PDF Printing Issues

How to Fix Printing Lines and Garbled Text in Acrobat Reader on Mac

Steve K Oct 23, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue where printing a PDF results in unwanted lines, incorrect symbols, or unreadable text instead of the actual document content.

How to Fix Printing Lines and Garbled Text in Acrobat Reader on Mac

Product: Adobe Acrobat Reader
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Printing PDF documents on a Mac, particularly when connected to a Samsung printer or similar setups.
Observed behavior: The printed pages contain repeated lines at the top, random symbols, or entirely corrupted and garbled text.

Before you start

Before modifying settings, try printing a different PDF file to determine if the issue is specific to one corrupted document or if it affects all files you print.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the 'Print As Image' Feature

Printing the PDF as an image bypasses font rendering issues that often cause garbled text or weird symbols to be sent to the printer.

When Acrobat Reader sends a file to a printer, it relies on the printer's ability to interpret fonts and vector graphics. If the printer driver misunderstands this data, the output becomes garbled. Forcing the software to send a flattened image prevents this miscommunication.

Open Print Dialog

Open your PDF document in Adobe Acrobat Reader on your Mac. Go to 'File' in the top menu bar and select 'Print', or press Command + P.

Access Advanced Settings

In the Print dialog box, click on the 'Advanced' button located near the top right of the window.

Enable Print As Image

Check the box next to 'Print As Image'. Click 'OK' to save the setting.

Print the Document

Click 'Print' in the main dialog window. Check the physical printout to see if the garbled text is gone.

Processing Time: Printing a document as an image requires more memory and might take slightly longer for your printer to process, especially for large files.

Solution 2

Update Software and Printer Drivers

Outdated macOS software or printer drivers can cause compatibility issues and communication errors during the printing process.

Print PDFs Easily with WPS Office

Use WPS Office to Print PDFs Without Errors

If Acrobat Reader continues to print garbled text on your Mac, you can use the built-in WPS PDF tool to smoothly view, edit, and print your documents without encountering rendering bugs.

1. Open with WPS: Right-click your PDF file, select 'Open With', and choose WPS Office from the list.
2. Access Print Menu: Click the 'Print' icon on the top toolbar or press Command + P on your keyboard.
3. Adjust Settings: Select your printer from the drop-down menu and verify that the print preview looks correct.
4. Print Document: Click the 'Print' button to send the document to your printer cleanly.

Free and lightweight PDF reader for macOSNo complex rendering settings required for basic printingFully compatible with all standard PDF formatsBuilt-in document editing and annotation tools

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my printer printing weird symbols instead of the actual PDF text?

This usually happens due to a font embedding issue or a communication error between the PDF reader and the printer driver. The printer attempts to substitute missing or unreadable fonts, resulting in random symbols. Using the 'Print as Image' option bypasses this by sending a flat visual representation to the printer.

Will reinstalling my printer driver fix the extra lines on printed PDFs?

Yes, if the issue is caused by a corrupted or outdated printer driver, downloading the latest driver from the manufacturer's website and reinstalling it can resolve the communication error that causes those extra lines.

How do I know if the PDF file itself is corrupted?

You can test this by printing a completely different PDF file. If the new file prints perfectly, the original PDF may be corrupted or contain unreadable font layers. If all PDFs print with the same errors, the issue is likely with the software settings or printer driver.

PDF Troubleshooting