Fix PDF Text Boxes Not Printing in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
Question details
The user needs to print a PDF document that contains text boxes, but the text box contents fail to appear on the printed pages despite watermarks printing correctly.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to print a heavily annotated PDF document containing added text boxes.
- Observed behavior
- Watermarks and background elements print successfully, but the text inside the text boxes is completely missing from the printed document.
Ensure your printer is connected and online, and consider saving a backup copy of your PDF document before modifying its base layers or properties.
Enable Document and Markups in Print Settings
Adjust the print dialog options to ensure that both the main document content and any added annotations are sent to the printer.
In PDF editors, text boxes are categorized as comments or markups rather than fundamental page content. By default, print dialogs are often configured to print only the core document, which is why your background prints but the added text boxes do not.
Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, open your PDF file, click on 'File' in the top menu, and select 'Print'.
In the Print dialog box, look for a section or dropdown menu labeled 'Comments & Forms'.
Click the dropdown menu and change the setting from 'Document' to 'Document and Markups'.
Check the print preview pane to verify that your text boxes are now visible, then click the 'Print' button to proceed.
Flatten the PDF Document Before Printing
Flattening converts all interactive elements and annotations into the base image layer of the document, making them permanent page content.
Print as Image
Use the 'Print as Image' function to bypass rendering issues caused by complex layers or printer driver miscommunications.
Use WPS Office to Print PDFs with Text Boxes Smoothly
WPS Office includes a robust, free PDF editor that simplifies managing document layers. Printing PDFs with text boxes, comments, and markups requires just a single settings adjustment in its intuitive interface.
- 1. Open PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open the PDF document containing your text boxes.
- 2. Access Print Menu: Click on 'Menu' and select 'Print', or simply press Ctrl+P on your keyboard.
- 3. Find the Print Content Option: In the print dialog, locate the 'Print Content' dropdown section.
- 4. Include Markups: Select 'Document and Markups' from the dropdown list.
- 5. Print Document: Ensure your text boxes appear in the preview on the right, then click 'Print'.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my PDF background print but not the text boxes?
Text boxes added after a PDF is created are usually classified as annotations or markups. Unless you specifically instruct the printer to include markups in the print dialog settings, the software will only print the base document layer, which includes the background.
Can I permanently merge text boxes into the PDF so I don't have to change print settings?
Yes, you can 'flatten' the PDF. Flattening merges all layers, annotations, and text boxes into a single base layer. Once flattened, the text boxes cannot be edited, but they will print on any device without needing special settings.
What should I do if my text boxes still don't print after enabling markups?
Check the properties of the text boxes. Ensure they are not set to 'Hidden' and that the text color isn't white or matching the background color. Additionally, make sure the text boxes are placed entirely within the printable margins of the page.
Does saving the PDF under a new name fix printing issues?
Simply renaming the file usually does not change its layer properties. However, using 'Save As' and selecting 'Optimized PDF' or choosing to 'Print to PDF' can create a new, flattened version of the file that prints correctly.
