Printing Problems

How to Fix Brother Printer Printing A5 Instead of A4 in Word

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is experiencing an issue where a Brother printer outputs A5-sized content on half of an A4 page, despite the software and printer settings allegedly being configured for A4.

Product: Brother Printer, Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Printing a standard A4 document from a word processor.
Observed behavior: The printed output is scaled down to A5 size and occupies only half of the physical A4 sheet.

Before you start

Before changing software settings, verify that A4 paper is properly loaded in your Brother printer's paper tray and that the physical paper guides are fitted securely against the edges of the paper.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust Word Page Setup and Disable Print Markup

Hidden layout settings such as '2 pages per sheet' or active track changes often shrink the printable area, causing the document to print at half size.

When Word scales down a document unexpectedly, the root cause is almost always found within the Page Setup or Print settings. Adjusting the multiple pages configuration and turning off tracked changes markup will restore the correct A4 scaling.

Open Page Setup

In your Word document, navigate to the 'Layout' or 'Page Layout' tab and click the small dialog box launcher arrow in the bottom right corner of the Page Setup group.

Check Multiple Pages Setting

In the Page Setup dialog window, locate the 'Pages' section and ensure the 'Multiple pages' dropdown is set to 'Normal' rather than '2 pages per sheet'.

Verify Paper Size

Switch to the 'Paper' tab within the same dialog box and verify that the Paper size dropdown is explicitly set to 'A4'.

Disable Print Markup

Go to 'File' > 'Print'. Under the Settings section, click the first dropdown menu (which usually says 'Print All Pages'). Look at the bottom of this list and uncheck 'Print Markup' if it is enabled. Comments and markup can force the document to scale down to make room for margin notes.

Check the Print Preview: Always check the print preview on the right side of the Print screen. If the preview shows the document taking up the full page, the A5 scaling issue has been successfully resolved.

Solution 2

Reinstall Brother Printer Drivers

If software settings are correct but the printer still scales output to A5, the printer driver may be corrupted or incorrectly configured.

Print Documents Flawlessly

Print A4 Documents Accurately with WPS Office

Avoid frustrating layout shrinking issues and print your A4 documents perfectly with WPS Writer. Its highly intuitive print settings make page setup and scaling transparent, ensuring what you see on screen is exactly what you get on paper.

1. Open Your Document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your .docx or .doc file. The layout will accurately display in the original A4 size.
2. Access the Print Settings: Click on the 'Menu' button in the top left corner, then select 'Print', or simply press Ctrl+P on your keyboard.
3. Verify Page Size and Zoom: In the Print dialog, check the 'Zoom' section to ensure 'Pages per sheet' is set to '1 page' and 'Scale to paper size' is set to 'No Scaling' or explicitly 'A4'.
4. Print the Document: Confirm that the print preview matches your expectations, then click 'Print' to send the perfectly sized job to your Brother printer.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats, preserving your original document layout.Clear, easy-to-navigate Page Setup and Print dialogs to prevent unexpected page scaling.Lightweight and fast, offering a smooth experience for document editing and printing.Free to use with comprehensive word processing features.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Brother printer shrink documents when printing?

Documents often shrink because of incorrect page scaling settings (like '2 pages per sheet' in Page Setup), active print markup for comments, or a mismatch between the document's digital page size and the printer driver's default paper configuration.

How do I turn off Print Markup in Word?

Go to File > Print. Under the Settings section, click the first dropdown menu (which usually defaults to 'Print All Pages') and look at the bottom of the list. Click on 'Print Markup' to uncheck it and prevent track changes or comments from shrinking your printed text.

Can incorrect printer drivers cause A4 to print as A5?

Yes, corrupted, generic, or outdated printer drivers can misinterpret page dimensions sent from your word processor, causing A4 documents to output as A5. Completely uninstalling the printer and reinstalling the latest drivers from the manufacturer's official website usually resolves this communication error.

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