7 Fixes When Printer on Windows 11 Keeps Printing Landscape Instead of Portrait

Quick Tips

• Be sure to print in portrait mode instead of landscape mode by updating the printing preference.
• Paper size selection is important and should match the size of the physical paper.
• Adding the printer back to Windows can resolve the issue that prevented the printer from using the proper orientation.

1. Change the Default Orientation on the Printer Properties

Step 1: Press the Windows + I keyboard shortcut to launch the Settings app.

Step 2: On the left pane, click Bluetooth & devices, and on the right, click Printers & scanners and select the printer you want to fix.

Step 3: Click Printing preferences to open the printer’s configuration window.

Step 4: Select Portrait from the Orientation drop-down list, then click Apply and OK.

2. Change Orientation in Page Setup

You can make specific changes to the application or document you want to print from. For example, if you are trying to print from Microsoft Word, change the page orientation before printing, which will reflect when you print the page.

Step 1: Click the Layout section in the Word document, expand Orientation, and select Portrait.

Step 2: Proceed to print the document. It should automatically choose the orientation based on the document layout.

3. Change Layout in Print Setup

If you cannot change the orientation from the app as you would on a word processor, switch to Portrait on the print setup page before printing the document, as shown below.

Step 1: Press the Control + P keyboard shortcut to initiate the print process. This should open the print setup page.

Step 2: Under the Layout section, select Portrait > Print.

4. Check for and Correct Page Size Mismatch

One reason your printer prints landscape instead of portrait is a page mismatch. That means the printer may expect A4 paper even though you have loaded A5 sheets.

Go to Print Setup > expand More settings > select a matching Paper size > click Print.

5. Confirm Network Printer Settings Are Not Overriding Local Settings

This solution will apply if you are connected to a network printer. If the network printer has a set of print preferences different from what you want, you may need to contact the administrator to resolve the issue. Alternatively, switch to a local printer to perform the print job.

6. Re-Add the Printer to Windows

You can fix this problem by removing the printer from your computer and re-adding it. This is a valid fix because when the computer is re-added, it comes with a default set of configurations, and any misconfiguration that caused the problem would be removed.

Step 1: Go to the Printers & scanners in the Windows Settings app.

Step 2: Select the problematic printer and click on Remove.

Step 3: Restart the computer and return to Printers & scanners.

Step 4: Click Add Device and follow the wizard to complete the process. The issue should be resolved.

7. Factory Reset the Printer

If your printer keeps printing sideways or landscape, resetting it to factory settings can resolve the problem. A factory reset reconfigures all printer settings and restores them to default. The procedures for performing a factory reset vary depending on the printer brand. For instructions on properly executing this operation on your printer, consult your user manual.