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Firefox is printing text on pages as images.

RandyLyon
RandyLyon
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I just noticed it but it started within the last few months. Printing to any PDF printer turns MOST text into images. Have done Firefox refresh, have started without any extensions. Still is doing it. I'm currently on Firefox 71.0 on Windows 10 Pro 64 but it started prior to 71.0

I guess I can't swear Firefox turned the text into images but what should be text is visible but not selectable or searchable.

Other browsers (Chrome, Edge, Edge Chromium) print the same pages to the same PDF printers normally.

While it happens on most pages, it does not on all. But Amazon product pages all seem to have this problem. I just mention them because its easy to reproduce the problem on them. Not all text becomes images but the bulk of it does. Again, the same pages print fine on other browsers.

Aside from not being able to select or search text on pages Firefox prints, when text has been changed into images the file sizes are much larger than they should be and much larger than printed from the other browsers.

I just noticed it but it started within the last few months. Printing to any PDF printer turns MOST text into images. Have done Firefox refresh, have started without any extensions. Still is doing it. I'm currently on Firefox 71.0 on Windows 10 Pro 64 but it started prior to 71.0 I guess I can't swear Firefox turned the text into images but what should be text is visible but not selectable or searchable. Other browsers (Chrome, Edge, Edge Chromium) print the same pages to the same PDF printers normally. While it happens on most pages, it does not on all. But Amazon product pages all seem to have this problem. I just mention them because its easy to reproduce the problem on them. Not all text becomes images but the bulk of it does. Again, the same pages print fine on other browsers. Aside from not being able to select or search text on pages Firefox prints, when text has been changed into images the file sizes are much larger than they should be and much larger than printed from the other browsers.

All Replies (1)

jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
jscher2000 - Support Volunteer
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Hi RandyLyon, when a large proportion of the page consists of webfonts (fonts downloaded per the page's style sheets) instead of built-in fonts, Firefox will render the page as an image. On a physical printer, it's not an issue, but with PDFs, it's a hassle.

I don't think this is a recent change in Firefox, but it could be a change on websites you print.

One method of overcoming this is to substitute more basic built-in fonts. That is one of the options in my add-on if you want to try it. Click the "Use Basic Fonts" button on the drop-down:

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/printable-the-print-doctor/