Have problems printing one of the printables? Here are some solutions.
1. Updating your Adobe Acrobat Reader will solve the problem most of the time. Because I create printables with the newest version of Acrobat, you will need the newest version in order for it to print properly. Adobe frequently updates their software, so make sure you have their latest. Go get Adobe Reader at the link and hit the download button. Then install to your computer.
2. If you get black boxes, try these steps:
- Update Adobe
- Make sure you open and print from Adobe (or other PDF reader) instead of from Preview
- Make sure you didn’t open it in a browser window, open in Adobe reader. If the printable is online, don’t print from the browser window: download it to your computer and then open in Adobe reader and print.
- When you print, select “print as image”. See directions here: https://help.teacherspayteachers.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043055351-What-if-my-file-isn-t-printing-correctly
3. Can’t open and/or print the file because it is password protected? The password is only there to prevent the file from being edited. The password is not preventing you from opening the file or printing the file. Make sure you are using Adobe Reader to open the file. Make sure you are printing from your computer, not your phone or tablet. You might need to save the file to your computer, open it, and print it. Make sure you are not in edit mode.
4. Some files may be large and take time to download. Make sure you give the file time to completely download.
5. Be sure you do not close the file until it has completely finished printing.
6. Make sure you are viewing and printing the file using Adobe Reader and not from Preview.
7. Sometimes the browser is causing the problem. Try a different browser than the one you’re using: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.
8. Look for the Save icon, and try saving the PDF to your computer’s hard drive (not a thumb drive). Then open it from there and try printing again.
9. Try restarting your computer. This will clear your computer’s memory cache.
10. If you have followed these directions above, and still have printing problems, make sure your printer is working properly. You might need to download a new printer driver (find this on your printer brand’s website).
