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How to Fix Blank Areas When Printing or Saving a Word Document as PDF
Question details
The user wants to remove an unexpected blank section that appears on the right side of the page when printing a document or converting it to PDF.
- Product
- Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Printing a Word document or exporting it to a PDF file.
- Observed behavior
- A large blank area is generated in the document margin on the printed page or the resulting PDF, typically caused by the reserved markup area for tracked changes and comments.
Before printing or exporting your document, check if there are any active comments or tracked changes in the file, as word processors automatically reserve space in the margins to display them.
Turn Off Track Changes and Print Without Markup
Adjust the document's review and print settings to ignore the markup area, which prevents the blank margin from appearing in the final output.
When Track Changes or comments are enabled, the word processor shrinks the actual document content and reserves the right margin to display these edits. Hiding or resolving these markups restores the normal page layout.
Go to the 'Review' tab on the top ribbon. If you want to keep the final version only, click 'Accept' and select 'Accept All Changes in Document'. Also, delete any remaining comments.
In the 'Review' tab, find the 'Tracking' group. Click the 'Display for Review' drop-down menu and select 'No Markup' to hide the margin area.
Navigate to 'File' > 'Print'. Under the Settings section, click on the first drop-down menu (usually 'Print All Pages') and uncheck 'Print Markup' at the bottom of the list.
Proceed to click the 'Print' button or use the 'Save As' feature to export the document as a PDF. The blank area will no longer appear.
Easily Manage Margins and Export to PDF with WPS Office
WPS Office provides highly compatible and easy-to-use tools for handling track changes, managing comments, and exporting Word documents to PDF without unexpected blank margins or layout shifts.
- 1. Open Document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your Word document using WPS Writer.
- 2. Hide Markups in Review Tab: Navigate to the 'Review' tab on the ribbon. Click on the tracking display drop-down and change it from 'Final Showing Markup' to 'Final' to hide the margin space.
- 3. Export to PDF: Click on 'Menu' in the top-left corner and select 'Export to PDF'. Ensure that the preview shows the document without the blank markup area, then click 'Export' to save your file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a blank space appear on the right side of my PDF?
This blank space is the markup area reserved by the word processor for displaying tracked changes, formatting bubbles, and comments. When these features are active, the page shrinks to accommodate this margin during printing or PDF conversion.
Can I save a PDF with comments but without the blank margin?
If you choose to print or export with markups enabled, the margin is strictly required to display the comments alongside the text. To remove the margin, you must select 'No Markup' or resolve the comments, which will hide them from the final PDF.
How do I accept all tracked changes at once?
Navigate to the 'Review' tab on your ribbon, click the arrow below the 'Accept' button in the Changes group, and choose 'Accept All Changes in Document'. This will clear pending modifications and remove the need for the markup margin.
Will hiding markups permanently delete my comments and edits?
No. Selecting 'No Markup' in the tracking options only hides the comments and changes from view and printing. They remain saved within the document file and will reappear if you switch the view back to 'All Markup'.
