How to Print a PDF Without Comments or Annotations

Learn how to print a PDF without comments or annotations using Xodo PDF Studio. This guide walks you through the process of getting a clean printed document. Get insights into why comments show up, how printing settings compare to other methods, and common issues to avoid.

Printing a PDF should be simple. Open the file, hit print, done. But if your document has comments, highlights, or review notes, things can get messy fast.

Suddenly internal feedback shows up on a client copy. Or a marked‑up draft lands on a desk that only needed the final text. And all you want is a fast, reliable way to print a clean PDF without comments or annotations on the spot.

For times like those, there's Xodo PDF Studio. It comes with printing options that'll help you hide comments and annotations with ease.

This guide walks you through the process while covering some background information:

• How to print without annotations in Xodo PDF Studio
• Why comments appear when printing
• Alternatives (PDF flattening vs print settings vs deleting)
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Frequently asked questions

How to print a PDF without annotations in Xodo PDF Studio

You can print a PDF without comments or annotations by adjusting one simple print setting in Xodo PDF Studio:

1. Download and install Xodo PDF Studio. It's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
2. Open your PDF in the app.
3. Go to File > Print.
4. Select your PDF printer.
5. In the Comments & Forms section, select Document Only from the dropdown menu.
6. Check the print preview below. If the comments disappear from the page, they won't print.
7. Adjust any other settings needed.
8. Click on Print.

Your original PDF file will still contain all review notes. No permanent changes will be made. Nothing will be removed. Xodo PDF Studio will:

• Print the original PDF content
• Leave the file unchanged
• Ignore comments and annotations

Note that you can also use Batch tools to print multiple PDF documents at the same time, you don't need to print files one by one.

For the types of comments and annotations that'll be removed, see Annotating and Commenting PDFs.

How to print PDFs without comments by default

If you wish to make it a default to print PDF documents without comments or annotations, go to Preferences > Print Defaults, check Document Only and click on OK.

PDF pages in Xodo PDF Studio will print without comments unless you select otherwise when printing.

Why do comments appear when printing a PDF?

Comments and annotations appear in printouts because PDF software often includes them as visible content to support collaboration and review. PDF files are set up to print exactly what you see on screen. When printing is set to “document and annotations” everything shows up.

Printed comments may be helpful during the review process with your colleagues, but it becomes a problem when you need a final, clean copy.

Common situations where this comes up:

• You reviewed a contract and now need a client‑ready print.
• A report has dozens of highlight notes meant only for editors.
• A shared PDF includes comments from multiple reviewers.
• You want to keep annotations in the file but not on paper.

This is where print controls become essential, allowing you to keep annotations in the file without letting them appear on paper.

Printing vs flattening vs deleting: what’s the difference?

All three approaches affect how comments and annotations are treated when printing. However, they solve different problems.

Printing without annotations

If your goal is a clean print while keeping all feedback intact, printing without annotations is usually the only method you'll need.

This is best for when:

• You only need a clean print
  You want the document to look final and polished on paper. No comments, highlights, or notes distracting from the actual content.
• You want to keep comments in the file
  Annotations remain in the original PDF, so you can come back to them later for revisions, approvals, or reference.
• You're sharing paper copies
  This is ideal for meetings, signatures, or handouts where annotations were useful during review but not meant for an audience.
• You may need annotations later
  Nothing is removed or merged. You are simply controlling what gets printed, not changing the document itself.

Printing without annotations gives you full control over output while keeping your review workflow intact.

Flattening annotations

Flattening merges comments into the PDF content and removes their functionality as an annotation entirely. Flattening is a more permanent approach.

This is ideal when:

• You're sharing a final digital file
  The document is approved, finalized, and ready to be sent or archived with no further review needed.
• You want to prevent future edits
  Flattening helps lock down the content so comments and markups cannot be altered or selectively hidden later.

Flattening a PDF is a separate workflow and should be used intentionally, since it changes the document itself.

Deleting comments

Deleting comments can be the most straightforward option depending on your needs. Doing so lets you print a clean file, however, this method removes annotations from the file entirely, which makes it the most permanent and risky method.

This option is good only when:

• You're absolutely certain comments aren't needed anymore
  Once deleted, annotations cannot be recovered unless you have a separate backup or earlier version of the file.
• You don't need review history or context
  Removing comments also removes the reasoning behind edits, approvals, or changes made during review.
• The document is finalized and archived
  In rare cases, deleting comments makes sense for long‑term storage where annotations have no future value.

Deleting comments can cause issues if you need to keep those annotations for version reference and iterations.

When the goal is simply to print a clean copy, using print controls is almost always the safer and smarter choice.

Common mistakes to avoid when printing PDFs without comments

Before you hit print, watch out for these common mistakes that can lead to lost comments or unintended file changes:

• Don't delete annotations unless you mean to.
• Don't print from OS preview tools that ignore PDF annotation controls.
• Don't rely on screen view alone. Always check print preview.
• Don't flatten unless the file is truly final.

Print settings exist to protect your document and your workflow, use them instead of making permanent changes you can’t undo.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I print a PDF without comments and still keep them in the file?

Yes. Printing with Document Only in Xodo PDF Studio excludes annotations from the printout but keeps them in the original PDF.

2. Does this remove highlights and drawing markups too?

Yes. Highlights, drawings, stamps, and notes are all treated as annotations in Xodo PDF Studio and are excluded when printing the document only.

3. Will the recipient see comments if I share the printed PDF?

No. Printed copies will not show comments, which means the recipients won't see them. If you share the original digital file, the comments will still be there.

4. Is flattening the same as printing without annotations?

No. Flattening a PDF changes the file. Printing without annotations only affects the printed output.

5. Can I make this the default behavior in Xodo PDF Studio?

Yes. You can set print defaults so comments are excluded automatically. Go to File > Preferences > Print Defaults and check Document Only. Click OK.

6. Does this work for large or complex PDFs?

Yes. With Xodo PDF Studio, this method works for multi‑page documents, long reports, and files with heavy markup.

7. Can I choose to print comments later if needed?

Absolutely. If you printed your PDF using the print dialog settings to exclude comments, you can switch the print option back to include annotations and comments.

8. Can I batch print multiple PDFs without comments in Xodo PDF Studio?

Yes. You can batch print multiple PDFs with Xodo PDF Studio. Each file is printed separately using the settings in the print dialog. With the Document Only setting as a default, you can print clean copies.

Print clean PDFs without extra steps

If you need to print a PDF without comments or annotations, the fastest and safest approach is using print controls in Xodo PDF Studio. You get:

• Full control over printed output
• Clean final documents
• No forced file changes
• No lost feedback
• Flexible workflows for review and delivery

The balance between protecting your content and sharing it without comments matters, especially when documents pass through multiple hands. It's a straightforward solution to a common problem.

If you work with reviewed or annotated PDFs, try Xodo PDF Studio for precision control over printing, editing, and final output.