Uneven top margins when double-sided printing

[jampen]

hi, I have a HP Envy 6020e and whenever I try to print documents double-sided there is always a difference in the header margins so when looking at a multi-page document, the footer page numbers are at different heights and the text at the top starts in different positions. 

I have searched extensively and only seem to find the same basic answers that don't make any difference. I'm clearly not the only person with this issue and wondered if some body had found a solution yet or would i be better returning the printer as this has never been an issue on my two previous HP printers.

I'm using windows 11 and the gutter setting is to the left and all over margins are set equal. I'm printing in portrait style. 

Thanks in advance. 

[A_Gayathri · Accepted solution]

Hi @jampen ,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

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

I understand the issue with uneven top margins when double-sided printing on the HP Envy 6020e is unfortunately a common problem with many HP consumer-grade printers. It is often due to mechanical misalignment in the duplex (double-sided) printing process, which shifts the page slightly when flipping for the reverse side. Here are a few things you can try to fix or work around the issue:

1. Check Print Settings in HP Smart & Printer Preferences

• Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
• Right-click on HP Envy 6020e and select Printing Preferences.
• Check the following:
  • Ensure Duplex Printing is set to Long Edge (Left) for portrait mode.
  • Set Margins manually (e.g., 0.5 inches on all sides).
  • Make sure the Gutter Position is correctly aligned for binding.
  • Try changing the Scaling setting to Actual Size instead of “Fit to Page.”

2. Use a Different Driver

HP's Universal Print Driver (UPD) can sometimes resolve duplex margin inconsistencies. Try installing the HP PCL6 driver instead of using the default one from HP Smart:

• Go to HP's website and download the HP PCL6 driver for your model.
• Install it, then select it as the default printer in Windows.

3. Adjust Margins in Word or PDF Reader

If printing from Microsoft Word or a PDF:

• Go to Page Setup > Margins and manually set the Top and Bottom margins to the same values.
• Try enabling Mirror Margins (this ensures left and right pages are aligned identically).

4. Test a Different Paper Type

Some users have found that using higher-quality paper (e.g., 90-100 gsm instead of 75 gsm) improves duplex alignment.

5. Print One-Sided and Manually Flip

If nothing else works, a workaround is:

1. Print only odd-numbered pages first.
2. Flip the stack manually and print even-numbered pages.
3. This ensures perfect alignment but requires extra effort.

6. Firmware Update

• Open HP Smart > Printer Settings > Check for Firmware Updates.
• If an update is available, install it to see if HP has fixed this issue.

Refer to this document:

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. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[jampen]

Thanks Gaya1239.

I really appreciate you taking the time to give me some advice. While following step 1, going through the control panel, I noticed one of the paper settings was set to letter not A4. I had only checked HP smart app and printer settings in word previously and not considered printer preferences in the control panel. This is different in Windows 11 to the windows 7 which i use at work where there are no such options. 

Anyway, changing this setting seems to have worked, so thank you. If the problem returns I will try your other suggestions.

Thanks again

[A_Gayathri]

HI @jampen ,

That's great! I am happy to hear that the issue has been resolved. If you need further assistance feel free to reach out to us. 

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accept as Solution on the public post, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Have a great day ahead! 

Gaya1239 

HP Support