started printing 8.5 by 11 page as 3 by 3 inches - how do I fix it, nothing is working so far

[RTS25]

All of a sudden my 2722 started printing full size pages as 3 by 3 inches. Have not found anything addressing this.

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @RTS25 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

That’s got to be maddening—especially when your printer suddenly decides to shrink everything down like it’s printing for a dollhouse. Let’s walk through a few steps to help your DeskJet 2722 get back to printing full-size pages.

🛠️ Fixing the 3x3 Inch Print Issue on HP DeskJet 2722

1. Check Page Scaling Settings

• When printing, click File > Print.
• In the print dialog box, look for options like:
  • Scale to Fit
  • Page Size
  • Fit to Page
• Make sure it’s set to 100% or Actual Size, not a custom scale like 25%.

2. Reset Printer Preferences

• Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
• Right-click your HP DeskJet 2722 → Printing Preferences.
• Set paper size to Letter (8.5 x 11).
• Set print quality to Normal or Best.
• Click Apply and OK.

3. Clear the Print Queue

• Press Windows + R, type control printers, and hit Enter.
• Right-click your printer → See what's printing.
• Cancel all jobs, then restart your printer.

4. Reinstall the Printer Driver

• Uninstall the printer from Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
• Restart your PC.
• Reinstall the printer using the HP Smart app or HP’s full driver package.

5. Try Printing from a Different App

• If you’re printing from a browser or PDF viewer, try opening the file in Word or Adobe Reader.
• Some apps may send incorrect scaling instructions to the printer.

Let me know how far you get with these steps, and I’ll help you dig deeper if needed. You’re doing everything right—let’s get those pages printing full-size again! 💪🖨️

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

[RTS25]

Unfortunately I cannot match any of these points with what I see on my HP computer! When I click on the window at left bottom the list that comes up does not show devices or printers. Normally I open HP Smart then click Prknt documents but now the first thing I see says paper size mismatch. In webserver settings paper size is set at letter 8.5x11. In tools it says an error occurred check the printer. There are 100 routes to try, just now tried web server tools to check settings and it does nothing when I enter pin. Etc etc. Btw yesterday printed one thing and it came out full size then immediately printed again and it was 3 inches. I am completely lost.

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @RTS25,

Thank you for letting me know. @Hawks_Eye is not available, so on behalf of my colleague, I am replying to you.

Sorry to hear that you still have trouble. Please do share the printer details so we can try to find more help.

Please help us with the Printer serial number or the product number in a private message for further assistance.
 

Here is the link to find the product number: - Click here

To access your private messages, simply click the private message icon in the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile and send a private message to me with the serial number, because we value your privacy.
 

VikramTheGreat

HP Support

[RTS25]

The last time I tried to print I got one page correct size and then immediately the next page came in reduced size, no changes to settings, just said print.  Since then nothing works.

Product # 7HC67A

HP36F861

ser # CN08B3E4TC

service id 31188

TCP1FN2013BR

IT is a few years old but not heavily used.Here is today's actions:

Printer is turned off. Open HPSmart.  Turn on printer. Immediately automatically first sheet advances about 3 inches and stops there.  Red light is flashing next to the image of sheet of paper on the printer. HPSmart shows "paper size mismatch". A notice pops up saying "printer has paper mismatch"

The sheet of paper runs out.

I click on teh red light.  Notice pops up "printer has paper problems".

Red light comes back.

I click on printer settings on HPSmart, click on printer status.  Another sheet of paper automatically runs out.

Paper size mismatch says "change size settings in software".  What software, HPSmart? 

I click on "more support troubleshoot mismatch"

It says to check paper size and source; 81/2 and main tray

I click on File and Print

open properties, select printer ( I don't have any others) select paper size etc etc, round and round, paper size mismatch and printer has problems. I don't know what else to do

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @RTS25,

Thanks for walking through everything so clearly—it’s genuinely frustrating when a printer seems to have a mind of its own, especially when nothing has changed on your end. 

Let’s get this sorted with a few targeted steps that should help resolve the paper size mismatch and restore proper printing.

 

1. Reset Paper Settings in HP Smart

• Open HP Smart
• Go to Printer Settings > Advanced Settings (this may open the Embedded Web Server)
• Navigate to Paper Handling or Tray and Paper Management
• Confirm that Main Tray is set to Letter (8.5 x 11 in) and Plain Paper

2. Check Print Driver Settings

• Open the document you’re trying to print
• Go to File > Print, then click Printer Properties
• Under Paper/Quality or Advanced, confirm:
  • Paper Size: Letter (8.5 x 11 in)
  • Paper Source: Main Tray
  • Scaling: Set to 100% or Actual Size
• Click OK and try printing again

3. Update Firmware and Drivers

• Visit the official HP Software and Driver Downloads page
• Enter your product number: 7HC67A
• Download and install the latest firmware and full feature driver package

4.  Use HP’s Diagnose & Fix Tool

• In the HP Smart app, click Printer Settings > Diagnose & Fix.
• Let it run a scan—it will automatically fix common connection issues.
  You can also access this tool on HP’s support page if needed.

5. Printer Control Panel Reset

If the issue persists:

• On the printer’s physical control panel, go to Setup > Tools > Restore Defaults
• This will reset internal settings without affecting your computer

If the mismatch error continues even after these steps, it may be worth checking if the paper guides in the tray are snug against the paper stack—loose guides can cause misreads. 

Let me know how it goes, and I’ll be right here if you need to dig deeper. 

Regards,

Hawks_Eye

[RTS25]

Thank you for the advice, unfortunately all I can do now is buy a new printer, and it won't be HP!  I followed all these steps and up through 2 everything went fine and then nothing works.  Kept getting error messages such as  "printing isssue not fixed", "printer has paper issues", print jobs in queue fixed" followed by "print queue iissue is not fixed"and "printer paper size mismatch".  And then got new ones during this 4 hour session: "ink cartridge not working" and "printer door not closed" - yes it is closed.  Just a complete nightmare. Not worth any more time.  But thank you.

[Hawks_Eye]

@RTS25 

We sincerely thank you for your patience and co-operation during this troubleshooting process.

I'm sending you a private message to guide you on the next steps.

To access it, click the private message icon in the upper-right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your name.

If this resolves your issue, kindly mark this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" if it was helpful.

Take care and have a great day!

Regards,

Hawks_Eye