Want to print a Word document without those annoying white borders? Set all margins to zero and tweak your printer settings to ignore them. This little trick forces Word to skip its default spacing for true edge-to-edge printing.
Quick Fix Summary
Set margins to zero, disable scaling in Print settings, and enable edge-to-edge printing.
- Word 2026: Layout > Page Setup > Margins > Set all to 0
- Print Dialog: Disable "Scale to Fit" and select "Actual Size"
- Printer Settings: Enable "Print Entire Page" or "Edge to Edge" in printer properties
What's going on here?
Word stubbornly adds default margins (usually 0.5–1 inch) even when you set them to zero. These sneaky margins come from both Word’s layout settings and your printer’s default page size and scaling options. As of 2026, most Word versions (including Microsoft 365 and Word 2021/2024) still apply internal scaling and hardware-enforced borders unless you override them in both places.
Printers also add their own “quiet zones” based on paper size and driver defaults. To print edge-to-edge, you’ve got to disable both software and hardware margins at the same time. Miss one, and the other will still clip or center your content.
Here's how to fix it
- Open Page Setup
- Head to Layout > Page Setup > Margins in the ribbon.
- Pick Narrow or Custom Margins from the dropdown.
- Set all margins to zero
- In the Margins tab, change Top, Bottom, Left, Right all to 0.
- Set Gutter and Gutter Position to 0 too.
- Under Multiple pages, make sure it’s set to Normal (not Mirrored or Book Fold).
- Turn off scaling in Print
- Hit Ctrl + P to open Print.
- Look for Scale to Fit or Scale content in Settings.
- Switch it OFF or set it to 100%.
- Choose full-page printing
- Still in the Print dialog, click Printer Properties or Printer Settings.
- Look for options like Print Entire Page, Edge to Edge, or No Margins.
- If you see them, enable Unscaled Printing or Actual Size.
- Pick your paper size (like A4 or Letter) to match what’s loaded.
- Print and check
- Click Print.
- If the edges are still cut off, go back to printer settings and disable any “fit to page” or “auto-center” options.
Still not working?
If you’re still seeing margins after all that, try these workarounds:
- Convert to PDF and print
- Save your Word doc as PDF (File > Save As > PDF).
- Open it in Microsoft Edge or Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Hit Ctrl + P, go to More Settings, and set Margins to None.
- Turn on Print Entire Page or Fit to Printable Area.
- Use Print Layout View and hide margins
- Make sure you’re in View > Print Layout.
- Hover at the top or bottom of the page until you see a double arrow.
- Double-click to hide the white space between pages.
- Go back to Print and repeat Step 3.
- Update your printer driver
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
- Pick your printer > Printer properties > Advanced.
- Click New Driver and grab the latest version from the manufacturer’s site.
- Restart your PC and try printing again.
How to avoid this headache next time
Want to skip the frustration in the future? Try these tips:
- Create a template
- Make a custom template with 0-inch margins and save it as EdgeToEdge.dotx.
- Use it for all new docs from File > New > Personal.
- Disable hardware margins permanently
- Go into printer properties and turn off any “auto-margin” or “fit to page” options.
- Save these settings as a preset (like “Full Bleed”) for easy reuse.
- Test before you print
- Use Print Preview (Ctrl + F2) to check your layout first.
- Turn on Show Boundaries in Word: File > Options > Display > Show text boundaries.
- Print a single page on regular paper to check alignment.
- Add bleed for design work
- For flyers or posters, add a 3–5mm bleed area beyond the trim edge.
- Keep margins at 0 inside the bleed zone for full coverage.
For more on Word’s printing quirks, check the Microsoft Support page about print scaling and margins as of 2026.
