OneNote 2016 (Desktop) Renders PDFs in Low Quality vs. Mobile Apps

Hello!

 

For the past few years I have been dealing with an unexpected and difficult use case between the OneNote 2016 (Desktop) and Apps (mobile, online, Win10, etc.) in regards to how PDF printouts are handled.

 

When importing a PDF as a printout in OneNote, there is a difference in the resolution of the printout when viewing the PDF in the 2016 (Desktop) version when compared to OneNote App in Online, iPad, mobile, etc.

 

**If importing a PDF printout in OneNote 2016 (Desktop):

• PDF is full resolution in desktop program (OneNote 2016)
• PDF is reduced resolution when viewing in OneNote App (mobile, iPad, Online, Win 10, etc.)

 

**If importing a PDF printout in OneNote App (mobile, tablet, Win10 App, etc.):

• PDF is full resolution in BOTH desktop program (OneNote 2016) and OneNote App (mobile, iPad, Online, Win 10, etc.)

 

Because of this, I am forced to import PDFs through the OneNote App in order to get the full resolution of the PDF. I can't just use the OneNote 2016 desktop PDF import, then go to a mobile device to read papers/edit.

 

This behavior has been around for a while, and makes working with OneNote difficult since I use the PDF printout daily.

 

This problem has been documented multiple times in the past in the following posts:

• https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/onenote-app-renders-pdfs-in-low-quality/ea64a37d-eba9-45bf-bdb0-968aef1d338f
• Good description of the resolution difference between the imports, and the "workaround" solution via importing through mobile app
• https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice_onenote-mso_win10-mso_o365b/onenote-pdf-printout-low-resolution-on-other/caf6afc5-becf-4ab4-9890-5c0d1f298510
• Previous OneNote employee describing what he/she believes is the cause of this low resolution import

 

Based on the posts, the issue seems to be from OneNote 2016 using XPS as a native backend, and the apps rending the PDF resolution in a different manner:

 

"2016 uses XPS as a native backend which is why the high quality rendering occurs only on that platform and on the OneNote Win10 app." - https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice_onenote-mso_win10-mso_o365b/onenote-pdf-printout-low-resolution-on-other/caf6afc5-becf-4ab4-9890-5c0d1f298510

 

 

Does anyone know why this is occurring? Is it due to the XPS backend of the desktop 2016?

 

Is there a fix for this behavior? Short or long term?

 

Any help/comment/feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you!