How to Print a PDF on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android

Printing a PDF sounds simple, until you switch devices and the options change, your printer disappears, or pages come out in the wrong size. The good news is that the core steps are similar everywhere, and once you know where to tap or click, printing becomes routine.

Below, we walk through how to print a PDF on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android, with quick fixes and ways to prepare your files in Smallpdf so they are always print-ready.

Quick Start: Print a PDF on Any Device

If you need a printed PDF right now, start with this universal approach. Follow these three basic steps: 1. Open your PDF in a viewer: Use a browser, built-in PDF viewer, or Smallpdf PDF Reader. 2. Open the print dialog: Press “Ctrl + P” on Windows or “Command + P” on Mac, or tap the print icon. 3. Choose printer and settings: Select your printer, set page range, color, and orientation, then confirm printing.

If this works, you’re done. If not, use the device-specific sections below for more control and troubleshooting.

How to Print a PDF on Windows

Windows supports printing from browsers, desktop apps, and Smallpdf’s PDF Reader.

Set Up Your Printer on Windows

Before printing, make sure Windows can talk to your printer.

• Connect the printer by USB or connect it to the same Wi-Fi network.
• Open “Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.”
• Add your printer if it is not already listed, and set a default printer.
• Print a simple test page from Windows to confirm that color and layout look correct.

Print a PDF on Windows

Once the printer is set up, follow these steps. 1. Open your PDF. 2. Press “Ctrl + P,” or go to “File > Print.” 3. Choose your printer from the list. 4. Set page range, number of copies, paper size, and orientation. 5. Check options such as “Print on both sides” if your printer supports duplex. 6. Click “Print” to send the job.

If you want to adjust content before printing, open the file in Smallpdf Edit PDF to add notes, highlight key points, or remove pages you do not need.

Fix Common Windows Printing Issues

If your PDF does not print as expected, try this.

• Printer not listed: Reopen “Printers & scanners,” remove and re-add the printer, then restart your computer.
• PDF will not print: Open the same file in another app, for example, Smallpdf PDF Reader, and try again.
• Wrong size or cropped pages: In the print dialog, set scaling to “Fit” or “Fit to printable area,” and confirm the paper size matches the tray.

If a particular PDF keeps failing, upload it to Smallpdf and use Compress PDF or PDF to Word to rebuild a cleaner version, then print that file.

How to Print a PDF on Mac

On Mac, Preview and other PDF apps make printing straightforward.

Set Up Your Printer on Mac

Check that Mac sees your printer correctly.

• Open “System Settings > Printers & Scanners.”
• Click the plus sign to add your printer if it is missing.
• Select it from the list and confirm it shows as “Idle” or “Ready.”
• Print a system test page to confirm basic printing works.

Print a PDF on Mac

Once the printer is ready, follow these steps. 1. Open your PDF in Preview or Smallpdf PDF Reader. 2. Go to “File > Print,” or press “Command + P.” 3. Choose your printer at the top of the dialog. 4. Set copies, page range, orientation, and paper size. 5. Use the preview on the left to check margins and scale. 6. Click “Print” to start the job.

In Preview, you can rotate, reorder, or remove pages before printing. For bigger changes, such as adding text or merging files, use Smallpdf on the web to edit and prepare the document, then print the updated PDF from your Mac.

Fix Common Mac Printing Issues

If printing does not behave, try these Mac-specific checks.

• Stuck print queue: In Printers & Scanners, select your printer, open the print queue, and cancel stalled jobs. Then try again.
• Printer offline: Remove the printer from Printers & Scanners, add it again, and restart both the Mac and the printer.
• Wrong format or cut-off content: Make sure the selected paper size matches the paper in the tray, and adjust scaling so that the content fits within the preview border.

How to Print a PDF on iPhone

On iPhone, you use AirPrint to send PDFs to a compatible wireless printer.

Set Up AirPrint on iPhone

Check these basics before printing.

• Confirm your printer supports AirPrint. Most modern Wi-Fi printers do.
• Connect the printer and your iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network.
• Make sure the printer is powered on and not showing error lights.

Print a PDF from iPhone

Once everything is connected, follow these steps. 1. Open the PDF in the Files app, Mail, or the Smallpdf mobile app. 2. Tap the “Share” icon. 3. Choose “Print” from the share sheet. 4. Tap “Printer” and select your AirPrint compatible printer. 5. Set the number of copies, page range, and layout options. 6. Tap “Print” in the upper right corner.

If you want to edit or compress the PDF on your phone before printing, open it in the Smallpdf mobile app to annotate, reorder, or shrink the file, then send it to AirPrint.

Fix Common iPhone Printing Issues

If AirPrint does not work as expected, try this.

• Printer not found: Restart the printer and your iPhone, then reconnect both to Wi-Fi.
• Print job stalls or fails: Check paper and ink levels, then try printing a smaller document.
• Layout looks wrong: Confirm the paper size in the print options matches what is in the printer.

How To Print a PDF on Android

Android has built-in print services that work with most modern printers.

Set Up Printing on Android

First, connect your printer.

• Open “Settings,” then look for “Connected devices” or “Printing.”
• Enable the default print service or install your printer maker’s app from Google Play.
• Connect your phone and printer to the same Wi-Fi network.

Many printer apps also add a “Print” option directly into the share menu of supported apps.

Print a PDF from Android

When setup is done, you can print directly from most apps. 1. Open your PDF in Google Drive, a PDF app, or the Smallpdf mobile app. 2. Tap the menu (often three dots) and select “Print or Share > Print.” 3. Choose your printer from the list. 4. Set copies, color or black and white, paper size, and orientation. 5. Tap the print button to send the job.

For large or complex PDFs, it can help to open the file in the Smallpdf app first, compress it, and then print the optimized version to avoid slow transfers or errors.

Fix Common Android Printing Issues

If a PDF does not print from Android, check these points.

• No printers listed: Install your printer maker’s official app, then reopen the print panel.
• Connection errors: Make sure you are on the same Wi-Fi network as the printer and that VPNs or firewalls are not blocking local traffic.
• Wrong pages or size: In the print screen, confirm page range and scaling are set as intended before you tap print.

PDF Print Options You Should Know

Most print dialogs offer similar options, even if the layout looks different across devices.

1. Double Sided And Grayscale Printing

• Double sided printing (duplex): Look for “Two-sided,” “Duplex,” or “Print on both sides.” Choose “Long edge” for standard book style reading or “Short edge” for flip style binding.
• Grayscale printing: Switch to grayscale when you want to save color ink. Make sure this option is off when you expect full color output.

2. Scaling, Orientation, And Page Range

• Scaling: Use options such as “Fit,” “Fit to page,” or “Actual size,” depending on whether you want to fill the page or keep the original scale.
• Orientation: Choose “Portrait” for tall pages and “Landscape” for wide content. The preview is a good way to confirm the correct choice.
• Page range: Enter ranges such as “1-3” or “1-3, 6” to print only specific sections instead of the entire file.

3. Print To PDF vs Save As PDF

You may see both options on your device.

• Print to PDF: Sends output from almost any app into a new PDF file. This is useful when you convert a web page, email, or document into a PDF for archiving or sharing.
• Save as PDF: Saves changes to an existing PDF without printing to paper. Use this after editing or rearranging pages so your updates are stored.

You can also use PDF Converter to move between Word, PowerPoint, images, and PDF when you need more control than the print or save options give you.

Make Your PDFs Print Ready With Smallpdf

You get the best print results when your PDF is clean, lightweight, and easy for printers to process.

Clean Up And Edit Before You Print

Open your PDF in Edit PDF to:

• Add notes, arrows, or highlights where you need them on printed copies.
• Remove pages you do not need so you print fewer sheets.
• Fix small text issues, such as typos in headings or labels.

This keeps your prints focused and avoids re-printing just to correct a minor mistake.

Compress, Unlock, And Convert For Easier Printing

Some files are slow to load or fail to print because they are too large or restricted.

• Use Compress PDF to reduce file size while keeping quality. This helps with large reports, image-heavy presentations, and mobile printing.
• Use Unlock PDF for PDFs you are allowed to unlock, so you can print them without password prompts each time.
• Use PDF OCR on scanned PDFs so text becomes crisp and easier to read on the page.

You can also merge several small PDFs with Merge PDF and print everything in one run instead of juggling multiple files.

Keep Files Secure Across Devices

When you prepare PDFs for printing in sensitive contexts, security still matters.

• Smallpdf uses encryption and follows strong security standards to protect your uploads.
• You can apply passwords with Protect PDF if you will share the file before printing at another location.
• Files are removed from our servers after processing, which helps keep documents private.

Print PDFs With Confidence On Any Device

Once you understand how print dialogs work on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android, printing a PDF becomes a predictable part of your workflow. You open the file, check the right printer and options, and confirm that the preview matches what you want on paper.

Smallpdf fits into that process by helping you clean, compress, and adjust your PDFs before you hit print, so you waste less time and paper on test runs. Edit, merge, unlock, or convert your files with us, then print from the device that suits you best.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I print a PDF that’s password protected?

If you know the password, open the PDF and unlock it. You can also use the Smallpdf Unlock PDF tool for files you are allowed to unlock, then save the unprotected version and print it like any other document.

Why will my PDF not print correctly?

Check three areas. Confirm the printer is selected correctly and has paper and ink. Check the print dialog for scaling, page range, and color options. If the PDF is a scan or very large, try compressing it or converting it with Smallpdf, then print the new file.

Can I print multiple PDFs at once?

On many systems, you can select several PDFs in your file manager, right-click, and choose “Print” to send them in a batch. Another option is to use Merge PDF in Smallpdf to combine multiple files into one PDF, then print that combined document in a single run.

How do I print a PDF without ads or comments?

If the PDF contains comments, look for a “Print comments” or “Include annotations” checkbox in the print dialog and turn it off. For web pages full of ads, first convert the clean content to PDF using Print to PDF or Smallpdf PDF Converter, then print that cleaner file.

What is the best way to print a large PDF file?

Compress the file first with Compress PDF to reduce size and improve responsiveness. Then print page ranges in smaller chunks if your printer struggles with very long documents. This approach reduces errors and speeds up each print job.

How do I print a PDF double sided?

In the print dialog, look for “Two-sided,” “Duplex,” or “Print on both sides.” If your printer supports duplex printing, enable this option and choose “Long edge” for normal reading mode. If you do not see duplex options, your printer might only support single-sided printing.

Can I print a PDF from my phone without a computer?

Yes. On iPhone, use AirPrint from the share menu in Files, Mail, or the Smallpdf app. On Android, print from the share or menu options after you set up your printer in system settings or through the printer maker’s app.

How do I make text clearer when printing scanned PDFs?

Scanned PDFs are often just images, which can look fuzzy on paper. Use PDF OCR in Smallpdf to convert the scan into a searchable PDF with real text, then print the new file. The text usually looks sharper and is easier to read.

How do I print a PDF attachment from email?

Open the email and tap or click the attachment. On a desktop, open the PDF in a viewer and use the standard print command. On mobile, use the “Share” option from the attachment preview, then select “Print.” For more control, download the attachment and open it in the Smallpdf app first.

How do I know if my printer is compatible with PDF files?

Most modern printers handle PDFs without problems when you print from a proper viewer or system dialog. If your printer refuses PDF jobs but prints images or documents, update the driver and try printing from a dedicated app like Smallpdf PDF Reader rather than from the browser alone.