How to Fix Acrobat PDFs Printing with Alternating Stripes
Question details
PDF documents are printing with alternating missing stripes or bands after a recent Adobe Acrobat software update.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Printing standard PDF files after a recent software update.
- Observed behavior
- The printed pages contain alternating stripes of missing content, even though the exact same PDF files printed perfectly prior to the update.
Ensure your printer has sufficient ink and that your printer drivers are fully up to date to rule out any hardware-related printing failures.
Update Adobe Acrobat to the Latest Version
Installing the latest official Adobe update resolves the print rendering bug introduced in the October update.
The alternating stripes printing issue was a known software bug introduced in an October update of Adobe Acrobat. The development team released a priority patch (version 19.008.20074) specifically designed to correct this print rendering failure. Installing this update restores normal printing capabilities.
Launch your Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader application on your computer.
Click on the 'Help' option located in the top navigation menu bar.
Select 'Check for Updates' from the drop-down menu and wait for the application to communicate with the update server.
Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the latest patch (version 19.008.20074 or newer).
Once the update is completely installed, restart the Acrobat application, open your PDF file, and print it again.
Use WPS Office to Print Your PDFs Without Stripes
Bypass Acrobat printing bugs entirely by using WPS Office's built-in PDF reader. WPS Office provides a highly stable and reliable printing experience, ensuring your documents come out perfectly without missing bands, stripes, or rendering errors.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the free version of WPS Office on your computer.
- 2. Open the PDF: Right-click your PDF file, select 'Open with', and choose WPS Office, or open it directly from within the WPS PDF application.
- 3. Access Print Settings: Click the 'Print' icon on the top toolbar or press Ctrl+P on your keyboard.
- 4. Print the Document: Adjust your desired printing preferences, then click the 'Print' button to get a perfect, stripe-free physical copy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my PDFs suddenly have missing stripes when printed?
This was caused by a specific software bug in an October update of Adobe Acrobat, which corrupted the print spooling process and caused alternating bands of data to be skipped. Updating the software to the newest version permanently fixes the issue.
What if updating Adobe Acrobat doesn't fix the striped printing?
If the issue persists after an update, try selecting 'Print as Image' in the Advanced print settings of the Acrobat print dialog, or use a reliable alternative software like WPS PDF to print the file.
Does this striped printing issue affect the actual PDF file?
No, your PDF file itself remains perfectly intact and uncorrupted. The stripes are only a rendering error in how the software translates and sends the visual data to the printer.
