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How to Print a PDF with Comments (4 Working Methods 2025)
How to Print a PDF with Comments (4 Working Methods 2025)
- 1 This guide walks you through five practical methods for printing PDFs on a Mac, from using Preview to printing directly from your iPhone.
- 2 Before diving in, check the 30-second checklist in Part 1 to make sure your Mac and printer are ready to go.
- 3 For a quick overview of effect of each printing method, refer to the summary table of methods to see which types of comments and annotations each approach can print.
- 4 Beyond the basics, you'll also find handy tips like adding a PDF printer, printing from Google Docs, and batch-printing multiple PDFs at once.
- 5 Whether you're preparing a PDF for better print quality or looking for a bonus tool like PDNob, this guide covers everything you need to print PDFs efficiently on your Mac.
Want to print a PDF with comments and actually keep them on paper? This guide shows you how to print pdf with comments using four common tools --- PDNob, Adobe Acrobat, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mac Preview --- with step-by-step instructions and the exact print settings for each one.
Part 1. What to Notice Before Printing a PDF
Most people who want to print a pdf with comments run into the same wall: they hit Print, the pages come out clean, and every annotation is gone. Sticky notes, highlights, underlines, drawings, stamps --- all of it silently stripped.
That's not a bug. Most PDF viewers treat comments as a separate layer and skip it by default to keep the printed page clean. In this guide, we'll explain how the layer system works, show you which tools actually print your comments, and walk through the exact steps for each.
1.1 PDF Comments, Annotations & Markups --- They Aren't the Same Thing
Before we dive in, let's clear up the vocabulary --- because the same word gets used three different ways, and your printout depends on which one you mean.
Comments vs Annotations In the PDF specification, an annotation is anything attached to a page (highlights, strike through, sticky notes, drawings, stamps, text boxes). A comment is a specific type of annotation --- usually a sticky note or a markup with a reply thread. In everyday language, people use the two words interchangeably, but your tool may treat them differently when printing. If you\'re trying to print a PDF with annotations or print a PDF with markups, you need a tool that handles the full annotation set --- not just the comment-reply panel.
1.2 Which Method to Choose --- The 4-Tool Comparison
Here's the short version. Out of the four common ways to print comments in pdf files, only two do it right out of the box. The other two need a workaround.
Please swipe to view
Why Browser & Preview Fall Short Chrome and Edge use the built-in Chromium PDF viewer, which was designed for reading, not annotating. When you print, it renders form fields but ignores everything else. Mac Preview has the same issue by design: Apple chose to keep printed PDFs clean. None of these are bugs --- they're product decisions.
When to Use Adobe vs PDNob Both handle the full annotation set. Adobe is the legacy standard; PDNob is the lightweight, one-time-payment alternative that cold-starts in 0.25s for a fraction of the subscription cost.
1.3 When You Actually Need the Comments in the Printout
Not every workflow needs a printed copy of the comments. Here are the three most common ones:
Legal & Contracts Lawyers and paralegals print reviewed contracts with the partner's redlines intact, then file the paper copy for audit.
Academic & Editing Thesis advisors and book editors mark up Word and PDF drafts; authors print the marked-up version to work through changes offline.
Design & Review Design teams print reviewed mockups with sticky notes so the whole team can see feedback in one place.
Part 2. How to Print PDF with Comments in Microsoft Edge or Chrome
If you're on Windows and don't want to install anything, you might be tempted to try how to print PDF with comments in Microsoft Edge or Chrome. Here's the honest answer: the built-in browser PDF viewers don't print the comment layer. They only print form fields. You'll need a workaround.
In Google Chrome
Drag the PDF onto a Chrome tab, then hit Ctrl + P. The print preview shows the document body but no comments --- even highlights and notes you added in Chrome's PDF viewer won't print.
Browser PDF viewers print form fields but ignore sticky notes, highlights, and drawings --- true for both Chrome and Edge.
In Microsoft Edge
The path is identical to Chrome --- Edge uses the same Chromium PDF engine. If you want to know how to print a google doc with comments showing, the answer is the same: download the Google Doc as PDF, then open it in PDNob or Acrobat. Browser PDF viewers won't print those comments either.
Part 3. How to Print a PDF with Comments on Mac Preview
Mac users often start with Preview because it's already installed. Unfortunately, Mac Preview doesn't print PDF comments at all --- the comment layer is skipped by design. Here's what to do instead.
Guide on Printing a PDF with Comments on Mac Preview
Double-click any PDF to open it in Preview, then hit Cmd + P. The print preview shows the document body, but every sticky note, highlight, and drawing is missing. Preview does this on purpose --- Apple's design choice is to keep printed PDFs clean.
The Real Fix
Use a Mac-native PDF editor Install PDNob for Mac or Adobe Acrobat for Mac. Both render the full comment layer and print it inline. PDNob is the cheaper, faster option.
macOS Preview intentionally skips the comment layer when printing. This is by design, not a bug.
Part 4. How to Print a PDF with Comments Using PDNob PDF Editor
PDNob PDF Editor is a desktop-based PDF editor built for fast response and AI high-precision OCR. It opens documents instantly and recognizes text accurately across languages and layouts, perfect for users handling reviewed contracts, marked-up drafts, or large annotated PDFs who can't afford slow load times. Measured against Adobe, Foxit, UPDF and PDFelement in August 2024, PDNob cold-starts in 0.25s (the fastest of the five) and ranks #1 in paragraph recognition at 89.88% F1, with 66% lower memory usage than UPDF and PDFelement. Best for enterprise teams, legal departments, and individual professionals who need accurate OCR, comment management, and fast PDF printing across desktop and cloud workflows.
Here are the five steps to how to print pdf with comments using PDNob.
Step 1: Open the Annotated PDF
Upload your PDF onto the PDNob window. The file opens in under a second, even for a 200-page contract with hundreds of comments.
Open from Recent If you've worked on the file before, the recent-files list gets you there in one click.
Step 2: Open the Print Dialog
Use Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) The print preview shows the document body, with comments also rendered on each page --- you'll see them before you commit to paper.
Step 3: Enable "Comment" and Print or Export
The default setting includes both comment and form. You can adjust options based on your need,or return to editing mode to delete some comments you made. Physical Printer Pick your printer from the list, confirm, and send. Comments print inline with the document body.
PDNob's free version lets you print a pdf with comments on up to 20 files across all features without watermark; the Lifetime License ($64.99) removes all limits.
Part 5. How to Print PDF with Comments in Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is the legacy default for professional PDF work, and the print path is solid if you're already paying for the subscription. Here's how to print PDF with comments in Adobe Acrobat Pro in five steps.
Step 1: Open the PDF in Acrobat Pro and the Print Dialog
Same as PDNob --- drag the file in, or use File > Open. Ctrl + P on Windows, Cmd + P on Mac. The Acrobat print dialog has more options than most tools, including a separate panel for comment summaries.
Step 2: Choose the "Document and Markups" Option
Edit > Preferences > Commenting First, make sure "Print Notes and Pop-ups" is enabled in preferences. Otherwise Acrobat will silently strip them at print time.
In the Print Dialog Look for the "Comments" dropdown in the print dialog. Choose "Document and Markups" to render annotations inline, or "Summarize Comments" to print a separate comments-only page.
Step 3: Print
Pick your printer, confirm, and send. If you'd rather print pdf with comments in adobe as a digital copy, choose "Adobe PDF" as the printer to save a comment-preserved PDF.
Part 6. Bonus Tips Before Printing a PDF with Comments
A few extra things to check before you hit Print.
File Compatibility Checklist
PDF Version 1.5+ Comments are a standard feature starting with PDF 1.5 (released in 2003). If your file is older, comments may not be preserved across tools.
Non-Encrypted Password-protected PDFs may have restricted printing. If you can't enable comments, unlock the file first or use a tool that respects the permissions.
Save a Copy First
Why a Backup Matters Printing with comments is non-destructive, but exporting as PDF can flatten or strip the annotation layer depending on your tool.
Use "Save As" with a New Name Before exporting, save the original under a new name (e.g., contract_review_v2.pdf). That way you always have the unflattened original if something goes wrong.
Two More Tips
Export as PDF/A For a long-term archive copy with comments preserved, choose PDF/A as the export format --- it keeps annotations intact for years.
Use Batch Print for Multiple Files If you have several annotated PDFs to print at once, PDNob's batch-print feature handles up to 5 files on the free plan and unlimited files on the Lifetime License.
If you need to download google doc pdf with comments in the export, use Google Docs' "Download as PDF" option, then open the result in PDNob.
Conclusion
If you want to print a pdf with comments showing on every page, the key is choosing a tool that renders the annotation layer --- and switching on the "Document and Markups" option in the print dialog. Mac Preview, Chrome, and Edge all skip comments by default; you'll need a dedicated editor like PDNob or Acrobat to get the printout you want.
PDNob stands out for being the lightweight, one-time-payment option: 0.25s cold-start, full comment support, no monthly fee. Best for enterprise teams, legal departments, and individual professionals who need accurate OCR, comment management, and fast PDF printing across desktop and cloud workflows. If you want to print a pdf with comments included in the output, give PDNob a try --- the free version handles up to 20 files across all features, and the Lifetime License removes all limits for $64.99.
Frequently Asked Questions on How to Print PDF with Comments
Q1. Can I print just the comments without the document?
A1: Yes. In PDNob, choose "Comments Only (Summary)" in the Print What dropdown. In Acrobat, choose "Summarize Comments." Both produce a separate page listing every comment.
Q2. Will sticky notes show in the printed PDF? Do comments print on
every page or just the page they're on?
A2: Yes, as long as you've enabled "Document and Markups" in the print dialog and your tool supports the full annotation set (PDNob and Acrobat do; Preview, Chrome, and Edge do not). Comments print on the page they're attached to, in their original position. A sticky note on page 14 prints on page 14.
Q3. Why don't my comments show up when I print?
A3: Two reasons: (1) your print dialog is set to "Document Only" instead of "Document and Markups," or (2) your tool doesn't render the annotation layer (Preview, Chrome, Edge).
Q4. Can I print comments on mobile?
A4: Most mobile PDF apps don't support printing the comment layer. AirDrop the file to a Mac or transfer it to a Windows machine, then print with PDNob or Acrobat.
Q5. How do I export a PDF with comments preserved?
A5: Use a desktop tool (PDNob, Acrobat, Foxit) and choose PDF or PDF/A as the export format. Don't use browser print-to-PDF; it strips comments.
Q6. Can I customize which comment types get printed?
A6: In Acrobat, yes --- the print dialog has checkboxes for each comment type. In PDNob, "Document and Markups" prints all annotation types.
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AI Tools Writer / Workflow Analyst
Rachel has spent the last 5 years testing and writing about AI-powered tools across writing, design, and research workflows. She focuses on practical AI tool usage, helping knowledge workers turn generative AI into everyday productivity.
