margin and print error

Question

My margins are already correct, but when I export and print it, they end up shifting to the right and shrinking.

Answer 1

Hi!

Are you printing to a printer or using Microsoft PDF? Please send me the printer's manufacturer and model. The printer's paper size must be set correctly, and the paper must be aligned with the print tray.

Did you copy the file to another location or computer? Excel doesn't save some settings if you copy from one computer to another.

Answer 2

In Excel, margins that look correct on screen but shift right and appear shrunken on paper are usually caused by print settings, paper size, or printer driver behavior rather than the worksheet margins themselves.

Try these steps in order:

1. Install Office, Windows, and printer driver updates
   • Install the latest Office updates and Windows updates so Excel and the print subsystem use the latest fixes.
   • If Windows Update does not install a printer driver, go to the printer manufacturer’s site and install the latest driver for the exact printer model.
2. Verify paper size in Windows/printer and in Excel A mismatch between the printer’s paper size and Excel’s page setup can cause the content to shift and scale.
   • In Windows:
     1. Go to Start > Devices and Printers.
     2. Right‑click the printer > Printer Properties.
     3. On the Device Settings tab, confirm the correct Paper size (for example, A4 or Letter) is selected.
   • In Excel:
     1. Go to File > Print.
     2. Check the selected printer and paper size in the print settings.
3. Check scaling and Page Setup in Excel
   • Go to File > Print, then click Page Setup.
   • On the Page tab, make sure scaling is appropriate (for example, “Adjust to 100%” or a sensible “Fit to” setting). Extreme scaling can make the printout look shrunken.
   • On the Margins tab, confirm the margins are what is expected. Use the preview box to see how the data sits on the page.
4. Confirm margins are not outside the printable area If margins or content are too close to the edge, the printer may shift or clip the output.
   • In Page Setup > Margins, adjust Top, Bottom, Left, Right so that the data is clearly inside the printable area in the preview.
   • If the printer has a large nonprintable region, increasing the margins slightly can prevent shifting.
5. Test with another printer or to PDF
   • Print to a different printer or to a PDF printer (if available) and compare. If the PDF looks correct but the physical print is shifted, the issue is likely with the specific printer driver or its settings.

If the problem persists after these steps, focus on the printer’s own settings (such as borderless printing or “fit to page” options) in its driver dialog, as those can override Excel’s layout.

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References:

• Print Preview doesn't match print in Excel 2010
• Page Setup