SOLVE PRINTING PROBLEMS
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Printed pages collate incorrectly
Print-outs appearing in the wrong order is probably a result of how your printer settings are configured. The layout of the Print dialogue box can vary from one printer to the next, because it is determined by the driver and program. So look for an option called Collate or Reverse (or similar). For example, if you’re printing several copies of a multi-page document, collating them makes sense. But if that multi-page documents is actually a series of handouts, say, then set the Collate option to ‘1,1,1, 2,2,2, 3,3,3’ because this groups printouts into distinct piles. You’ll find this option in Word 2016, for example. Alternatively, if your printer seems to print out in the ‘wrong’ order, you can rectify this by ticking or clearing the Reverse box — because this counteracts the printer’s default setting.
Nothing will print
In Windows (all versions) open the ‘Devices and Printers’ section of Control Panel by pressing Windows key+r, typing control printers and pressing Enter. Now check your printer is labelled as ‘online’. This doesn’t mean connected to the internet (although you may have a Wi-fi printer); rather it means switched on and connected to your PC. If it’s listed here as ‘offline’, check the printer’s power supply and cables, as well as its Wi-fi settings. You’ll need to do this via the printer’s display screen (assuming it has one) or through its driver (see the final tip). Also make sure that your PC’S selected default printer is the correct one. Your PC could be ‘printing’ to Microsoft’s virtual PDF printer, for example. Right-click your printer, then choose ‘Set as default printer’ (see screenshot below left).
Photos have a white border
A white-border framing effect is set as the default option by many printer drivers. The method for removing unwanted white borders varies between programs, but start by looking for Printer Preferences after clicking Print. Look for a box labelled Borderless or Frame (or similar), then tick or clear as appropriate (see screenshot above).
Printing web pages is inaccurate
The root cause of inaccurate web-page print-outs is that many websites aren’t designed to be printed. Save yourself wasted sheets by using the preview option, which is shown automatically by Chrome and Edge when you choose Print. In Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox, press Alt+f to open the File menu then choose Print Preview. There are various options you can tweak to get the best appearance. ‘Shrink to Fit’ is a good way to save paper (not available in Chrome). To make print-outs look more like the original website, enable the ‘Background graphics’ option if available. This is a tickbox on Chrome’s preview page, or available via the Page Setup box in IE and Firefox (press Alt+u) from the preview. Or, if you use Chrome or Firefox, get the free Nimbus Screenshot and Screencast extension, which prints websites exactly how they look: Chrome www.snipca.com/20914; Firefox www. snipca.com/20915.
More pages print than expected
If your documents print to more sheets than pages indicated on screen then it’s probably down to the selected paper size. The problem is that many settings default to ‘Letter’ (or ‘US Letter’). Letter is over a centimetre shorter than A4 – the most common paper type in the UK. How and where to change this setting depends on the printer driver or program. In Microsoft Word, for example, you can set the paper size from the Print page. Just click to open the Paper dropdown under Settings (see screenshot above). In your printer’s driver, you might need to click the Properties button, then Advanced or More Options (or similar).
Locate printer settings
As we’ve mentioned, every printer has its own driver, and the available settings and layouts vary. And every program has its own Print dialog box, so it’s easy to get lost when trying to find your printer’s preferences. The solution is to do this via Control Panel. Press Windows key+r, type control printers and then press Enter. Now right-click your printer and choose ‘Printing preferences’.