When the edge of a printout is missing, the printer is usually following its instructions, just with the wrong information. The page may be sized for different paper, scaled larger than the sheet, placed outside the area the printer can physically reach, or enlarged for borderless printing. Browsers and photo apps can also crop the image before it reaches the driver. This guide works through each setting, from paper size to app-specific options, to get the whole page onto the sheet.
What you might be seeing
- The last few lines or the right edge of the page are missing
- Photos lose part of the image on every side
- Web pages print with text cut off on one side
- A warning says margins are outside the printable area
Common causes
- Paper size mismatch
- A4 content printed on Letter paper, or the reverse, loses part of one edge.
- Scaling above 100 percent
- Content enlarged beyond the paper is cropped.
- Margins in the unprintable area
- Most printers cannot place ink or toner in a narrow strip around the paper's edge.
- Borderless expansion
- Borderless printing enlarges the image slightly so it bleeds off the sheet, trimming each edge.
- App-level cropping
- Browsers and photo apps apply their own fit and margin settings.
How to fix it, step by step
Work through these in order and test a print after each one. Most people are done within the first few steps.
Match the paper size everywhere
Check that the document's page size, the driver's Paper Size and the loaded paper all agree. A4 is taller and narrower than Letter, so an A4 document printed on Letter loses its bottom, while Letter content on A4 can lose a sliver of the right side. Choose your actual paper size in the app's page setup and in Printing Preferences, then print again.
Scale the page to fit
In many Windows apps and PDF viewers, choose Fit or Shrink oversized pages instead of Actual size when content runs off the page. On a Mac, expand Paper Handling, select Scale to fit paper size and choose your paper under Destination Paper Size. Some drivers also have a fit to page or zoom option in Printing Preferences; set it to 100 percent or fit.
Fix browser print settings
When printing a web page, open the browser's print preview and look under More settings for Margins and Scale. Set margins to Default, and return scale to its default or a fit option instead of a custom percentage. A site's own print button often produces a cleaner layout. Avoid setting margins to None unless your printer supports borderless printing on that paper.
Keep margins inside the printable area
Most printers leave a narrow unprintable strip around the paper, typically a few millimeters wide. If your document's margins are narrower, content near the edge gets clipped. Microsoft Word warns when margins fall outside the printable area and offers a Fix button that moves them to the minimum allowed. In other apps, margins of at least a quarter inch, about 6 mm, are a safe choice.
Turn off borderless or reduce its expansion
Borderless printing enlarges the image slightly so ink reaches past every edge, trimming a little from each side. If you do not need it, turn off the borderless option in Printing Preferences, or on a Mac choose a paper size without Borderless in its name. If you do want borderless prints, some drivers offer an expansion amount setting; lowering it keeps more of the image.
Check photo app fit and crop options
Photo apps often crop to fill the print size when the photo's shape differs from the paper's. A phone photo is a different shape from a 4 by 6 inch print, so filling the sheet trims the ends. In the Windows Photos print dialog, look for the page fit option and choose a fit setting rather than fill. On phones, check the crop in the print preview before printing.
Reinstall the driver if one edge is always missing
If everything is set correctly and the same edge is still clipped, the printer may be using a generic driver with the wrong page margins for your model. Remove it in Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners, restart and add it again with the full driver from Windows Update or the manufacturer's official website. On a Mac, remove and re-add it in System Settings › Printers & Scanners.
How to keep it from happening again
- Set your usual paper size as the driver default
- Check print preview before sending a job
- Keep document margins at least a quarter inch from the edge
- Save separate presets for borderless and bordered prints
Common questions
Why can't my printer print to the very edge?
Rollers and guides need to hold the paper as it moves, and the printer keeps ink or toner away from the edges to avoid marking those parts. Most laser printers, and many inkjets on plain paper, do not support true edge-to-edge printing. Inkjets that offer borderless output usually limit it to particular photo paper sizes and types.
Why is only the right side of web pages cut off?
Some web pages are designed for wide screens and do not reflow for paper, so the browser prints the page at screen width and clips whatever does not fit. Reducing the scale in print preview, switching to landscape orientation, or using the site's print-friendly view usually brings the full width onto the page.
Why are my copies cut off at the edges?
Copies lose edges when the original sits slightly away from the corner marker on the glass, or when the copy paper size differs from the original. Align the original with the marker and set the copy paper size to match the loaded paper. Many copy menus also offer a reduce or fit to page option for originals with content near the edges.
This guide is general information written for common home and office printers. Menus and button names vary between models, so check your printer’s manual where a step differs. Printer Problems Solved is independent and not affiliated with any printer manufacturer. See our disclaimer.