I can print files and web pages, and scan from printer, but PDFs, which are fillable online, will not print with PRINT button on document. Can I get a workaround driver, or other solution to restore the ability to print fillable PDFs from online, via the PRINT button on the document?
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 13.4
That printer (~2013) lacks AirPrint, and lacks PDF and Postscript printing support, which means it’ll either need native support or vendor-provided drivers.
There are some ~four year old drivers and an ~eight year old firmware update here:
… https://support.brother.com/g/b/downloadlist.aspx?c=us&lang=en&prod=mfcj870dw_us_eu_as&os=10060
See if the Brother iPrint & Scan app works:
… https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brother-iprint-scan/id1193539993?mt=12
If you’re here, try resetting the printing system:
… Reset the printing system on your Mac to solve a problem - Apple Support
If you decide to replace the printer:
… Which Printer Should I Buy? - Apple Community
Most Brother printers now include AirPrint for printing and scanning, which avoids many of the issues with drivers.
That printer (~2013) lacks AirPrint, and lacks PDF and Postscript printing support, which means it’ll either need native support or vendor-provided drivers.
There are some ~four year old drivers and an ~eight year old firmware update here:
… https://support.brother.com/g/b/downloadlist.aspx?c=us&lang=en&prod=mfcj870dw_us_eu_as&os=10060
See if the Brother iPrint & Scan app works:
… https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brother-iprint-scan/id1193539993?mt=12
If you’re here, try resetting the printing system:
… Reset the printing system on your Mac to solve a problem - Apple Support
If you decide to replace the printer:
… Which Printer Should I Buy? - Apple Community
Most Brother printers now include AirPrint for printing and scanning, which avoids many of the issues with drivers.
Jan, The pdf is one where the blanks can be filled in online, then there are 3 yellow boxes, two at the top (one says Print, in my experience intended to be a button to print a clean copy(no yellow boxes, but with filled in information in the blanks) and one at the side of the first blank (which says Start here, with an arrow). The Print 'button' doesn't do anything. If I use 'File/Print' the result includes the yellow boxes. My workaround was, using Preview, to put rectangle polygons, with a background color matching the document background, over the yellow boxes, all of which are just outside the margins of the text. I will download the latest driver, and install. Screenshot probably wouldn't work, as the document is 6 pages long. The Preview polygon method works, though. Thanks
Hi dvmoser2,
Any details about the fillable PDFs? It does not necessarily have to be a problem with a printer driver. Could the PDF itself be not compatible for some reason? Are only fields empty, or does nothing at all print?
Are you using Preview, or have you tested another app/reader?
As a temporary workaround, you may want to try a screenshot, and then print the resulting image file.
Huh. AirPrint is not listed here:
… https://support.brother.com/g/b/spec.aspx?c=us&lang=en&prod=mfcj870dw_us_eu_as
If it does have AirPrint, that’s the path to use it.
Hi MrHoffman,
A Brother MFC-J870DW is in fact listed in the July 11, 2023 (en-us) About AirPrint - Apple Support.
Possibly an early and limited AirPrint/firmware version?
https://www.brother.eu/-/media/pdf/product-leaflets/a4-home-inkjet/mfc-j870dw-leaflet.pdf
MrHoffman, Brother iPrint & Scan does not allow anything but scan now, though I think it used to allow print & scan, and the scan function does work. I reset the printing system, to no different performance. I will try AirPrint. I had gotten out of trying that because it stopped working for me. I moved from a house to an RV, and when I traveled and had no control over the modems providing wifi, it didn't work. Now I am in an apartment, where I do have control over the modem. Thank you.
Brother MFC-J870DW printer drivers/apps no longer supported for Mac OS Ventura.
