Printing Problems

How to Fix Broken Lines and Shapes When Printing from Word

WPS Editor Oct 10, 2026 872 views

Question details

The user needs to fix an issue where borders, circles, banners, and filled shapes print with broken or shifted lines in a Word document.

How to Fix Broken Lines and Shapes When Printing from Word

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Printing a specific document containing various shapes, decorative banners, and borders.
Observed behavior: Lines and borders on shapes render as broken or shifted on the printed page, even though other documents print normally.

Before you start

Verify that your printer driver is up to date and check the Print Preview screen to see if the shapes appear broken before sending the document to the printer.

Solution 1Recommended

Change Shape Fill and Border Colors

Modifying the color properties of the affected shapes can bypass printer rendering glitches and force the lines to print completely.

Sometimes, specific color layers or line weights fail to process correctly in the printer's memory. Changing the affected elements to a solid black color acts as a reliable workaround for rendering issues.

Select the Shape

Click on the specific banner, circle, or shape that is printing with broken lines.

Access Shape Format

Navigate to the 'Shape Format' tab that appears on the top ribbon when the shape is selected.

Change Color to Black

Click on 'Shape Fill' and 'Shape Outline', then select the standard Black color for both properties.

Print a Test Page

Press Ctrl + P to open the print menu and print the current page to verify if the lines are now intact.

Quick Alternative: If changing the color resolves the breaks but you need the original colors, try exporting the document as a PDF first and printing the PDF.

Solution 2

Reset Character Formatting for Shifted Text

Use this solution if text placed over or near the shapes appears raised, shifted, or incorrectly positioned on the printed page.

Solution 3

Remove Problematic Lines and Elements

If specific decorative lines consistently fail to print correctly despite color changes, removing or replacing them is a fast alternative.

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Print Documents Flawlessly with WPS Office

If Microsoft Word continues to misrender your shapes and lines during printing, try WPS Office. It provides highly accurate document rendering, ensuring that your complex shapes, banners, and borders print exactly as they appear on screen without formatting glitches.

1. Download WPS Office: Get the free WPS Office suite from the official website and install it on your computer.
2. Open Your Document: Right-click your problematic Word document, select 'Open with', and choose WPS Office.
3. Print Without Glitches: Go to Menu > Print. Your shapes, lines, and text will render and print perfectly.

Free and lightweight Office suitePerfect compatibility with Microsoft Word formats (.docx)Accurate graphical rendering for flawless printingFamiliar interface for immediate productivity

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do shapes look fine on screen but print with broken lines in Word?

This is typically caused by a miscommunication between Word's graphical rendering engine and your printer's driver. Complex vector graphics or specific line weights may fail to translate correctly into the printer's memory, causing dropped or broken elements.

Does saving the Word document as a PDF fix printing errors?

Yes, exporting your Word document to PDF before printing is a highly effective workaround. A PDF flattens the shapes and lines into a fixed layout, which prevents the printer driver from having to interpret complex graphical elements.

How can I update my printer driver to fix these rendering issues?

On Windows, open the Device Manager, locate your printer under 'Print queues', right-click it, and select 'Update driver'. For the most reliable fix, visit your printer manufacturer's official website and download the latest software directly.

Document & File Issues