HP Printers Will not print headers and footers correctly in word but will in ADOBE

[DerrickCT1]

I have two HP Printers

One a Color Laser Jet Pro 3201DW

and one a Color Laser Jet MFP 3301

IN WOrd they will not print the head and footer Correctly.

I have updated the firmware on both devices

and tried all the drivers

for the 3201 The header prints with the header and footer cut off regardless of the driver used.

For the MFP 3301 with the Version 3.06.3 it prints correctly but is black and white

any other driver the header and footer print incorrectly.

IN Adobe with the regular package and  updated v4  drivers for either printer, the header and footer print correctly.

WHat gives with Word? Anyone else having this issue? I am sure it is driver related and issue occurs only in office.

I will have them try to print in google docs and see if the issue occurs

[Max3Aj]

@DerrickCT1, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 

It's definitely frustrating when headers and footers don't print correctly in Word but work fine in Adobe. Since you've already updated firmware and tested multiple drivers, you're on the right track. Let's walk through a few targeted steps to resolve this issue, focusing on Microsoft Word and HP printer driver compatibility.

Check Word's Page Setup and Margins

Sometimes Word's default margins or header/footer settings can push content outside the printable area.

• In Word, go to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins.
• Ensure Top and Bottom margins are at least 1 inch (2.54 cm).
• Under the Layout tab, check Header and Footer distances (set to at least 0.5 inch).
• Also, go to File > Print > Page Setup > Paper and confirm the correct paper size (e.g., A4 or Letter).

Disable "Scale to Fit Paper" in Word

• Go to File > Print > Printer Properties.
• Look for any scaling options like "Fit to Page" or "Scale to Fit" and disable them.
• In Word's print dialog, ensure "Scale to Paper Size" is set to "No Scaling".

Test with Google Docs or Word Online

Since Adobe works fine, testing with Google Docs or Word Online can help isolate whether the issue is specific to the local Word installation.

• If headers/footers print correctly from Google Docs, the issue is likely with the local Word app or its interaction with the driver.

Try Printing to PDF First

As a workaround:

• In Word, go to File > Save As > PDF.
• Open the PDF in Adobe Reader and print from there.
• This ensures Word’s layout is preserved and uses Adobe’s rendering engine.

Update Microsoft Office

Ensure you're running the latest version of Microsoft Office:

• Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.

Additional Troubleshooting

• Try printing in Safe Mode in Word (winword /safe) to rule out add-in conflicts.
• Create a new user profile in Windows and test printing from there.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Select "Yes" on the bottom left to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support