Fix Landscape Printing from Acrobat to HP DesignJet on Mac
Question details
Users are unable to print PDF documents in landscape mode from Adobe Acrobat to an HP DesignJet printer on macOS.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat / HP DesignJet T930
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Attempting to print large-format PDF documents in landscape orientation onto roll-feed media.
- Observed behavior
- Acrobat fails to print the document in landscape mode because it cannot access the additional rotation settings that are otherwise available in native macOS applications like Preview.
Ensure your HP DesignJet printer is turned on, securely connected to your Mac, and that you have downloaded the latest specific printer drivers from the official HP website.
Switch to the HP Raster Printer Driver
Installing and selecting the HP Raster driver instead of the PostScript driver can expose additional finishing options like Autorotate to macOS applications.
Acrobat can only access printer features that macOS exposes through its API. The PostScript driver often handles processing internally and may hide layout features, whereas the Raster driver exposes more printer-specific finishing options directly to the operating system.
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings (or System Preferences), then click on Printers & Scanners.
Select your HP DesignJet T930 printer to see which driver is currently in use. If it uses a PostScript driver, proceed to download the Raster driver from HP's official support page.
Click the 'Add Printer' button, select your HP DesignJet, and in the 'Use' dropdown menu, explicitly select the newly installed HP Raster driver.
Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat, go to File > Print, select your newly added HP printer, and click on 'Printer...' at the bottom to access and enable the now-available rotation options.
Use the System Printer Dialog Workaround
Bypass Adobe Acrobat's default print window to access all printer-specific settings programmed by HP.
Print Using Mac Preview and HP Print Preview
If Acrobat continues to restrict layout options, use the native Mac Preview app alongside HP's dedicated PDF workflow.
Print PDFs Easily with WPS Office for Mac
If you are experiencing layout limitations with Adobe Acrobat, WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible PDF reader and editor for Mac. It interacts seamlessly with macOS system print dialogs, making landscape and large-format printing straightforward.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the free version of WPS Office for Mac from the official website.
- 2. Open Your PDF: Right-click your PDF file, select 'Open With,' and choose WPS Office as the default application.
- 3. Access the Print Menu: Go to the Menu bar, select 'File,' and click 'Print,' or simply press Cmd+P on your keyboard.
- 4. Configure Orientation: Choose your HP DesignJet printer from the dropdown menu and configure the page orientation to Landscape in the system print settings.
- 5. Print the Document: Click 'Print' to confidently send the document to your large-format printer without the layout errors found in other software.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't Adobe Acrobat show Autorotate settings for my HP DesignJet on Mac?
Acrobat can only access printer features that macOS exposes to applications through its API. If you are using an HP PostScript driver, those advanced finishing options like Autorotate may be processed internally by the printer and not exposed to third-party apps like Acrobat.
What is the difference between HP raster and PostScript drivers on macOS?
The Raster driver renders the document into an image format via the Mac before sending it to the printer, which often exposes more layout controls in the macOS print dialog. The PostScript driver relies on the printer's own internal processing, which can sometimes hide specific finishing features from the operating system.
How do I access HP Print Preview on a Mac?
To access HP Print Preview, open your document in the Mac Preview app, go to File > Print, and click on the 'PDF' dropdown menu located at the bottom left of the print dialog. Select 'HP Print Preview' from the list to manually configure roll media layouts.
