PDF Is Blank When Opened? 100% Workable Ways

Trying to open a PDF, you get nothing but a blank page every time you open it. Trying different tools or techniques to open that PDF but still getting the same problem can be very frustrating. The worst part is that no error code or message is displayed on the screen, making it even more difficult to find and resolve the problem.

Whenever you encounter such a situation, you must try the easiest solutions and move toward the complex ones. To make getting rid of this problem easier for you, we have shared the 4 most effective solutions that you can try.

Part 1. Why Is PDF Blank When Opened?

Empty content in your PDF document could be one of the reasons, but in most cases, that PDF document is not empty. So, if you face this issue, then it could be due to the following reasons:

1. The PDF file has been corrupted during transfer, downloading, or while in your storage.
2. Sometimes a PDF document does not download completely due to network interruption, storage space issues, etc.
3. Using incorrect settings or incompatible software while creating a PDF can cause such issues.
4. Security restrictions are among the most common problems why a PDF appears blank.
5. Using software incompatible with the PDF document can face PDF rendering problems.
6. PDF documents containing layers may not be compatible with every software, OS, and device
7. Browser extension and plugin conflicts with the PDF document can cause a blank PDF.
8. Certain OS updates can be the reason why a PDF appears blank
9. The PDF document could be infected with a virus or malware that can cause display issues and blank content.

While these are some of the leading reasons you face this issue, there could be many other reasons. Knowing what is causing this issue is impossible unless you see an error message with a code. So no matter what reasons are, you can follow the below methods to fix it.

Part 2. 5 Effective Fixes for PDF Showing Up Blank When Opened

If your PDF documents are opening with nothing in them, then there could be one or more of the reasons mentioned above behind it. So, here we will share the 5 most effective solutions to resolve this problem with 100% work.

Fix 1. Open PDF Via UPDF

The first choice to resolve this blank opening PDF document is by opening it in UPDF. UPDF is a PDF viewing, sharing, and editing tool with enterprise-grade performance and features. With UPDF, you can open any type of PDF document, and it will easily resolve the issue with blank PDF documents since it has a powerful backend that can easily process and display the document.

If your PDF document appears blank due to security issues, UPDF will also resolve that since it supports working with password-protected PDFs. The only thing you will need here is the PDF password, which will open flawlessly. If you face this problem due to browser conflicts, then UPDF will be a vital choice since it completely operates offline with no relation to the browser on your PC.

There are many other ways by which UPDF can solve this issue since it will never face any software compatibility issues. UPDF is frequently updated to resolve any software bugs as well. So, with all these factors about UPDF, it will easily resolve the problem for you, and you must download it to try it for free.

1. Open PDF in UPDF

There are multiple ways to open a PDF document in UPDF. However, before that, you must run the UPDF app by double-clicking its icon on the desktop screen. Once UPDF opens, you can drag-drop the PDF here, click "Open File," hit the "Ctrl + O" buttons together, or click "File" and then "Open." Using these methods, you can select a PDF document from the file manager browse window and click "Open" to open it.

2. Verify that it is not blank.

After clicking "Open," your PDF document will open in the UPDF Reader interface. You can scroll down to verify if all pages are complete and populated with content so there are no blank parts.

What Else Can UPDF Do for You?

UPDF can not only fix the issue of opening PDF documents that appear blank on other software, but it packs some interesting features as well, some of which are listed below:

• UPDF AI is your artificial intelligence assistant that helps generate the content, translate it, etc.
• UPDF cloud allows keeping your files safe in dedicated cloud storage and syncs your work across all devices
• OCR PDF comes with 99% accuracy for several languages
• Batch PDF processing is vital for converting, combining, inserting, printing, or encrypting different files in one click.
• Annotating, commenting, filling, and signing PDFs
• 2-way conversion
• Editing images, links, and text in a PDF document directly, and much more.

So, if you also want to enjoy all these features, you can download UPDF right now.

Fix 2. Re-download PDF File

An incomplete file download can cause some parts of the file or the whole of it to go blank when you open it. The simple solution to this issue is to go to the source page and download the PDF again. Ensure that you don't encounter any storage or network-related problems during the download this time.

Fix 3. Update The Program You Used to Open the PDF

There are chances that you will face this problem due to an outdated software version. Say that you use Adobe Reader software on your device to open and read PDF documents. Updating this software to the latest compatible version with your PC can solve your problem.

1. Get product version

Open Adobe Reader and click the "Help" tab. You must go to the "About Adobe Reader" section to get your product version there.

2. Go to the downloads page.

Now open the Adobe Reader Downloads webpage on any browser. It will automatically detect your Reader version and OS. Then the webpage will show you any updates available.

3. Install updates if available.

You can download the update file if any is available and follow the on-screen instructions for installing Adobe Reader update.

Fix 4. Repair Corrupt PDF File

Corrupt PDF files can cause problems due to storage, network, or data transfer issues, and these files often cause blank appearance issues. The good part is that repairing corrupted PDF files is easy when you know the right tool. Since many online and offline options are available, we will be using iLovePDF for demonstration purposes since it has an easy interface- quick performance, and reliability.

1. Select your PDF

Open the iLovePDF website on any browser and select the PDF repair tool. You must select a PDF file from your offline storage or drive on the interface.

2. Click Repair

Once the PDF upload is complete, you may click repair present in the bottom right corner and let the tool process it.

3. Download

After it has repaired your PDF document, it will give you a success message and a download button. If the download does not initiate automatically, you may save it with the button or upload it directly to the drive.

Fix 5. Change Preferences Setting If You Are Using Adobe

The last fix you can try is changing the preference settings on your Adobe software. Sometimes software has different preferences that can conflict with the PDF file. As a result, the file opens but fails to show any content. To resolve this issue, you can change PDF preferences using the following steps:

1. Go to Edit

Open the Adobe software and go to "Edit." In edit, you need to go to the Preferences option.

2. Change preferences

Now navigate to General and uncheck the "Show online storage" options for opening and saving files. You may close Adobe and relaunch it to open that same PDF. Hopefully, it will open like normal now.

Also read: 4 fixes to failed to load PDF document >

Part 3. FAQS About Blank PDF Issues

Q1. Why is my PDF always printed blank?

When your PDF is printed blank, it can be due to PDF viewer software compatibility problems, display issues, corrupted files, or security settings. So, you can re-download the PDF, repair it, and try with another software like UPDF.

Q2. How to fix a fillable PDF that shows blank fields.

To fix a fillable PDF that shows blank fields, you can try using a different PDF viewer that is compatible, update your software, redownload the PDF, and try it on a different device. 

Q3. Why is my PDF blank when I email it?

There could be several reasons why the PDF becomes blank when shared on an email. The common reasons include attachment corruption, email compatibility, size limits, and format conversion issues. You can use the Cloud to share the PDF instead of email. For instance, you can use UPDF Cloud to share PDF across devices or using UPDF to generate a link to share PDF.

Conclusion

You open a document, and the PDF is blank; the PDF reader does not show a word. This is a frustrating problem for many reasons, including not seeing the content knowing that the file is not empty. Secondly, the PDF reader does not give any error message that can help resolve it. When you face the same problem, you can try the solutions discussed here.

For a reliable experience, you may use UPDF since it takes care of most problems that might be causing the issue. So, download UPDF for free and try opening that PDF document to see how well it works.