Microsoft Access Report – 3rd Page Prints at 1/4 Size Only When Printing Full Report

Jazzy23 10 Reputation points
2026-08-17T19:48:30.6733333+00:00

I'm having an unusual Microsoft Access printing issue at one of three locations.

I have a report called rpt_Contract that includes two subreports, rpt_Legal1 and rpt_Legal2. The report prints as three pages.

At one location only, when all three pages are printed in a single print job, page 3 is reduced to approximately 1/4 size and printed in the upper-left corner of an 8.5" × 11" portrait sheet.

A few things I've already tested:

The same database/report prints correctly at our other locations.

The issue occurs on multiple computers at the affected location.

I've tested both Canon and HP printers, with the same result.

Print Preview displays all pages correctly.

If I print pages 1–2, then print page 3 separately, all pages print correctly.

If I print/export the entire report to PDF and then print the PDF, all pages print correctly.

If I print all three pages directly from Access in one job, page 3 is shrunk.

Both subreports print correctly individually.

I swapped rpt_Legal1 and rpt_Legal2. Whichever subreport ends up as page 3 is the one that prints shrunk, so the problem follows the page position rather than a specific subreport.

I even replaced the third subreport with a copy of the known-good second subreport, and the third page still shrinks.

The reports have worked correctly for years and there have been no recent changes to their design.

Has anyone seen Access suddenly scale only the third page of a multi-page report when printing directly to a physical printer, while Print Preview, PDF output, and printing the page separately all work correctly?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Access | Development
Answer recommended by moderator
Karl Donaubauer 3,501 Reputation points MVP
2026-08-19T09:38:27.9666667+00:00

Hi,

Can you (or another affected poster) provide a small demo database that shows the problem? This could speed up a fix from Microsoft.

Meanwhile, as a temporary workaround, you could roll-back to to a previous version of Office/Access.

Servus
Karl

Access Forever, News, DevCon
Access-Entwickler-Konferenz AEK 10./11.10. Nürnberg

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  1. Karl Donaubauer 3,501 Reputation points MVP
    2026-09-02T07:55:21.3933333+00:00

    Hi,

    Microsoft has now released a fix for these issues in the Current Channel. Details can be found in our AFo article.

    Servus
    Karl
    Access Forever, News, DevCon
    Access-Entwickler-Konferenz AEK 10./11.10. Nürnberg

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    3 people found this answer helpful.
  2. Lin v 1,200 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-17T20:24:27.78+00:00

    Hi Jazzy23,

    Thank you for providing the detailed troubleshooting results.

    Based on the behavior described, the issue does not appear to be tied to a specific subreport, since whichever report is placed on page 3 is the one that prints at the reduced size.

    As a next step, you may want to review the remaining checks mentioned in the AI answer that were not referenced in your post, including

    • Verifying the Windows default printer configuration and ensuring "Let Windows manage my default printer" is disabled.
    • Reviewing the report's Page Setup settings, including paper size/source, orientation, and margins.
    • Comparing the Microsoft Access/Microsoft 365 build at the affected location with a location where the report prints correctly.

    If the issue persists after completing those checks, it may be also helpful to contact your IT administrator to open a support ticket with Microsoft Support. A technical support engineer can then initiate a remote session, review backend settings, and run diagnostics. If needed, they can escalate the case to specialized engineering teams who are well-equipped to perform advanced troubleshooting and provide targeted solutions.

    For guidance on how to request support in the admin center, please share this link with your IT admin: Get support - Microsoft 365 admin. 

    If you are unsure who your IT administrator is, you can refer to this official Microsoft guide for assistance: How do I find my Microsoft 365 admin? - Microsoft Support.

    I hope this points you in the right direction. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.

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  3. AI answer

    2026-08-17T19:48:49.04+00:00

    The behavior points to a printer/rendering issue at that location rather than a problem in the report design itself.

    The strongest indicators are:

    1. Print Preview is correct.
    2. PDF export and printing the PDF are correct.
    3. The problem follows page position, not a specific subreport.
    4. Printing page 3 by itself works.

    That pattern matches cases where Access calculates report layout against the printer device context, and printer defaults or the default printer can affect the final printed result even when the report itself is unchanged.

    Recommended checks at the affected location:

    1. Change the Windows default printer temporarily and test again. Also clear the option that lets Windows manage the default printer automatically. A known Access issue is that the wrong or missing default printer can affect report font sizing and margins.
    2. Open the report in Print Preview and then review Page Setup:
      • Print Preview tab → Page Setup
      • Verify Orientation is correct.
      • Verify Paper size/source.
      • Check Margins.
      • If needed, test with slightly larger margins.
    3. Print only page 3 from Access using File > Print > Print Range > Pages and confirm it still prints correctly alone. Since this already works, it further isolates the issue to the full print job rendering path.
    4. Check printer preferences on the affected machines:
      • Confirm orientation is not being forced incorrectly.
      • Confirm scaling is effectively normal size rather than a fit/shrink option.
    5. Test with a different default printer driver/configuration at that location, even on the same physical printer model. Since the issue occurs across multiple machines there, a shared driver/default configuration is a likely factor.

    Because the third page shrinks only when the full report is sent directly from Access, but not in preview, PDF, or separate-page printing, the most supported conclusion is:

    • The report design is likely not the root cause.
    • The affected location likely has a printer/default-printer or printer-context issue that changes how Access renders the full job.

    If blank or overflow pages are also present, verify that no control extends past the page width and that the report width plus margins fits the paper size. In Access, even a small overflow can cause print anomalies.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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