Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 5, 2020)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365
When you print a document, you may be surprised to find out that the placement of some text or graphic on the screen isn't exactly where you want it. For instance, you might have a one-inch left margin and you discover that on the printed page the margin isn't precisely at one inch from the edge of the paper.
Before assuming that Word has gone haywire, you'll want to determine if the problem has to do with your printer or not. Printers are mechanical beasts, and as they grab paper and move it through the printer, the paper can "drift" to the left or right (or up or down) relative to the mechanism that places the actual output on the paper. This can cause your margins to appear incorrect or the placement of other items incorrect.
To check out how much drift there is in your printer, try these general steps:
You should note that every printer is different, and therefore every printer will have different amounts of drift. The above steps will tell you the drift in the single printer on which you perform the steps; it won't necessarily tell you the drift in a different printer, even if the other printer is the same model.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13354) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Discovering Printer Drift.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 2013 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access) with VBA programming, using it for writing macros, automating Office applications, and creating custom applications. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2013 today!
Have you ever printed out a document, only to have the pages curl very badly as they come out of the printer? There's a ...
Discover MoreIf you go to print a document and find out that your quotation marks aren't printing properly, there could be a number of ...
Discover MoreWhen you print a document, do you get more than you bargained for? If you get extra pages printed either before or within ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-05-05 17:25:54
On 1/6/2019 , I recved a notice from pdf but mine was word - a recognized person's name was on pdf -
I have shown this to a lawyer - hacking ?
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2023 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments