[ms office - 2016] Duplex Printing slightly out of alignment from Word.

[Koldov]

Not sure if this is software or hardware, but I can't work out what the issue is!

 

Our admin are printing a small card with information on both sides to be laminated and handed out, but when using automatic duplex (or even manual) the second print on the reverse is a few mm out of alignment.

 

I thought it would be easy to sort, maybe even an error somewhere on the document, but didn't want to mess with it too much so even created my own to test.

 

I made a very simple 2 page Word document and inserted a shape in the middle on each page. I looked at everything I could think of to ensure it was dead centre on both pages and tried all the alignment, text wrap, margin, snap options I could find.

 

I tried printing on long-edge and short-edge, but every time the image on the reverse was a few mm out of alignment with the one on the front.

 

[DalekSec]

Have you tried it as a PDF to see if its just word? if happening on other software i'd imagine its the rollers on the printer

[psydii]

Of no help, but with sympathy https://twitter.com/DogIsABot/status/1627447766179020801/photo/4

[Steve21]

I thought it would be easy to sort, maybe even an error somewhere on the document, but didn't want to mess with it too much so even created my own to test.

 

I made a very simple 2 page Word document and inserted a shape in the middle on each page. I looked at everything I could think of to ensure it was dead centre on both pages and tried all the alignment, text wrap, margin, snap options I could find.

 

I take it you realise your example document isn't actually aligned when you flip it? (Even without printing, unless it's just showing that way in your screenshot) As you have it off-centre (I just coloured inside the box to explain what flip I did, but you can see it's one square off each time so the purple lines don't ever touch the object

 

 

Unless you have an actual demo file I could see to test it on a printer here?

 

Steve

[Koldov]

Have you tried it as a PDF to see if its just word? if happening on other software i'd imagine its the rollers on the printer

 

Yes, Word, Publisher, PDF and on 3 different printers...

 

I take it you realise your example document isn't actually aligned when you flip it? (Even without printing, unless it's just showing that way in your screenshot) As you have it off-centre (I just coloured inside the box to explain what flip I did, but you can see it's one square off each time so the purple lines don't ever touch the object

 

Unless you have an actual demo file I could see to test it on a printer here?

 

Steve

 

Thanks, yeah it's a rubbish screenshot I think.

 

Strangely enough, when the grid in word is set to 'every 1 (mm)' 0 margins, 0 indent on a page (A4), the right hand square does look slightly smaller than the others.

 

No need for a demo file, it's quicker to create your own.

 

All I did was open Word - Insert > Shapes > Rectangle (insert blank page and repeat).

 

Then select each shape - Layout > Align Centre + Align Middle

 

Print (Duplex) obviously, flip long edge (or short - it shouldn't make a difference, all things being equal)...

 

Hold up to the light and see the mm difference.

 

After a bit more testing, I don't think it's going to be possible to get that level of accuracy (even though these are a bit better than home-grade inkjet printers), it might not even be the printers....

 

The paper measures 21.1 cm across (A4 = 21 x 29.7 cm), so that's a variable to start with and the paper run through an MFD has lots of guides and rollers that could be 1mm out... but if the paper isn't sized exactly, the printer isn't going to know what the dead centre of the page is anyway.

 

Making the grid 1mm and moving the second shape over by trial and error seems to get it to an acceptable variance.