How to troubleshoot and fix a printer that is printing with the wrong paper size or orientation on Windows and macOS

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to troubleshoot and fix a printer that is printing with the wrong paper size or orientation on Windows and macOS. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

When your printer produces output on the wrong paper size, prints sideways, or scales documents incorrectly, the cause is almost always a mismatch between the settings in your application, your printer driver, and the physical paper loaded in the tray. This guide walks you through resolving these issues on both Windows and macOS, covering everything from quick driver tweaks to deeper configuration checks.

Quick Fix Steps

Before diving into detailed configuration, try these common solutions first:

1. Verify the paper loaded in the tray matches the size and orientation set in the printer driver.
2. Open the print dialog in your application and confirm the paper size, orientation, and scale match your document.
3. Restart the print spooler on Windows or the print system on macOS.
4. Reinstall or update the printer driver from the manufacturer's website.

Detailed Instructions

Windows: Adjusting Print Settings

1. Open the document you want to print.
2. Press Ctrl + P to open the print dialog.
3. Click Printer Properties or Preferences (the link varies by manufacturer).
4. In the Paper/Quality tab, confirm the paper size matches the physical paper in the tray (for example, A4 or Letter).
5. Set the orientation to Portrait or Landscape as required.
6. If your document is being scaled incorrectly, click Advanced and review the scaling options. Set it to Actual size, Fit to printable area, or a specific percentage as needed.
7. Click OK to save, then print your document.

macOS: Adjusting Print Settings

1. Open the document you want to print.
2. Press Command + P to open the print dialog.
3. In the print dialog, click Show Details to expand all options.
4. From the Paper Size dropdown, select the correct size (for example, A4 or US Letter).
5. Check the Orientation setting and choose Portrait or Landscape.
6. Open the Page Setup or Scaling dropdown. Choose Scale to fit or set a manual percentage.
7. Click Print to test.

Configuring the Printer Driver Defaults

Setting defaults prevents repeated mismatches across all applications.

Windows

1. Open Settings and navigate to Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Select your printer and click Printer properties.
3. On the General tab, click Preferences or Printing Preferences.
4. Set your default paper size, orientation, and quality, then click OK.

macOS

1. Open System Settings and go to Printers & Scanners.
2. Select your printer from the list.
3. Click Options & Supplies.
4. Review the available settings and ensure the default paper size matches what is loaded.

Checking the Physical Paper Tray

Driver settings only work if the physical tray matches. Confirm the following:

• The paper guides in the tray are snug against the paper stack, not too loose or too tight.
• The paper size dial or lever (on printers with adjustable trays) is set to the correct size.
• You are using the correct tray if your printer has multiple paper sources. Some applications allow you to choose the tray in the print dialog under Paper Source or Media Type.

Restarting the Print Spooler (Windows)

If settings appear correct but the printer still produces wrong output, the print spooler may be holding a corrupted job.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Scroll down to Print Spooler, right-click it, and select Restart.
3. Try printing again.

Resetting the Print System (macOS)

1. Open System Settings and go to Printers & Scanners.
2. Right-click (or Control-click) in an empty area of the printer list and choose Reset printing system.
3. Confirm the reset and re-add your printer when prompted.

Troubleshooting

The Correct Paper Size Is Not Listed

If your preferred paper size does not appear in the dropdown, the printer driver may not support it. Download the latest driver from the manufacturer's website, or use Custom paper size to define your own dimensions.

Output Is Cropped or Cut Off

This usually means the document size exceeds the printable area. Enable Fit to page or Scale to fit in the print dialog, or reduce the scale manually (for example, to 95%).

Orientation Is Correct in the App but Wrong on Paper

Some applications have their own page orientation settings that override the printer driver. Check the application's Page Setup menu (in Word, for example, go to Layout > Orientation) and ensure it matches the driver setting.

Multi-Page Documents Print on Separate Sheets Instead of Duplex

Confirm your printer supports duplex printing and that Print on both sides is enabled in the print dialog. If the option is greyed out, your driver may need updating.

Settings Reset After an Operating System Update

Operating system updates occasionally reset printer preferences. After a major update, open your printer's default settings and reapply your preferred paper size and orientation before printing important documents.

Related Articles

• Printer not printing / offline
• Printer print queue stuck
• Installing or updating a printer driver

If you have tried the steps above and your printer is still producing incorrect output, our support team can help. Please Open a Ticket with details of your printer model, operating system version, and the specific issue you are experiencing.

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