Acrobat on MacOS not printing to HP Laserjet M283

[AKG23]

I am not able to print from Adobe Acrobat any PDFs to my MFP M283 printer.  Printing PDF works without a hitch from other software like Preview, PDF Expert.

No error message is given, when I issue a print command -- the printer wakes up for a few secs and then goes back to standby without throwing any error message. Obviously seems to an Adobe issue.

Any thoughts on how to fix this?? I am on latest version of Adobe Acrobat 2025.011.20997

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @AKG23 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

I am sorry for the difficulty you are facing with Adobe Acrobat not printing to your HP LaserJet MFP M283, especially when other applications like Preview and PDF Expert work fine. I understand how frustrating it feels when the printer wakes up but then goes back to standby without producing a page. I appreciate the effort you’ve already put in by testing across different apps and confirming the issue is isolated to Acrobat.

Here are steps you can try to resolve the problem on macOS:

Step 1: Use “Print as Image” in Acrobat

• Open the PDF in Acrobat.
• Go to File > Print.
• Click “Advanced” in the Print dialog.
• Select “Print as Image” and try printing again.
• This bypasses complex PDF rendering issues that sometimes prevent output.

Step 2: Check Printer Driver Selection

• Go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
• Select your HP LaserJet MFP M283.
• Ensure the driver selected is “HP LaserJet MFP M283” and not “Generic PostScript” or “AirPrint.”
• If incorrect, remove the printer and re‑add it using the HP driver.

Step 3: Update HP Software and Firmware

• Visit HP’s support page for your printer model:
  https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/hp-color-laserjet-pro-mfp-m283-mfp-series/2100175036
• Download the latest macOS drivers and firmware update.
• Install and restart both the printer and your Mac.

Step 4: Save PDF with Different Compatibility

• In Acrobat, go to File > Save As Other > Reduced Size PDF.
• Save with compatibility set to “Acrobat 10.0 or later.”
• Try printing the new file.

Step 5: Test with HP App

• Install the HP App from the Mac App Store.
• Add your printer and try printing the same PDF through the HP App interface.
• This ensures the job is sent using HP’s optimized communication path.

Step 6: Reset Acrobat Preferences

• Quit Acrobat.
• Navigate to ~/Library/Preferences/ and locate the Acrobat preference files.
• Move them to a backup folder.
• Restart Acrobat and test printing again.

These steps should help Acrobat communicate properly with your HP LaserJet MFP M283 and restore normal printing.

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

[AKG23]

Dear Hawks_Eye

Thanks for the clear comprehensive response, unfortunately it doesn't help.

For this testing I am using very simple files that I have generated myself - and I am only printing page with text, not even with any image. Also, I have reset the printing system, completely uninstalled  and reinstalled Acrobat as well.

So now, the current situation is:

- using the HP print app on MacOS to print any doc works without an issue

- using the HP standard postscript driver works without an issue when printing via Acrobat , but not when using the model specific driver below

- the only specific driver that MacOS lets me install is this:  HP ColorLaserJet MFP M282-M285-AirPrint. There are no drivers available from download from HP web site. In fact, downloading drivers for MacOS does not even show up as an option
- there seems to be no way to install a driver without using Bonjour/Airprint..

Any thoughts?

[Hawks_Eye]

You are welcome @AKG23 

I appreciate the detailed follow‑up — you’ve already done a thorough job testing across drivers, reinstalling Acrobat, and even resetting the macOS printing system. It’s clear the issue is narrowed down to how Acrobat interacts with the AirPrint driver for the HP Color LaserJet MFP M283 series.

Here are some focused next steps you can try:

Force PostScript or Generic Driver Use

• Since you confirmed Acrobat prints fine with the HP PostScript driver, you can keep that as the default for Acrobat jobs.
• In System Settings > Printers & Scanners, add the printer again but choose “Generic PostScript Printer” instead of the AirPrint option.
• This ensures Acrobat sends jobs in a format the printer accepts consistently.

Create Separate Printer Profiles

• Add the printer twice in macOS: once with AirPrint (for everyday apps) and once with Generic PostScript (for Acrobat).
• When printing from Acrobat, select the PostScript profile. This avoids switching drivers manually each time.

Check Acrobat Print Engine Settings

• In Acrobat, go to Preferences > Print Production.
• Ensure “Send as PostScript” is enabled if available. This aligns Acrobat’s output with the PostScript driver.

Firmware Update on Printer

• Even though macOS doesn’t offer a downloadable driver package, firmware updates can improve AirPrint compatibility.
• Download the latest firmware for your MFP M283 here:
  https://support.hp.com/in-en/document/ish_1776648-1643972-16
• Install via USB or network connection.

Test with Different PDF Generator

• Save your PDF from Acrobat as “Press Quality” or “PDF/X‑1a.”
• Then try printing with the AirPrint driver. Sometimes the file structure affects how AirPrint interprets jobs.

Fallback Workflow

• If AirPrint continues to fail only with Acrobat, the most stable workaround is to use the PostScript driver for Acrobat and AirPrint for other apps. This dual setup is common on macOS when specific apps require different print paths.

These steps should give you a reliable way to print from Acrobat while keeping AirPrint available for other applications.

Regards,

Hawks_Eye.