Printing Problems

How to Remove White Borders When Printing Word Documents to PDF

Muhammad Talha Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to remove unwanted white borders on the left and right sides of a Word document that appear when printing a document with a full-page background image to PDF.

How to Remove White Borders When Printing Word to PDF

Product: Word Processing
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Exporting or printing a text document containing a full-page background image into a PDF format without any margins.
Observed behavior: The generated PDF file includes unwanted white margins or borders on the sides, failing to render the background image edge-to-edge.

Before you start

Before adjusting printer settings, ensure that your document's background image is manually resized to stretch completely to the edges of the page canvas.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Header for a Borderless Background

Place the background image into the header section and adjust its wrapping style so it extends exactly to the page edges across all pages.

If your background image is inserted normally into the text body, standard document margins will restrict it. Moving the image into the header allows it to ignore standard text margins and repeat perfectly on every page.

Open Header & Footer Mode

Double-click the empty space at the top margin of your document to open the Header & Footer editing mode.

Insert the Image

Go to the 'Insert' tab, select 'Pictures', and add the image you want to use as your background.

Change Text Wrapping

Right-click the inserted image, select 'Wrap Text', and choose 'Behind Text'.

Resize to Edges

Manually drag the sizing handles of the image until it covers the entire page from edge to edge. Double-click the main document area to close the header mode.

Use the Header for a Borderless Background

Check Print Preview: Always press Ctrl+P to view the Print Preview before exporting. This helps verify that the image covers the entire canvas without margins.

Solution 2

Enable Borderless Printing in PDF Settings

Modify the properties of your virtual PDF printer to allow edge-to-edge printing, bypassing default non-printable areas.

Solution 3

Remove Default Page Borders

Check your page layout settings to ensure no default page borders are active, which can force white spaces on the sides.

Effortless PDF Exporting

Use WPS Writer for Flawless PDF Conversion

WPS Office features a built-in 'Export to PDF' tool that directly translates your digital layout into a PDF. This bypasses virtual printer limitations, ensuring background images remain truly borderless.

1. Open the Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your text document.
2. Verify Background Layout: Ensure your background image is set to 'Behind Text' and visually covers the entire page canvas.
3. Export to PDF: Click the 'Menu' button and select 'Export to PDF' (or click the dedicated PDF icon on the ribbon).
4. Save the File: Choose your save location, ensure standard settings are selected, and click 'Export' for a clean, borderless PDF.

Built-in Export to PDF function avoids virtual printer margin issuesPerfect compatibility with Microsoft Word (.docx) formatsMaintains precise edge-to-edge layout and background image formattingFree, lightweight, and easy-to-use interface

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do white margins appear even if my image fills the document page?

Standard virtual and physical printers have a default 'non-printable area' established by their software drivers. If borderless printing is not explicitly enabled in the printer properties, the driver will automatically enforce white margins around the edges.

Is there a difference between 'Print to PDF' and 'Save as PDF' when handling backgrounds?

Yes. 'Print to PDF' processes the document through a virtual printer driver which applies standard printing margins, often resulting in white borders. 'Save as PDF' or using a built-in 'Export to PDF' function directly converts the digital layout, heavily reducing the chance of unwanted margins.

How do I know if the issue is caused by my document layout or the PDF driver?

Try physically printing a single page of the document on a standard printer. If it prints with the exact same white margins, the issue is likely within your document's image wrapping or page borders. If the physical print is fine but the PDF has borders, the PDF virtual printer driver is causing the issue.

Document & File Issues