Save and Print PDFs and PowerPoint Files

Owned by Gianna Goodermuth
Last updated: Jun 21, 2023
1 min read

In the past we have received reports of long printing times exceeding 1 minute per page. After an in-depth analysis, we found the issue that is causing these print times to be related to printing PDF and PowerPoint from Chrome (Firefox and Internet Explorer do not cause this effect). The process Chrome uses for printing greatly inflates the file size causing these delays as the printer attempts to decompress the file. The following are instructions regarding how to download and print these files on Windows and Mac operating systems.

If your machine does not have a PDF viewer installed, download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader. All computers in General Access Labs have Adobe Acrobat installed.

Downloading and Printing from Google Chrome

  1. Select the Download button in the upper right corner. 

  2. Choose the area to save the file.

    1. For machines in the General Access Labs Desktop is suggested as the save location.

  3. Click Save.

  4. Wait for the file to download.

  5. Select the arrow next to the download at the bottom of the browser and click Open with System Viewer from the drop-down menu.

  6. The file will open in the installed PDF viewing software or PowerPoint software. 

  7. Print from this software using the File > Print menu. 

    1. For PowerPoint files, it is recommended to print as handouts with multiple sheets per page. For more instructions, view the Handouts KnowledgeBase Article.