ICA scanner driver and firmware resolves these compatibility issues.
Navigate to the official Brother support website and search for your specific printer model (e.g., MFC-J6710DW) and operating system version.
Download the latest full printer driver package, specifically ensuring you grab the ICA scanner driver and the Firmware Update Tool.
Run the downloaded installation packages. Once the firmware and drivers are updated, restart both your Mac and the printer to apply changes.
Open your document in Adobe Acrobat again, go to 'File' > 'Print', and test to see if the horizontal white bands are resolved.
Use the 'Print As Image' Feature in Acrobat
If updating the drivers does not immediately work, forcing Acrobat to print the document as an image bypasses complex vector rendering issues.
Print PDFs Flawlessly with WPS Office
If Adobe Acrobat continues to produce printing glitches on macOS, switch to WPS Office. Its powerful built-in PDF reader bypasses Acrobat's specific rendering engine bugs, allowing you to print clean, band-free documents effortlessly.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the latest version of WPS Office for Mac from the official website.
- 2. Open the PDF File: Launch WPS Office, click on 'Open', and select the PDF document you want to print.
- 3. Initiate Printing: Click the 'Print' icon on the top toolbar or press Cmd+P on your keyboard.
- 4. Adjust Settings and Print: Select your Brother printer from the drop-down list, confirm your layout preferences, and click 'Print'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do white bands appear in Acrobat but not in Apple Preview?
Adobe Acrobat uses its own custom print rendering engine, which can sometimes conflict with specific macOS versions or outdated printer drivers. Apple Preview uses the native macOS rendering system, bypassing those specific Acrobat conflicts.
Can a clogged print head cause horizontal white lines on PDFs?
Yes. Even if the issue appears to be software-related, partially clogged print nozzles commonly cause horizontal banding. Running a quick nozzle check and cleaning cycle from your printer's maintenance menu is highly recommended to rule this out.
Where can I find the Firmware Update Tool for my Brother printer?
You can download the Firmware Update Tool directly from the official Brother Support website. Enter your exact printer model number, select your operating system, and look under the 'Firmware' category in the downloads section.
What does the 'Print As Image' setting do in Adobe Acrobat?
The 'Print As Image' setting forces Acrobat to rasterize the entire document into a simple image before sending it to the printer. This avoids processing complex vector data and fonts, which often resolves unexpected lines, missing text, or banding.
