How to Fix an Extra Line When Printing PDFs in Adobe Acrobat
Question details
Users experience an unwanted extra line appearing on the physical paper when printing PDF documents from Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Printing a PDF document to a physical printer.
- Observed behavior
- An extra, unwanted line appears on the printed document, even though it is not visible on the screen. Printing as an image or using alternative PDF readers produces the correct printout without the line.
Before proceeding, ensure your printer drivers are up to date and print a different PDF to determine if the issue is isolated to a single document or affects all files.
Use the Print as Image Option
Bypass the rendering defect by forcing the printer to process the PDF exactly as it appears on your screen.
Sometimes a PDF contains a graphical object that is too fine to see on standard monitors but is picked up by the high-resolution vector rendering of a physical printer. Printing the document as an image rasterizes the page, bypassing this rendering quirk.
Open your document in Adobe Acrobat or Reader, click on the 'File' menu, and select 'Print'.
In the Print dialog box, click on the 'Advanced' button located near the top of the window.
Check the box next to 'Print As Image'. You may also select the desired resolution from the drop-down menu if available.
Click 'OK' to close the Advanced Print Setup dialog, then click 'Print' to send the document to your printer.
Report the Issue to Adobe Forums
If the issue persists, report the bug directly to Adobe so their engineers can investigate the specific rendering defect.
Print PDFs Flawlessly with WPS Office
Since the extra line issue is specific to Adobe Acrobat's rendering engine, switching to WPS PDF can bypass the problem entirely. WPS Office offers a free, lightweight, and highly compatible PDF reader that prints documents exactly as they appear on your screen without unexpected artifacts.
- 1. Download and Install: Download and install the free WPS Office suite from the official website.
- 2. Open the PDF: Right-click your problematic PDF file, select 'Open with', and choose 'WPS Office'.
- 3. Access the Print Menu: Click the 'Print' icon in the top toolbar or press the Ctrl + P keyboard shortcut.
- 4. Print the Document: Select your printer from the list and click 'Print' to get a clean, error-free physical copy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does an extra line appear only when printing and not on the screen?
The PDF may contain a very fine graphical object that is too thin to render on a standard computer monitor but is picked up by a high-resolution printer. Alternatively, it could be a specific rendering bug within the Adobe Acrobat print engine.
Does the 'Print as Image' option fix the underlying file?
No, 'Print as Image' is a temporary workaround. It rasterizes the entire page into a single image before sending it to the printer, which simply bypasses the normal vector rendering engine that causes the extra line to appear.
How do I share my PDF safely for troubleshooting on public forums?
You can use a secure file-sharing service like Adobe Send and Track, Google Drive, or Dropbox. Upload the file, generate a shareable link with appropriate viewing permissions, and provide the link in the forum so experts can analyze the document.
