Print a PDF as an Image: When the Option Is Worth Trying
By ON Lab · Sources checked November 6, 2026
For PDF data that does not print from Acrobat or Reader on Windows, Canon documents this route: open the print screen, choose Advanced, select Print As Image, and confirm with OK. Start with one page so you can compare the result before sending the entire document.
Check that the instructions match your application
The linked Canon example uses Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. It is not an instruction for a browser’s built-in PDF viewer, and the location or availability of controls can differ. If you cannot find the option, record your application name and version instead of assuming that a similarly named browser setting does the same thing.
Make one controlled comparison
- Choose a page that failed and note the selected printer, paper size and other print options.
- Open the Advanced print screen and enable Print As Image if that option is available.
- Confirm the setting, print one copy of the chosen page and inspect the output.
- Record whether the page printed, whether anything is missing and whether the text is readable.
The source presents this as a possible improvement, not a guaranteed fix. Keep your original PDF unchanged while you compare the print results.
What a successful test means
Success gives you a usable result for this combination of file, application, settings and printer. It does not, by itself, identify the faulty component or prove that every other PDF needs the same setting.
Before printing a long document, inspect small text, line work and any elements you depend on. If a page contains a code or form that another system must read, use that system’s accepted verification process. A page that looks plausible from a distance may not meet your actual task.
If nothing changes
Record “no change” and return to the file-versus-printer comparison. If the output is specifically blank, use the preview-versus-paper checklist to describe where it becomes blank. Keep a note of the original setting so you can restore it after your comparison.
Method: a manufacturer-documented procedure with an editorial comparison checklist. We have not measured output quality, speed or success rates on a physical printer.