Why does PDF with signature print a block box behind the signature?

[CVB_Josh]

I've received a PDF with an e-signature image placed on a signature line. It looks fine when viewing the document in Acrobat Reader or Acrobat Pro, and the print preview even looks OK. When I send the document to any printer it puts the signature image on a black box instead of a transparent box. I've tried printing to a color printer vs monochrome, tried with and without "print in grayscale" option, attempted printing Document only, Document and Markups and Document and Stamps. I'm not sure what else to look at or what settings are related to how a signature will print. The document is secured so I can't alter any of the properties of the PDF or the signature.

[YatharthS · Accepted solution]

Hi joshc81577761,

Please try to check with 'Print as image' option .

Also check with the Different document,Try to check with the different Printers (Drivers up-to-date).

Check with the name with the name of the application using which the document was created.

Also try to recreate a document with same properties & try to print the document to replicate the issue.

Regards,

Yatharth

[CVB_Josh]

Thank you! I found these details on how to accomplish the "print as image" option. Print PDF as image | Adobe Acrobat, Reader

That seemed to do that trick and the signature prints OK now.

[theripped11]

I am having the same issues where a digital signature when printed appears as a black box. I tried all the remedies listed here and they did not work. However when I switched from Acrobat Reader to Acrobat Pro it printed correctly.

[Guest]

Why is my signature blacked out? It looks like people have been complaining about this problem for years. Doesn't Adobe care about fixing these issues. If you have to buy Pro to get it to work why can't you just state that instead of misleading users and wasting there precious time. I was signing a bunch of documents and a couple of them worked fine, then all of the sudden the next documents were blacked out. The least you could do is provide a popup window explaning why. This is putting me way behind schedule because I needed these docs signed yesterday. SOOO frustrating. 

[simonpaton]

I've just had the same problem, and I remember a similar issue in InDesign where some imported transparent PNGs were rendering as black blocks. The solution there was to change the images from 8 to 16 Bits/Channel in Photoshop (Go to: Image > Mode > 16 Bits/Channel). So I tried that here, and it worked.

[Samtc1958]

At the bottom of the Print dialog box, you probably have the drop-down set to Document and Markups.  Change it to Document.

[Meredith29510169kk69]

I had this happen today and it did not correct until I UNCHECKED the box that said "save ink/toner", which is ironic considering how much ink two blacked out signature boxes required.

[Libra999]

My mischievous teenager got into my computer; I am having the same problem with my signature being blacked out. I have tried all these remedies but none corrected the problem. To complicate things, due to issues with my printer, I have to save the file onto a flash drive, insert the flash drive into my printer, and then print.