You open Print Preview in Word and see blank pages where your content should be. This problem usually happens because of corrupted content in the document, incorrect printer driver settings, or a damaged Word file. The preview may show empty pages even when the document looks fine in the editing view. This article explains the root causes and provides step-by-step fixes to restore your print preview.
Key Takeaways: Fixing Blank Pages in Word Print Preview
- Update or reinstall your printer driver: An outdated or corrupt driver is the most common cause of blank Print Preview.
- File > Options > Display > Show white space between pages in Print Layout view: Turn this off and on to refresh the preview engine.
- Use Open and Repair on the document: This built-in tool fixes file corruption that causes blank preview pages.
Why Word Print Preview Shows Blank Pages
Word generates Print Preview by sending page layout data to the Windows printing subsystem. When the preview shows blank pages, one of three components is failing: the document content, the printer driver, or the Word application itself.
A common cause is a corrupt section break or table in the document. Word may render these elements incorrectly in the preview, leaving empty space. Another frequent cause is a printer driver that does not support the current document format, such as a PDF driver being set as the default printer. Finally, Word’s temporary files or settings can become corrupted, breaking the preview rendering pipeline.
Corrupted Document Elements
Section breaks, especially those that force a new page, can confuse the preview engine. Tables with merged cells or complex formatting may also cause blank pages. Word tries to fit these elements into the page layout but fails, leaving the preview empty.
Printer Driver Issues
Word uses the default printer driver to calculate page dimensions and margins. If the driver is outdated, missing, or set to a virtual printer like Microsoft Print to PDF, the preview may not render correctly. The driver must support the paper size and orientation used in the document.
Word Application Corruption
Word’s Normal.dotm template or the Office installation itself can become damaged. This corruption affects how Word interprets page layout commands, resulting in blank preview pages even for simple documents.
Steps to Fix Blank Pages in Print Preview
Method 1: Change the Default Printer
- Open Windows Settings
Press Windows key + I to open Settings. Go to Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. - Select a different printer
Choose a physical printer from the list. Click Set as default. If you have no physical printer, install a manufacturer driver for a generic model. - Test Print Preview in Word
Open your document, press Ctrl+F2 to open Print Preview. Check if blank pages still appear.
Method 2: Update or Reinstall the Printer Driver
- Open Device Manager
Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. Expand the Print queues section. - Update the driver
Right-click your printer, select Update driver > Search automatically for drivers. If Windows finds a new version, install it. - Reinstall the driver if needed
If no update is found, right-click the printer and select Uninstall device. Restart your PC. Windows will reinstall the driver on reboot. - Test Print Preview
Open Word and press Ctrl+F2. Verify that blank pages are gone.
Method 3: Use Open and Repair
- Open Word and go to File > Open
Click Browse to locate your document. - Select the document and use Open and Repair
Click the document once to highlight it. Click the arrow next to the Open button and choose Open and Repair. - Save the repaired document
Word will attempt to fix corruption. If successful, save the file with a new name using File > Save As. - Test Print Preview
Press Ctrl+F2 to check if blank pages are resolved.
Method 4: Reset Word Options and Clear Temporary Files
- Close Word completely
Make sure no Word processes are running in Task Manager. - Delete the Word temporary folder
Press Windows key + R, type %temp% and press Enter. Find and delete all files starting with ~wrd. Empty the Recycle Bin. - Reset Word settings
Press Windows key + R, type winword /safe and press Enter. Word starts in Safe Mode. Go to File > Options > Advanced. Click Reset at the bottom of the dialog. Confirm the reset. - Exit Safe Mode and restart Word normally
Open your document and test Print Preview with Ctrl+F2.
Method 5: Check for Section Breaks and Content Issues
- Show formatting marks
Press Ctrl+Shift+8 to display paragraph marks and section breaks. - Delete unnecessary section breaks
Look for Next Page section breaks that might create extra blank pages. Delete them by placing the cursor before the break and pressing Delete. - Check tables for merged cells
Select the table, go to Table Layout > Properties > Options. Uncheck Automatically resize to fit contents. Click OK. - Test Print Preview
Press Ctrl+F2 to verify the fix.
If Word Still Shows Blank Pages After the Main Fix
Print Preview Shows Blank Pages Only for One Document
If other documents print correctly, the problem is in the document itself. Try copying all content into a new blank document. Open a new document, press Ctrl+A in the original, then Ctrl+C. Switch to the new document and press Ctrl+V. Save the new file and test Print Preview.
Print Preview Shows Blank Pages Across All Documents
This points to a system-wide issue. Run the Office Repair tool: go to Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Microsoft 365, click Modify, then choose Quick Repair. If that fails, run Online Repair.
Blank Pages Appear Only When Printing to PDF
The Microsoft Print to PDF driver may be outdated. Download the latest version from Microsoft’s website. Alternatively, use a third-party PDF printer like Adobe Acrobat.
Comparison: Causes and Fixes for Blank Print Preview
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fastest Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Blank preview in one document only | Corrupted section break or table | Copy content to new document |
| Blank preview in all documents | Corrupted printer driver or Word installation | Change default printer or run Office Repair |
| Blank preview only when printing to PDF | Outdated PDF printer driver | Update Microsoft Print to PDF or use a third-party PDF printer |
| Preview shows some pages, others blank | Complex tables or merged cells | Disable automatic table resizing |
Now you can diagnose and fix blank pages in Word Print Preview using the methods above. Start by changing the default printer, as this solves most cases. If the problem persists, use Open and Repair or copy content to a new document. For recurring issues across all documents, run the Office Online Repair tool. A final tip: keep your printer drivers updated through Windows Update to prevent future preview problems.