There are times when printers will seem to print off and you must figure out why. You may notice a printer cutting off the right side or bottom of the page, this can be because of a few reasons. Note that the printer cutting off does not mean that the printer is physically cutting the paper. It means that the printer is not printing the content to the right or the bottom of the page.

Printer cutting off right side or bottom of page

If you notice that your printer is cutting off the right side or bottom of page, you have a few things to check. Printers put out what goes based on what is on the sending device and what is preprogrammed into it. This article will explore reasons why the printer cutting off right side or bottom of page.

1. Conflicting page sizes
2. Document orientation
3. Wrong print tray or printer
4. Conflict between printer and application
5. Wrong or outdated driver
6. Printer’s region

1] Conflicting page sizes

Printers and the device that sends information to them work together to give the correct output. Printers like computers will work with what the users give them to work with. If the document on the device is longer or wider than what is in the printer, then the printer will cut off the right side and bottom.  Printers usually know the page size in the feed tray based on the closeness of the paper holder. If the paper size is wrong and the paper holder in the feeder Is not properly lined up to the edge of the paper, the printer will pull in the paper and attempt to print. Since the paper is smaller than the document on the computer the right size or bottom of the page will cut off.

Make sure that the paper size on the computer and in the printer are the same. Make sure that the page guides in the print tray are snugged up on the pages in the tray. If your printer has multiple trays that hold different paper sizes in each, be sure to select the correct print tray that holds the corresponding page size for your document. If you received a document from someone and you are not sure of the size in Word, you can check the page size.

Check the page size by going to Layout then Size. You will see a drop-down menu appear with the different sizes. The current page size will be selected.

If you use special paper that you cut or that you buy cut, make sure that it is the right measurement. Measurements may be off if you cut the paper yourself.

2] Document Orientation

If your printer is cutting off the information at the right side or bottom of the page, you may have an orientation conflict. You may have a conflict where your document is in a different orientation that makes it wider than the paper in the printer. You may not notice the difference since the page size is the same. For example, your document may be on a letter size paper (8.5 x 11 inches). However, the page orientation may be landscape (11 x 8.5 inches). the page size is the same, however, the date would be printed across the page. If your printer cannot print in that orientation without you adjusting the paper in the tray, it may print the data but with the right side or bottom cut off.

Check to see that the page orientation is set to what your printer can handle. You can check the orientation of the document on your computer, go to Layout then Orientation. You will see the drop-down menu with the orientations. The current orientation will be selected.

3] Wrong print tray or printer

Your home or organization may have a printer with multiple print trays for different paper sizes. There may also be a different printer for different page sizes. You may be sending the document to the wrong printer, or you are targeting the wrong tray.

If you have multiple printers or a printer with multiple print trays, be sure that you are sending the document to the right printer or print tray. In some cases, the printer may give an error message if the document size does not correspond to the paper in the printer or print tray. If there is no warning, then the document will print with the right edge or bottom of the page cut off.

4] Conflict between printer and application

It is important to note that different printers can print differently on paper. For example, a laser printer, especially a commercial one can print closer to the edges of a paper. A regular inkjet printer will not be able to print as close to the edge of the paper. If you scale your document to fit a laser printer but the document gets sent to a regular inkjet printer, the right sides and bottom of the document will get cut off.

Note that even laser printers need to be able to hold the edges of the paper, so even though it can print closer to the edge, a space will still be left around the document.

Before sending your document to the printer, do a print preview of the document. this will show the space around the document based on the target printer. You will see if any of the document is missing. If you want to have your document print without any blank showing at the right or bottom of the page, use the bleed option. This is available in some software like InDesign, or you can do so manually.

To use a bleed, you can use set it in Illustrator or similar software, this allows you to see where the document will print and where will be left off, when the document is printed, you can cut off the blank spaces. You can also choose to print on a sheet that is larger than the size that you want. You will then cut off the blank spaces around the printed document.

This is especially great if you are printing full-color documents such as book covers, paintings, images, etc.

5] Wrong or outdated driver

Your printer may cut off the right side or bottom of your page if there is a problem with the print driver. The print driver is the go-between for the operating system and the printer. If the driver is outdating or is not specific for your printer, the print job may suffer.

There may be cases where the printer driver is for a series or it is a universal driver and not for that specific printer, it may allow you to print but it may not be able to give a correct preview of the print. Universal drivers usually give basic print functions, especially to more complex printers. However, it may cause more intricate print jobs to have errors.

You should get regular updates for your printer’s driver when available. If you download or use the driver from another source, be sure to use the specific drive for your printer.

6] Printer’s region

One issue that may cause your printer to cut off the right side or bottom of the page is the printer’s region. Your region may have a certain page size as the default for your printer. If you carry a printer from another region, the default for that printer may be another size. This will cause the printer to cut off the right side or bottom of the page.

Before you buy a printer from another region, make sure that you can change the default page size. This issue can be especially prominent in cases where you need to copy so read the description for your printer.

Read: Printer won’t feed paper through

Why is Word cutting off the side of some documents when printing?

Word may cut off the sides of your document when it is printed if you make the margins too small. You may be able to view the contents of the document on your computer, however, it may get cut off in the print. The printer needs to be able to hold the edges of the paper as it passes through. A margin that is too narrow will cause some information to get cut off. Laser printers in most cases need a smaller area to hold while most small inkjet printers need a larger area to hold.

Why is my printer printing too far to the right?

Your printer may print too far to the right for a few reasons. Check the document to see that the margins are properly aligned. You may also have a printer that is misaligned due to placing new ink in without calibrating the printer. It can also be misaligned if you use inks that are not original. The printer can be misaligned if the cartridges are clogged, dirty, or paper stuck in the printer or after a large print job.

To fix this problem, make sure that the margins of the document are properly aligned. Use original ink cartridges for your printer and keep the printer clean and dust free. Use proper methods to remove jammed paper. Run a printer alignment using the printer’s alignment settings.