How to Fix Printer Keeps Printing Landscape Instead of Portrait on Windows 11

If your printer keeps printing documents in landscape orientation when you clearly selected portrait, you’re not alone. Many Windows 11 users face this frustrating issue — especially after a recent update or printer driver installation.

This problem can occur due to incorrect print settings, application overrides, or corrupted printer drivers. In some cases, Windows may even reset printer preferences automatically after an update, causing unexpected changes in orientation.

Luckily, you can fix this issue quickly by adjusting your printer’s configuration and ensuring the correct driver and preferences are applied. Let’s walk through each method step by step.

1. Check Page Orientation in the Print Menu

Before diving deeper, start with the simplest fix — verifying the print orientation setting within the app you’re printing from.

1. Open the document or image you’re trying to print.
2. Press Ctrl + P (or go to File → Print).
3. In the print dialog box, look for the Orientation option.
4. Make sure Portrait is selected.
5. Click Print Preview (if available) to confirm the orientation.

If the preview still shows a landscape layout, proceed to the next steps.

2. Change Default Printer Orientation in Windows Settings

Your printer may be using landscape as the default print layout, overriding your manual selections. You can fix this by setting portrait as the default orientation.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Go to Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners.
3. Select your printer from the list.
4. Click Printing preferences.
5. In the dialog box that opens, locate Orientation and select Portrait.
6. Click Apply → OK to save your settings.

This will set the default print layout for all applications using that printer.

3. Verify Printer Settings in Control Panel

If Windows Settings doesn’t fix it, check your printer’s configuration via the Control Panel, which provides more advanced options.

1. Press Windows + R, type control, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to Hardware and Sound → Devices and Printers.
3. Right-click your printer and choose Printing preferences.
4. Ensure Orientation is set to Portrait.
5. Click Apply → OK.

You can also print a test page to confirm that the orientation is correct.

4. Reset Application-Specific Print Preferences

Some applications, like Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe Acrobat, can override Windows printer settings. If your printer behaves normally elsewhere but not in one program, reset that app’s printing preferences.

For Microsoft Word or Excel:

1. Open the document.
2. Go to File → Print → Printer Properties.
3. Make sure Portrait is selected.
4. Click Set As Default (if available).

For Adobe Acrobat Reader:

1. Go to File → Print.
2. Under Page Setup, ensure Portrait is selected.
3. Uncheck any “Auto Rotate” or “Choose paper source by PDF page size” options.
4. Click OK → Print.

After adjusting, try printing again to see if the orientation is correct.

5. Update or Reinstall Printer Driver

An outdated or corrupted printer driver can cause issues with print orientation or other settings not saving properly. Updating or reinstalling the driver often resolves this.

Update Printer Driver:

1. Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Print queues or Printers.
3. Right-click your printer and select Update driver.
4. Choose Search automatically for drivers and let Windows install the latest version.

Reinstall Printer Driver:

1. Go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners.
2. Click your printer → Remove device.
3. Restart your PC.
4. Reconnect the printer using Add device or reinstall using the manufacturer’s driver from their website.

Once reinstalled, test-print a document in portrait mode.

6. Disable Automatic Orientation Detection (Printer-Specific)

Some printers have an automatic orientation detection feature that can misinterpret document layouts and force landscape mode. You can disable this in the printer’s settings.

1. Open Control Panel → Devices and Printers.
2. Right-click your printer → Printing preferences.
3. Look for an option like Automatic orientation detection, Auto rotate, or Detect page orientation.
4. Uncheck the box if it’s enabled.
5. Click Apply → OK.

Restart the print job to verify if it now prints in portrait mode.

7. Delete and Recreate the Printer Queue

Sometimes, a corrupted print queue or saved job configuration can cause your printer to ignore new settings. Resetting the print queue can clear out any bad data.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Scroll down and find Print Spooler.
3. Right-click it and select Stop.
4. Open File Explorer and navigate to: C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS
5. Delete all files inside this folder (these are old print jobs).
6. Go back to the Services window, right-click Print Spooler, and select Start.

Try printing again to see if the issue is resolved.

8. Check for Windows Updates

If the issue began recently, it might be caused by a buggy Windows update affecting printer drivers or system print settings. Microsoft often releases fixes in subsequent updates.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Navigate to Windows Update → Check for updates.
3. Download and install all available updates.
4. Restart your PC.

After updating, test if your printer now correctly prints in portrait orientation.

9. Run the Printer Troubleshooter

Windows 11 includes a built-in printer troubleshooter that can automatically detect and fix configuration issues.

1. Open Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters.
2. Find Printer in the list and click Run.
3. Follow the on-screen steps to let Windows diagnose and fix any detected problems.

Once done, restart your system and try printing a test document.

10. Check Your Document or Page Layout Settings

In rare cases, the issue may lie within your document’s formatting rather than your printer settings.

1. Open the file you’re printing (e.g., in Word or Excel).
2. Go to Layout → Orientation.
3. Make sure Portrait is selected.
4. Save the document before printing again.

If your document contains large tables or images, ensure they fit within portrait dimensions; otherwise, the printer might automatically rotate it to landscape.

Wrapping Up

If your printer keeps printing in landscape instead of portrait on Windows 11, it’s usually caused by misconfigured orientation settings, driver issues, or cached print jobs. Start with simple fixes like changing the default orientation or updating drivers, and then move to deeper solutions like resetting the print queue or reinstalling the printer.

Once you’ve applied these steps, your printer should correctly follow the portrait layout — ensuring your documents print exactly the way you want them.