Alignment and skew

Printer Alignment Problem

Alignment problems show up as crooked lines, shifted margins, clipped edges, or images that do not land where expected on the page.

Common symptoms

  • Borders are closer to one edge than the other.
  • Lines look tilted even when the document is straight.
  • Text or images are clipped near a margin.
  • A page prints smaller or larger than expected.

Likely causes

  • Paper guides are loose or the paper stack is not seated squarely.
  • Print scaling, fit-to-page, or wrong paper size is selected.
  • Printer alignment calibration is out of date.
  • Rollers or feed path are causing paper skew.

What to try next

  1. Print the alignment test page with scaling set to 100 percent or actual size.
  2. Check that the selected paper size matches the loaded paper.
  3. Square the paper stack and snug the tray guides without bending the paper.
  4. Run the printer’s alignment utility if your model provides one.
  5. If every page skews the same way, inspect the feed path and rollers.

How to reduce repeat problems

  • Store paper flat and load it squarely.
  • Avoid overfilling the paper tray.
  • Check scaling settings before printing forms, labels, or templates.

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