Formatting Issues when going to print.

Résumés often use a table to position content. In Word, a table is always followed by a paragraph mark (¶) which may end up on the next page and therefore an extra, blank page will be printed (and displayed in the print preview). You can format the paragraph mark in 1 point size and set the line spacing to "Exactly" 1 point to make it nearly invisible, which will also remove the blank page. For more, see http://wordfaqs.ssbarnhill.com/BlankPage.htm#TableAtEnd.

Hi Garrett Burian,

I hope the information I shared earlier was somewhat helpful in addressing your issue. If you have any further questions or updates, please don’t hesitate to share. I’m always happy to assist further if needed.

If you feel the response was helpful, you’re welcome to mark it as an answer so others in the community can benefit from it as well. That would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you very much, and I wish you a great day!

Best regards,

Ryan-N-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Dear Garrett Burian

Thank you for contacting us regarding the formatting issue when printing a résumé from Microsoft Word. 
According to your report, the document is being split into two pages with unwanted white space and margins, affecting the overall layout. Below are some common causes and specific troubleshooting steps: 

• Mismatched paper size: The document may be formatted for A4, while the printer uses Letter size, resulting in large margins or an extra page.
• Hidden page breaks or blank paragraphs: Manual page breaks or extra blank lines at the end of the document may cause an unintended second page.
• Special paragraph settings: Options like “Keep with next” or “Page break before” can push content to a new page if not managed properly.
• Document properties printing enabled: If “Print document properties” is turned on, Word may add an extra page with file details like name, author, and word count.
• Inappropriate view mode: Draft or Web Layout view may hide actual page breaks during editing.
• Tracked changes or comments: If the document has Track Changes or Comments enabled, they may affect the printed layout.
• Printer driver issues: Outdated drivers or printers requiring minimum margins may cause Word to adjust the layout.

Troubleshooting Steps: 

• Check paper size and margins: Go to the Layout tab → Size, and select the correct paper size. Use margins between 0.7–1 inch for optimal printing.
• Disable automatic scaling: Go to File → Options → Advanced, and uncheck “Scale content for A4 or 8.5"x11" paper sizes.”
• Turn off document properties printing: Go to File → Options → Display, and uncheck “Print document properties.”
• Show formatting marks: Click the ¶ icon on the Home tab to reveal and remove unnecessary page breaks or blank paragraphs.
• Check paragraph settings: Right-click a paragraph → Paragraph → Line and Page Breaks, and uncheck problematic options.
• Review tables: If using tables, go to Table Properties → Row, and enable “Allow row to break across pages.”
• Print preview: Use File → Print to preview the actual layout before printing.
• Adjust content: Shorten text, reduce paragraph spacing, or use the “Shrink One Page” feature to fit content onto one page.
• Check the printer: Try printing to PDF or update the printer driver if needed.
• Recreate the document: If the issue persists, copy the content (excluding the final paragraph mark) into a new Word document to eliminate hidden formatting errors.

If the above steps do not resolve the issue, I kindly suggest contacting Microsoft’s advanced support team by submitting a request via their official support portal:  
https://support.microsoft.com/contactus 

Our specialized support team will assist you step by step and ensure you get the most appropriate solution for your needs.    

Thank you very much for your understanding. Please feel free to reach out again anytime if you need further assistance.  

Best regards,  
 Ryan-N-MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist