How to Always Print PDFs with Document and Markups in Acrobat
Question details
The user wants to permanently set Adobe Acrobat Pro DC to print PDFs including both the document text and its markups or annotations.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Printing PDF documents that contain essential comments, annotations, or markups.
- Observed behavior
- Acrobat reverts to the default "Document" only print setting after the application is closed, forcing the user to manually select "Document and Markups" every new session.
Ensure that your PDF contains actual comments or markups and that they are not set to be hidden in the comments pane before you begin printing.
Manually Select "Document and Markups" Per Session
Because Acrobat does not save this preference permanently across sessions, you must manually select the setting before printing. It will then apply for the duration of your current session.
Adobe Acrobat is intentionally designed to revert to the "Document" default to prevent users from accidentally printing unwanted markups in future jobs. There is no reliable setting or registry hack to permanently force the software to remember this choice after it is closed.
Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, open your PDF file, and go to File > Print, or press Ctrl+P (Windows) / Cmd+P (Mac).
In the Print dialog box, find the "Comments & Forms" section, usually located in the upper right quadrant of the window.
Click the dropdown menu next to "Comments & Forms" and change it from "Document" to "Document and Markups".
Click the Print button at the bottom. Acrobat will remember this setting for any other PDFs you print until you fully close the application.
Flatten the PDF to Embed Markups
If you are sharing the file for printing and want to guarantee that markups are printed regardless of the user's Acrobat settings, you can flatten the document.
Print PDFs with Comments Easily using WPS Office
If you frequently work with annotated documents, WPS PDF offers a highly intuitive and stable environment for managing, editing, and printing PDFs with all your markups perfectly intact.
- 1. Open Your PDF: Launch WPS Office and open the PDF document that contains your markups.
- 2. Open Print Settings: Click the "Menu" button in the top left corner and select "Print", or simply press Ctrl+P.
- 3. Select Print Content: In the Print dialog, locate the "Print Content" dropdown menu.
- 4. Choose Annotations: Select "Document and Annotations" from the list to ensure all your markups are included.
- 5. Execute Print: Adjust any remaining settings such as page range or copies, and click "Print".
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Adobe Acrobat always reset to printing just the document?
Adobe Acrobat resets this setting by design. It reverts to "Document" only upon closing to prevent users from accidentally printing internal comments or confidential markups in subsequent printing sessions.
Is there a registry edit to make Document and Markups the permanent default in Acrobat?
No, currently Adobe does not provide a registry key or preference setting within Acrobat Pro DC that allows users to permanently override the default print behavior for markups across sessions.
Why are my markups not printing even when I select Document and Markups?
This usually happens if the markups are hidden in the Comments pane or if they are placed on a hidden PDF layer. Ensure all comments are set to visible before opening the Print dialog.
Can I print just the comments without the document text?
Yes. In the Acrobat Print dialog, you can open the "Comments & Forms" dropdown and select "Form Fields Only" or click "Summarize Comments" to print a separate list of the markups.
