It can be frustrating when your Word document looks perfect on the screen, but the header or footer disappears when you print it. You may see your company name, page numbers, document title, date, or other information in Print Preview, yet the printed page comes out without it.
This issue is usually related to Word’s printing settings, page margins, printer settings, or the way the header and footer are positioned. In most cases, you can fix it without recreating the document.
In this guide, I will walk you through several practical ways to fix headers and footers not printing in Word on Windows.
To fix a header or footer that is not printing in Word:
- Check the document in Print Preview and confirm that the header or footer appears there.
- Make sure the header or footer is positioned inside the printable area of the page.
- Check the Margins settings and increase the top or bottom margin if necessary.
- Open Word’s Advanced settings and make sure background printing options are configured correctly.
- Check the printer properties and paper settings before printing again.
- Print a test page or another Word document to determine whether the issue is limited to one document.
- Update or reinstall the printer driver if headers and footers continue to disappear.
Try the following steps in detail.
Step 1: Check Print Preview
Before changing anything, check whether Word actually includes the header or footer in its print output.
Open your document in Microsoft Word and select File > Print. Look at the preview on the right side of the Print screen. If the header and footer are visible in the preview, Word is preparing them for printing, and the problem may be related to the printer or its printable area.
If the header or footer is missing from Print Preview, the problem is more likely related to your Word document or its settings.
You can also check the document’s normal page view by selecting View > Print Layout. Then scroll through several pages and confirm that the header or footer appears consistently.
A header or footer that is positioned too close to the edge of the paper can be outside your printer’s printable area.
Double-click the top or bottom of the page to open the header or footer. Then go to Header & Footer > Position. Check the Header from Top or Footer from Bottom setting, depending on which part is not printing.
If the value is extremely small, increase it slightly. For example, moving the footer farther away from the bottom edge can give your printer enough room to print it.
You can also use Layout > Margins > Normal to return the document to standard margins. After making the change, open File > Print and check the preview again.
Step 3: Increase the Page Margins
Your printer may have a minimum printable margin that is larger than the margins used in your Word document.
Go to Layout > Margins and select Normal. This gives the document a more conventional printable area. If you are using custom margins, select Layout > Margins > Custom Margins and increase the Top or Bottom margin.
For example, if your footer is very close to the bottom edge, increasing the bottom margin can move the footer into an area that the printer can handle.
After changing the margins, return to File > Print and inspect the preview. If the header or footer now appears normally, print one test page before printing the entire document.
Step 4: Check the Printer’s Paper and Layout Settings
Sometimes the Word document is fine, but the printer is using a different paper size or layout.
Select File > Print and choose your printer. Open Printer Properties or Printer Preferences. Look for the Paper Size, Layout, and Scaling settings.
Make sure the paper size matches the paper you are actually using. For example, a document designed for Letter paper can behave differently when the printer is configured for another size.
Also check whether options such as Fit to Page, Scale to Fit, or unusual custom scaling are enabled. If possible, use a standard 100% scale or the printer’s normal document setting.
Step 5: Check Word’s Advanced Printing Options
Word has several settings that affect how documents are printed.
Select File > Options > Advanced. Scroll down until you find the Print section. Review the available printing options and make sure Word is not using an unusual configuration that could affect your document.
You should also check File > Options > Display for settings related to showing document content. While these options do not always directly control physical printing, they can help you determine whether the problem is with the document’s display or its print output.
After making any changes, click OK, reopen the Print screen, and check the preview.
Step 6: Check Section and Header Settings
If your document contains multiple sections, each section can have its own header and footer configuration. This is a common reason why a header or footer appears on some pages but not others.
Double-click the header or footer on the affected page. Look at the Header & Footer tab and check whether Different First Page or Different Odd & Even Pages is enabled.
Also check the Link to Previous option if your document contains multiple sections. A section may have a different header or footer from the rest of the document.
For example, if the footer prints on pages two through five but disappears from page one, Different First Page may be responsible.
The header or footer itself could contain formatting that prevents it from printing correctly.
Double-click the affected area and select the content. Check its font color, text effects, and other formatting. If the text color is extremely light, it may appear on your screen but be difficult or impossible to see when printed.
You can test this by selecting the header or footer text and choosing a standard black font color.
If the header contains an image, logo, shape, or other object, temporarily remove it and add simple text instead. Then print a test page. If the text prints correctly, the problem may involve the original object rather than Word’s header or footer system.
Step 8: Test Another Document and Printer
At this point, it is useful to determine whether the issue belongs to the document or the printer.
Create a new blank Word document by selecting File > New > Blank Document. Add a simple header and footer using Insert > Header or Insert > Footer. Type something such as “Test Header” and “Test Footer,” then print the document.
If the new document prints correctly, your original document may contain section formatting, margin settings, or damaged document formatting.
If the new document also loses the header or footer when printed, the problem may be related to the printer settings or printer driver.
Step 9: Update or Reinstall the Printer Driver
If headers and footers disappear from multiple Word documents, the printer software may need attention.
Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Select your printer and review its available settings. You can also remove the printer and add it again if Windows is having trouble communicating with it correctly.
If your printer manufacturer provides a newer driver for your Windows version, installing the appropriate driver can also help resolve printing problems.
After updating the printer setup, restart Word and print a test document containing a simple header and footer.
FAQs
Why is my Word header visible but not printing?
The header may be positioned outside the printer’s printable area. Try increasing the top margin or moving the header farther from the top edge. Also check the printer’s paper size and scaling settings.
A footer that is too close to the bottom edge can be clipped by the printer. Go to Layout > Margins and increase the bottom margin. You can also adjust the footer position through the Header & Footer settings.
Why does my header print on some pages but not others?
Check your document’s section settings. Options such as Different First Page, Different Odd & Even Pages, and Link to Previous can cause different headers and footers to appear throughout a document.
Why does my header appear in Print Preview but not on paper?
If it appears in Print Preview, Word is generally including the header in the print job. The problem may therefore be related to the printer’s printable area, paper size, scaling, or printer driver.
Yes. If the footer is positioned outside the printer’s printable area, increasing the bottom margin can move it into a printable region.
Yes. Printers have different minimum printable margins. A document can look correct in Word but still have content clipped when the printer cannot physically print close enough to the edge.
Bottom Lines
When your header and footer are not printing in Word, start by checking Print Preview. If the content is missing there, focus on Word’s document and section settings. If it appears in the preview but disappears on paper, focus on the printer’s printable area, margins, paper size, scaling, and driver.
For most users, the quickest fixes are to select Layout > Margins > Normal, move the header or footer farther from the page edge, and verify the printer’s paper and scaling settings.
If the problem affects every Word document, testing another document and checking the printer driver can help identify the real cause.