Fix Printer Adds an Extra Blank Page After Each Document on Windows 11

Quick fix: Open Printer properties → Device Settings tab, find Separator Page, and set to (none). The separator page feature inserts a blank page between print jobs — useful in shared printers, annoying for home use.

Every document you print produces an extra blank page at the end. Sometimes at the beginning. The document itself ends correctly — the extra page is added by the print driver or by Windows’ print spooler. Common causes: separator pages enabled, a driver bug that misinterprets page ranges, or app-side blank page added by the document layout.

What causes this

Three sources of extra blank pages: Separator page setting: a feature designed for shared printers — Windows inserts a banner page identifying the print job. Often enabled by default on some installations. Document trailing whitespace: Word and other apps sometimes include an empty trailing paragraph that triggers a new page. Driver mode mismatch: PCL5 vs PCL6 vs PostScript drivers handle end-of-job differently; the wrong choice can add a blank page.

Method 1: Disable separator page

The most common single fix.

1. Open Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners.
2. Click your printer.
3. Click Printer properties.
4. Switch to the Advanced tab.
5. Click Separator Page. If a file path is shown, the separator page is enabled.
6. Click Browse → click Cancel to clear, or manually clear the file path field.
7. Click OK (or click Separator Page button again to remove).
8. For most home users: ensure no separator page file is configured.
9. Click Apply → OK.
10. Print a test page. The extra blank should be gone.

This handles the most common cause.

Method 2: Check document for trailing blank pages

Use when separator page isn’t configured but blank pages still appear.

1. In Word: open the document. Press Ctrl + End to jump to the very end.
2. If the cursor lands on a blank page after the actual content, there are extra paragraphs. Press Backspace repeatedly to remove them until the cursor is at the end of the last visible content.
3. For section breaks producing blank pages: View → Navigation Pane. Click Pages tab. Look for a final blank page thumbnail. Right-click → Delete.
4. For Excel: ensure your print area is set correctly: Page Layout → Print Area → Set Print Area. Auto-detected print areas sometimes include empty cells beyond your data.
5. For PDFs: open in a PDF reader, check the last page. If it’s blank, use PDF editing tools to delete it before printing.
6. Print again — extra blank should be gone.

This catches cases where the blank page is actually part of the document.

Method 3: Switch print driver mode (PCL5/6/PostScript)

Use when the blank page persists after Methods 1 and 2 — the driver itself is the issue.

1. Many printers come with multiple driver modes. Check your printer’s downloads page.
2. For HP: try the HP Universal Print Driver (UPD) PCL6 if you’re on UPD PCL5. Or switch from UPD to model-specific driver.
3. For Brother: switch between BR-Script (PostScript), PCL6, and the specific driver bundle.
4. For Canon: try the UFR II driver vs PCL6 driver.
5. Steps to switch:
   • Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → (your printer) → Printer properties → Advanced tab → New Driver.
   • Pick the alternate driver. Apply.
6. Print a test page. If the blank page is gone with the new driver, that driver is the right choice.
7. Different driver modes handle PostScript page boundaries differently — switching often resolves driver-side trailing blanks.

This is the right approach when the document is clean and separator page is off but blanks persist.

How to verify the fix worked

• Print a single-page test document. Exactly one page comes out.
• Print a 5-page document. Exactly 5 pages come out, no trailing blank.
• Open Printer properties → Advanced. Separator Page field is empty.

If none of these work

If extra blank pages persist despite all three methods, three causes remain. Always-blank-last-page driver feature: some duplex-capable printer drivers add a blank page to ensure paper feed alignment for two-sided documents printed in “one-sided” mode. Check Printer Preferences for an option like “Print blank pages” or “Print blank back of last page in duplex” — disable. Form feed in document: some scanned documents or RTF files contain explicit form-feed characters that force page breaks. Open the document in a text editor to inspect (for plain text/RTF). Postscript prologue/epilogue: PostScript drivers add header/footer pages in some modes. Switch to PCL or the printer’s native driver mode if available.

Bottom line: Extra blank pages come from separator-page setting, document trailing whitespace, or driver mode — disable separator page first, clean up document, switch driver mode if needed.