PDF Printing Tips: How to Print PDFs Perfectly Every Time

Printing seems simple until your document comes out cropped, blurry, or uses way too much ink. Here's how to avoid all that frustration.

I've wasted so much paper and ink on bad prints over the years. Lessons learned the hard way are the best lessons, so let me save you some trouble.

1. Use "Print to PDF" Instead of Physical Printer First

Before hitting print, always preview and save as PDF first:

  • Open your PDF
  • Select "Print" (Ctrl+P)
  • Choose "Microsoft Print to PDF" or "Save as PDF"
  • Check the preview carefully
  • Make corrections if needed

This gives you a chance to spot problems without wasting ink.

2. Fix Common PDF Print Problems

Text looks blurry?

Your PDF might be set for screen viewing. In print settings, make sure to select "Actual Size" or "Custom Scale: 100%" rather than "Fit to Printable Area."

Margins getting cut off?

This is super common. Check your printer's "Paper Size" matches your document, and use "Page Scaling: None" or "Actual Size." The "Fit to Page" option often creates these problems.

Images not printing?

Some PDFs disable printing of embedded images. You might need to unlock the PDF or use a different viewer.

3. Save Ink With These Tricks

  • Print in grayscale — Most printers have this option in advanced settings
  • Use "Draft" or "EconoMode" — Lower quality but much less ink
  • Print double-sided — Saves paper too
  • Skip images when possible — Select "Print images" checkbox to toggle

4. Print Multiple Pages Per Sheet

Save paper by printing 2, 4, or even 8 pages on a single sheet:

  1. Open print dialog
  2. Look for "Pages per sheet" or "Pages Printed"
  3. Select your desired number
  4. Choose "Horizontal" or "Vertical" layout
  5. Print and fold yourself!

5. Handle Different Page Sizes

Printing an A4 PDF on letter paper or vice versa causes headaches. Here's the fix:

  • Auto-scale: Let the printer fit it (may crop)
  • Custom scale: Manually adjust to 90-95%
  • Resize first: Use our resize tool to match your paper

6. Print Specific Pages Only

Don't print a 100-page document just for page 47:

  • Single page: Type the page number in "Page Range"
  • Multiple pages: Use commas (1, 5, 10)
  • A range: Use a hyphen (1-10)
  • Mixed: Combine them all (1, 5, 10-15)

Pro Tips

  • Update your PDF reader — Old versions sometimes have printing bugs
  • Check printer drivers — Outdated drivers cause all sorts of issues
  • Print test page first — Single page to check settings
  • Use the PDF's own print dialog — Don't print via browser if possible

The Bottom Line

PDF printing doesn't have to be a nightmare. The key is using the print preview, choosing the right settings before you print, and knowing which problems you can fix in the PDF itself. A little prep work saves a lot of wasted paper.

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