Have you ever printed a document only to discover that it came out in black and white instead of color, used the wrong paper size, or printed on both sides when you wanted single-sided pages?
Fortunately, you can fix most of these problems by changing your printing preferences in Windows 11 and Windows 10. Windows lets you adjust settings such as paper size, print quality, color mode, page orientation, and duplex printing. Depending on your printer model, you may also have additional options for ink usage, borderless printing, and paper handling.
The exact steps can vary depending on your printer manufacturer and driver. However, you can access the main settings through the Windows Settings app, Control Panel, or the print dialog in your application.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to change printing preferences, save your preferred defaults, adjust settings for individual documents, and troubleshoot common printing problems.
Let’s get started.
Change Printing Preferences in Windows 11 & 10
To change printing preferences in Windows 11 or Windows 10, follow these steps:
- Open your printer settings; press Windows + I to launch Settings.
- Navigate to Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners in Windows 11 or Devices > Printers & scanners in Windows 10.
- Select your printer and open Printing preferences if the option is available.
- Adjust settings such as paper size, orientation, color, print quality, and double-sided printing.
- Click Apply and then OK to save your changes.
- Print a test page or document to confirm that your new preferences work correctly.
Step 1: Open Printer Settings in Windows 11
The first step is to locate your printer in Windows Settings. Make sure your printer is installed and connected to your computer, either through USB, Wi-Fi, or your local network.
Press Windows + I to open the Settings app. From the left navigation panel, select Bluetooth & devices. Next, click Printers & scanners to view the printers available on your computer.
Select the printer you want to configure. Windows will display its available management options, which may include opening the print queue, setting the printer as the default, and accessing printer properties or printing preferences.
Follow this navigation path: Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Select your printer.
Look for Printing preferences and open it. Depending on your printer and driver, this option may appear directly on the printer’s page or through a related printer management window.
If you cannot find it, do not worry. You can use the Control Panel method explained in Step 3.
Step 2: Open Printer Settings in Windows 10
If you’re using Windows 10, the process is slightly different, but the goal is the same.
Press Windows + I to open Settings. Select Devices, then choose Printers & scanners from the left panel. Find your printer in the list and click its name to reveal the available options.
Select Manage, then look for Printing preferences or a similar option in the printer management window. The available choices depend on the printer driver installed on your PC.
The navigation path is Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners > Select your printer > Manage.
If you see only options for opening the queue or managing the printer, open the classic Control Panel instead. Some printer drivers expose more settings through the older Windows interface than through the modern Settings app.
Also, remember that Printing preferences and Printer properties are different. Printing preferences usually control how documents print, while printer properties provide device configuration, sharing, port, and driver-related options.
Step 3: Change Printing Preferences Through Control Panel
The Control Panel method is useful in both Windows 11 and Windows 10, especially when the Settings app does not display all your printer options.
Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box. Type control printers and press Enter. Windows will open the classic printer management window, where you can view the installed printers.
Find your printer, right-click its icon, and select Printing preferences. A window will appear with tabs or sections containing the available print settings.
Use this path: Windows + R > control printers > Right-click your printer > Printing preferences.
Depending on the printer manufacturer, you might see tabs named Main, Paper, Layout, Quality, Color, or Finishing. These labels vary, so do not worry if your screen looks different from another computer’s.
After adjusting the options you need, click Apply if available, then click OK. Your changes should become the default preferences for future print jobs sent through that printer’s driver, unless an application or another setting overrides them.
Step 4: Change Paper Size and Page Orientation
Paper size and page orientation are two of the most common printing preferences you’ll need to change.
In the Printing preferences window, look for a Paper Size, Document Size, or Paper/Quality section. Choose the correct size for your document, such as Letter, which is commonly used in the United States, or Legal for longer documents. If you’re printing on A4 paper, select A4 instead.
Next, find the Orientation setting. Select Portrait for a page that is taller than it is wide, or Landscape for a page that is wider than it is tall.
The general path is Printing preferences > Paper or Layout > Paper Size and Orientation.
Make sure the selected size matches the paper loaded in your printer. If Windows is configured for Letter paper but your printer contains A4 paper, the document may print incorrectly or trigger a paper-size warning.
Some applications, including Microsoft Word, also have their own paper-size and orientation settings. If a document still prints with the wrong layout, check the settings in the application you’re using.
Step 5: Change Color, Print Quality, and Double-Sided Printing
You can also use printing preferences to control the appearance of your documents and reduce unnecessary ink or toner usage.
To change the color mode, open your printer’s preferences and look for Color, Color Mode, or Grayscale. Choose Color when you need colored images or graphics. Choose Black and White or Grayscale when you want to conserve color ink or print documents without color.
For print quality, look for a setting such as Draft, Standard, Normal, or High. Draft mode is generally suitable for internal documents, while higher-quality settings are useful for images and presentations. Higher-quality printing may consume more ink and take longer.
If your printer supports duplex printing, look for Two-Sided Printing, Duplex, or Print on Both Sides. Enable it when you want to print on both sides of the paper. Some printers offer automatic duplexing, while others require you to turn the paper over manually.
Follow this path: Printing preferences > Quality or Main > Color, Print Quality, and Duplex settings.
The exact options depend on your printer model. If a feature is missing, check whether your printer supports it and whether the correct manufacturer driver is installed.
Step 6: Set Your Preferred Printing Defaults
If you repeatedly print documents using the same settings, changing the default preferences can save you time.
Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers on Windows 10, or use the classic printer management window opened through control printers on either operating system. Right-click your printer and select Printing preferences.
Choose your usual paper size, color mode, print quality, and duplex settings. Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.
The navigation path is Control Panel or Run > Control Printers > Right-click printer > Printing Preferences> Apply > OK.
Your printer driver will generally use these preferences as defaults for future print jobs. However, some applications have their own print settings that can override the defaults. For example, if you select Landscape in Microsoft Word’s print dialog, that document may print in Landscape even when the printer’s default orientation is Portrait.
If you use multiple printers, remember that each device can have its own preferences. Select the correct printer before changing settings.
Change Preferences for a Single Document
Sometimes, you do not want to change your default printer settings. You only need different preferences for one document.
Open the file you want to print in an application such as Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Reader, or your web browser. Press Ctrl + P to open the Print dialog box.
Select the correct printer and look for options such as paper size, orientation, color, page range, and double-sided printing. Depending on the application, you may need to select Printer Properties, Preferences, or More settings to access additional options.
Use this path: Open document > Ctrl + P > Select printer > Printer Properties or Preferences.
Make the necessary adjustments and print the document. These changes generally apply to the current print job, although some applications or drivers may remember settings for later jobs.
This method is particularly useful when printing a one-time color photograph, a landscape spreadsheet, or a document that needs to be printed on both sides without changing your usual defaults.
If you cannot find the Printing preferences option or some settings are missing, start by checking whether Windows has installed the correct printer driver.
Open Settings > Printers & scanners, select your printer, and check the available device information. If Windows is using a generic driver, certain manufacturer-specific options may not appear.
Visit your printer manufacturer’s official support page and look for the correct driver for your printer model and version of Windows. Install the recommended driver by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
If preferences still do not appear, open control printers, right-click the printer, and check both Printing preferences and Printer properties. Make sure you are selecting the correct printer, particularly if you have multiple copies of the same device installed.
For a network printer, also confirm that the printer is online and reachable. If the problem continues after installing the correct driver, consult the manufacturer’s troubleshooting instructions or reinstall the printer.
FAQs
1. How do I change printing preferences in Windows 11?
Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select your printer, and open Printing preferences if available. You can also press Windows + R, type control printers, and open the classic printer management window.
2. How do I change printing preferences in Windows 10?
Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, select your printer, and choose Manage. If Printing preferences is unavailable, open control printers through the Run dialog box and right-click your printer.
3. Why can’t I see Printing preferences?
The option may be located in the classic printer interface, or your installed driver may not expose all available settings. Installing the correct manufacturer driver can restore additional options.
4. How do I make color printing the default?
Open your printer’s Printing preferences, locate the Color or Color Mode setting, select Color, and save the changes. Individual applications may override this setting for specific print jobs.
5. Can I change printing preferences for just one document?
Yes. Open the document, press Ctrl + P, select your printer, and open its properties or preferences. Change the options you need before printing.
6. Why do my printing preferences keep resetting?
A printer driver update, application-specific settings, shared printer configuration, or a change in the selected printer may affect your preferences. Check the default settings in the printer driver and the print dialog of the application you’re using.
Final Words
Changing printing preferences in Windows 11 and Windows 10 is straightforward once you know where to look. You can use the Settings app for quick access, Control Panel for additional printer options, or the application’s Print dialog when you need to adjust a single document.
For the most reliable results, make sure you select the correct printer, choose the appropriate paper size, and save your preferred settings. If an option is missing, check the printer manufacturer’s driver and documentation.
With these steps, you can control paper size, orientation, color, print quality, and double-sided printing without repeatedly correcting the same problems.