How to Print a PDF Without Background

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A background in a PDF can be an image or a color. You may want to print a PDF without the background to, for example, save ink if the background is in color. In Adobe Acrobat, you can choose to hide a background, either image or color, when you print the PDF. You can also create layers in Adobe Acrobat and move background images and colors to a layer separate from text. You can then hide this layer when you print it.If the PDF is a form, you can choose to print only form fields, which excludes the background, in either Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader.

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Things You'll Need

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  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Reader

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Hide the Background During Printing

Step 1

Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat and click "Document," choose "Background" and select "Update."

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Step 2

Click "Appearance Options" in the Appearance pane. The Appearance Options dialog box appears.

Step 3

Deselect the "Show When Printing" check box and click "OK." When you print the document, the background will not be printed.

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Create Layers

Step 1

Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat, click "Advanced" and choose "Preflight."

Step 2

Click the "Create PDF Layers" option to expand it. Select the appropriate layers option.

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Step 3

Click "Analyze and Fix," then save the PDF. Acrobat creates separate layers for the background, text and images.

Step 4

Click the "Layers" button in the left navigation pane in Adobe Acrobat and right-click the layer that contains the background.

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Step 5

Select "Never Prints" from the "Print" drop-down box to turn off printing of the layer.

Step 1

Open the PDF form in either Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader.

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Step 2

Click "File" and select "Print."

Step 3

Select "Form Fields Only" from the "Comments and Forms" drop-down box.

Step 4

Select the printer you want to use, configure print options and click "OK."

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