How to Fix a Wide Left Margin When Printing Documents in Landscape Mode
Question details
The user is experiencing an issue where a wide, sometimes orange, left margin appears only when printing documents in landscape mode, though it looks correct when exported to PDF.
- Product
- Document Editor
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Printing a document on a physical office printer using landscape orientation.
- Observed behavior
- A wide left margin appears on the physical printout in landscape mode. This margin does not appear in the digital layout or when printing the document to a PDF file.
Before altering any system configurations, save your document as a PDF and open it. If the PDF layout is flawless but the physical print is distorted, the issue stems from your printer hardware or driver rather than the document itself.
Test with an Alternate Printer
Use a different printer to determine if the issue is isolated to a specific device's hardware or configuration.
Since margin rendering issues in landscape mode often stem from specific printer drivers misinterpreting the page layout, testing on another device is the fastest way to isolate the root cause.
Ensure your computer is connected to a different printer on the same network or via a direct USB connection.
Open your document, navigate to the 'File' menu, and click 'Print' or press Ctrl+P on your keyboard.
In the Printer drop-down list, select the alternate printer you just connected.
Ensure the orientation is set to Landscape and click 'Print'. Compare the output to see if the wide left margin is gone.
Reset Printer Preferences and Configuration
Clear out any faulty custom configurations by resetting the printer preferences to their factory defaults.
Reinstall or Update the Printer Driver
Fix deep-seated communication errors between your computer and printer by completely reinstalling the device driver.
Print and Export Documents Flawlessly with WPS Office
WPS Office offers intuitive print settings and a reliable built-in 'Export to PDF' feature. By locking in your layout as a PDF first, you can entirely bypass printer driver glitches that cause formatting errors in landscape mode.
- 1. Open your document in WPS Office: Launch WPS Writer and open the document you wish to print.
- 2. Export to PDF: Go to the 'Menu' in the top left corner and select 'Export to PDF'. This preserves your landscape formatting perfectly.
- 3. Print the PDF: Open the newly created PDF in WPS Office. Click 'Menu' > 'Print'.
- 4. Adjust print scaling: In the Print dialog, ensure 'Page Sizing & Handling' is set to 'Fit for printing margins' to prevent the printer from adding arbitrary blank spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my printer add an orange margin only in landscape mode?
This is typically caused by a corrupted printer driver or a glitch in the printer's firmware misinterpreting the printable area when the paper orientation is flipped. Reinstalling the driver or updating the firmware usually resolves this.
How do I know if the margin issue is caused by the document or the printer?
The easiest way to check is to export or print the document to a PDF file. If the resulting PDF looks perfectly fine with normal margins, the issue is strictly related to your printer or its driver, not your document's internal formatting.
Can custom binding settings cause wide margins on one side?
Yes. If your printer preferences have a 'Gutter' or 'Binding Margin' setting enabled, it will intentionally leave a wide blank space on one side of the paper to allow for physical stapling or binding. Checking your printer's default settings will reveal if this is turned on.
