Printing Problems

How to Fix Gray Box or Strip When Printing a Custom-Size Word Document

Camila Milosovich Oct 19, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to remove an unexpected 3-inch wide gray strip or box that appears in the Print Preview and on the final physical paper when printing a custom-size document.

How to Fix Gray Box or Strip When Printing a Custom-Size Word Document

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Printing a document that utilizes custom page dimensions or contains review markup.
Observed behavior: A gray strip covers a portion of the page in both the on-screen Print Preview and the final printed document.

Before you start

Verify that your printer is loaded with the correct physical paper size and check if the gray strip appears in the on-screen Print Preview before making adjustments.

Solution 1Recommended

Match Custom Paper Size and Disable Print Scaling

Aligning your document's page dimensions with your printer's settings and turning off automatic scaling prevents the software from adding gray borders.

When a document's custom page size differs significantly from the paper size configured in the printer driver, the software may attempt to scale the content. Features like 'Fit to Page' or 'Shrink to Printable Area' can generate unexpected gray boxes to fill the aspect ratio gap.

Check Document Page Size

Open your document in Microsoft Word. Navigate to the 'Layout' tab, click 'Size', and select 'More Paper Sizes' to verify the exact custom dimensions of your document.

Open Print Settings

Go to 'File' and select 'Print' to open the print dialogue menu.

Access Printer Properties

Select your active printer from the drop-down list and click the 'Printer Properties' link located just beneath it.

Disable Automatic Scaling

In the Printer Properties dialog, locate options such as 'Fit to Page', 'Scale to Fit', or 'Shrink to Printable Area'. Ensure these settings are turned off or set to a 100% scale.

Confirm and Print

Click 'OK' to save the printer properties. Check the Print Preview pane to confirm the gray strip is gone, then print your document.

Match Custom Paper Size and Disable Print Scaling

Rely on Print Preview: If the gray strip successfully disappears from the digital Print Preview pane after adjusting these settings, it will no longer print on your physical paper.

Solution 2

Turn Off Print Markup for Tracked Changes

If the gray strip appears specifically on the right edge of the paper, it may be the markup area reserved for document comments and revisions.

Solution 3

Export to PDF to Bypass Word Print Rendering

Saving the document as a PDF can bypass Word-specific print rendering bugs or direct printer driver conflicts.

Seamless Document Printing

Print Custom-Size Documents Flawlessly with WPS Office

Avoid unexpected scaling issues and gray print areas by managing your custom-sized documents in WPS Writer. Enjoy a true WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) print preview and deep compatibility with all your existing Microsoft Word documents.

1. Open Document in WPS Writer: Download and launch WPS Office, then open your problematic document directly in WPS Writer.
2. Verify Page Layout: Navigate to the 'Page Layout' tab to review and configure your precise custom page dimensions and margins.
3. Open Print Dialog: Click 'Menu' in the top left corner and select 'Print' to open the printing interface.
4. Check Printer Settings: Select your printer, click 'Properties', and ensure no artificial scaling is applied by the driver.
5. Preview and Print: Verify that the document preview looks clean and accurate, then click 'Print'.

100% free office suite with powerful word processing capabilitiesFlawless compatibility with Microsoft Word (.docx) formats and custom layoutsAccurate print preview that reflects exactly what will be transferred to paperAdvanced yet user-friendly page layout and margin controls

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my printer add a gray box to my document margins?

This typically occurs when the document's page size settings do not match the physical paper loaded in the printer. The printer driver might automatically apply a 'Scale to Fit' or 'Shrink to Printable Area' setting, generating a gray or blank box to compensate for the difference in aspect ratio.

Can comments and tracked changes cause a gray strip when printing?

Yes. If you have 'Print Markup' enabled in the application's print settings, the software reserves a wide strip (usually on the right side) to display comments and revision marks, which often renders with a gray background.

How can I tell if the gray strip is a document issue or a printer hardware problem?

Check the Print Preview on your computer screen. If the gray strip appears in the digital preview, it is a document layout or software setting issue. If the digital preview looks perfect but the physical paper prints with a gray strip, the issue is likely tied to your printer driver, firmware, or hardware.

Document & File Issues