Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Printing Close to the Edge.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 1, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Word supports any printer you can install for use with Windows. In most instances you can take full advantage of the features of the printer. This depends, of course, on the printer driver you are using to communicate with the printer. (It is the printer driver that makes printer features accessible to Windows programs, such as Word.)
If you try to print a document with page margins that are set too small, you may see an error message indicating, "One or more margins are set outside the printable area of the page. Choose the Fix button to increase the appropriate margins."
This error message pops up because the printer driver knows how close to the edge of the paper you can print with your printer. For instance, most laser printers cannot print closer to the edge of the paper than a quarter inch. Some printers require even more "dead space" at the edge of the paper. This is required because the printer uses this "dead space" to mechanically grip and guide the paper through the printer.
If you see the error message indicating your margins are set outside the printable area, you have two choices. You can either click on the Fix button and let Word make the change, or you can stop the print job and adjust the page margins yourself.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (838) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Printing Close to the Edge.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!
The writer uses headline styles to create a story outline. He does not want to see the headlines when he prints the ...
Discover MoreEver need to print the mirror image of your document? This tip explains how to reverse your image so it can be used for ...
Discover MoreHave you noticed page layout differences when you open a document on different systems? There are a number of reasons why ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here:
Comments