Printing Problems

How to Fix Word Warning That Margins Are Too Small When Printing

Aamir Naveed Akram Sep 30, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user encounters a warning in Microsoft Word indicating that document margins are too small or outside the printable area when attempting to print.

How to Fix Word Warning That Margins Are Too Small When Printing

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Printing a standard document or an envelope.
Observed behavior: Word displays a warning message stating that the margins are outside the printable area, meaning some content may be cut off if printed.

Before you start

Verify that your printer is powered on and properly connected. It is helpful to know your specific printer's unprintable margin limits, as these hardware constraints vary by manufacturer.

Solution 1Recommended

Automatically or Manually Adjust Document Margins

Resolve the warning by letting Word auto-correct the margins to fit your printer's minimum requirements, or by manually increasing them in Page Setup.

Every printer has a physical hardware limit where it cannot apply ink, known as the unprintable area. Adjusting your margins to respect this boundary prevents content from being cut off.

Use the Auto-Fix Option

When the warning dialog box appears stating that your margins are pretty small, click the 'Fix' button. Word will automatically adjust your margins to the minimum allowed by your connected printer.

Open Page Setup

If the 'Fix' button is unavailable, navigate to the 'Layout' tab on the ribbon. Click on 'Margins' and select 'Custom Margins' from the drop-down menu.

Increase Margin Values

In the Page Setup dialog box, slightly increase the values for the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right margins (setting them to at least 0.25 inches or 0.64 cm is generally safe for most printers).

Save and Print

Click 'OK' to apply the new margin settings. Go to File > Print to confirm that the margin warning no longer appears.

Automatically or Manually Adjust Document Margins

Tip: If you are unsure of your printer's minimum margins, setting all margins to 0.5 inches is a reliable workaround.

Solution 2

Modify Envelope Margin Layouts

If you are printing envelopes and receiving this error, you need to adjust the return-address margin or the default envelope layout.

Solution 3

Update Microsoft Office

In some cases, margin warnings are triggered by a known glitch in a specific build of Microsoft Word. Updating the application can resolve these issues.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Seamless and Error-Free Printing

If Microsoft Word continues to throw persistent margin warnings or you want to avoid dealing with software bugs, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible word processing experience with intuitive page layout and printing controls.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website to download and install WPS Office Free on your device.
2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing Word document. Your formatting and layouts will be preserved perfectly.
3. Print Without Errors: Navigate to Menu > Print. Easily adjust your margins and print settings in the preview window without unexpected errors.

Highly compatible with all Microsoft Word document formats (.doc, .docx).Intuitive Page Layout settings that seamlessly sync with your printer's hardware capabilities.Free, lightweight software that installs quickly and runs smoothly.Familiar user interface makes migration from Microsoft Office quick and easy.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the printable area different from my document margins?

Every printer has a physical hardware limit regarding how close to the edge of the paper it can feed and apply ink. If your document margins are smaller than this mechanical limit (the unprintable area), the software warns you that the content is out of bounds.

Can I ignore the 'margins are too small' warning and print anyway?

Yes, you can usually click 'Ignore' or 'Continue' to force the print job. However, be aware that any text or images placed outside your printer's specific printable area will be cut off and will not appear on the final printed page.

What is a safe default margin size for most standard printers?

A safe margin for most modern inkjet and laser printers is at least 0.25 inches (approx. 0.64 cm). Setting your margins to 0.5 inches or using the standard 1-inch default ensures your text and images will not be clipped.

How do I fix margin warnings when printing on a custom paper size?

Ensure that the custom paper dimensions selected in Word's Page Setup exactly match the physical paper loaded in your printer tray. Additionally, check your printer driver settings (File > Print > Printer Properties) to confirm that the same custom paper dimensions are configured there.

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